How to Make a TikTok Ad With a Song, Start to Finish

Published October 28, 202611 min readUpdated October 28, 2026

To make a TikTok ad with a song, use music you are allowed to use in ads: TikTok's Commercial Music Library, a track you licensed, or a song made for your business. Write the words around one offer, build the video in 9:16, put every word on screen, hook in the first 3 seconds, and aim for 21 to 34 seconds.

The song everyone is dancing to this week is off limits for a business ad, and free library tracks never say your name, so this guide covers the whole ad, not just the music.

Key takeaways

Trending songs on TikTok are cleared for personal posts only, not business ads.

TikTok's Commercial Music Library is free for ads but works on TikTok only.

Write the words first, around one offer.

Build in 9:16, put every word on screen, and aim for 21 to 34 seconds.

Small business owner making a TikTok ad with a song, a vertical cartoon song ad on the phone

Why can't a business ad use the music that's trending?

A business ad cannot use a trending song because those songs are licensed for personal posts only. TikTok's Commercial Music Library help page (updated July 2025) says businesses "cannot use the general music library for commercial usage."

If you upload a finished video with a song in it, TikTok may ask you to accept its Music Usage Confirmation. You confirm there is no copyright music in it, or that you got and paid for every licence. If you cannot, the post might be taken down.

Fixes that do not work:

Crediting the artist. A credit is not a licence.
Using only a few seconds. Short clips are still copyright music.
Posting from a personal account. An ad is still commercial.

This is general information, not legal advice. Our guide to music for Facebook ads has the full rules for Meta and TikTok, and our guide to Christmas songs on Instagram Reels and TikTok covers seasonal posts.

Get a musical video ad made for your business for $97 → A catchy song about your business, turned into a 3D animated video ad. Done for you in 72 hours.

Where can a business get music for a TikTok ad?

A business can get music for a TikTok ad from four legal sources: TikTok's Commercial Music Library, a stock music licence, your own song, or a done-for-you song ad. They differ on cost, on where the ad can run, and on whether the song can say your name.

The Commercial Music Library is TikTok's free set of songs cleared for business posts and ads, and TikTok says it holds 1 million songs. The catch sits in TikTok's Commercial Music Library terms: you may only post videos with those sounds within TikTok. Tracks marked Premium may cost an extra fee, and if TikTok loses the rights to a sound, it may mute or take down videos that use it.

Source	What it costs	Where the ad can run	Says your name?	Main catch
TikTok Commercial Music Library	Free (Premium tracks may cost extra)	TikTok only	No	Can be muted if TikTok loses the rights
Stock music site licence	Subscription or per-track fee, varies by site	Wherever the licence says	No	Check that it names paid ads
Your own song (AI music tool or jingle writer)	From a tool's paid plan to a studio fee	Wherever your terms or contract say	Yes	You build the video yourself
Done-for-you song ad	One fixed price for the finished ad	Depends on the seller's terms (ours: anywhere; you own the ad)	Yes	You give up some control over the music

Only the last two can sing your business name and your offer.

Pro tip: list every place the ad will run before you pick the music.

How to make a TikTok ad with a song in 8 steps

These eight steps take you from a blank page to an uploaded ad.

Step 1: Pick one offer and one customer

Choose one thing you want people to do, and who you want doing it. "Book a free home value check" for homeowners thinking of selling works. "We help with buying, selling, renting and more" does not.

Step 2: Write the words before the music

Write the lines first, in plain words your customer uses. Put your business name in the first or second line, and end on the offer. Four to eight short lines is plenty.

Step 3: Choose where the music comes from

Pick one of the four sources above. On a TikTok Business Account, the Add Sound button only shows Commercial Sounds, according to TikTok's guide on how to use the Commercial Music Library (updated July 2026). If you use the library, TikTok's guide tells you to pick the region where your campaign will run, then filter by "usable placements" so the song is cleared for ads.

Step 4: Build the video in 9:16

Make the video tall, the shape of a phone screen. TikTok's in-feed ad specs (updated June 2026) recommend 9:16 at 540x960 pixels or more, and most editors export 1080x1920, which is a safe habit.

In a 2021 TikTok for Business study of thousands of ads, videos shot in 9:16 saw a 91% lift in conversion compared with videos that did not fill the screen and showed black bars. This is TikTok's own data from 2021, across all kinds of advertisers.

Keep faces, text and your logo away from the bottom of the screen and the right edge, where TikTok's caption, buttons and icons sit.

Step 5: Put every word on screen

Show each sung line as it is sung, big enough to read on a small phone. Highlighting each word as it plays helps people follow along, with or without sound.

The same TikTok study found that ecommerce ads with captions or on-screen text clearly showing an offer or call to action saw an 80% lift in conversion. A call to action is the line that tells people what to do next, like "Book online today."

Sound still matters. In a 2021 Kantar study for TikTok, 88% of TikTok users said sound is essential to the app, and 73% said they would stop and look at ads with audio. Words on screen cover the people watching on mute.

Step 6: Cut to 21 to 34 seconds

Trim the song so the hook lands in the first 3 seconds and the offer lands before the end. If it runs long, cut a verse rather than speeding it up.

Step 7: End on your name, offer and next step

Hold the last frame for at least 3 seconds. Show your logo, the offer in a few words, and what to tap or who to call.

Step 8: Upload the finished file and keep your proof

Upload the finished video in TikTok Ads Manager, where you build and pay for ads. Accept the Music Usage Confirmation only if you can honestly say you hold every licence. Save the licence or receipt as a PDF next to the video.

What should the lyrics say, second by second?

A song in a TikTok ad should name the problem and your business in the first 3 seconds, tell a short story in the middle, and sing the offer and next step at the end.

Seconds	Job	What the words do
0 to 3	Hook	The viewer's problem, plus your name
3 to 20	Story	Who you are and how you fix it
20 to 30	Offer	Sing the offer and the next step
Final 3 or more	End frame	Logo, offer and button on screen

Here are original sample lines. Swap in your own name.

Trade	Hook (0 to 3 seconds)	Story	Offer
Chiropractor	"Stiff back from the desk all day? [Your Name] Chiro, here to help you move."	"Gentle hands, a plan that fits, we take the time to check each bit."	"First visit, book online, [Your Name] Chiro, right on time."
Med spa	"Mirror looking tired lately? [Your Name] Med Spa, take a break."	"Calm room, kind team, an hour that's yours, you walk out lighter through the doors."	"Book your facial online today, [Your Name] Med Spa, on your way."
Realtor	"Thinking of selling this spring? Call [Your Name], let's talk it through."	"Fair price, clear plan, every step explained by a local hand."	"Free home value check, just tap and ask [Your Name]."
Pizza place	"Too tired to cook tonight? [Your Name] Pizza's got it right."	"Thin crust, hot box, at your door before the clock."	"Two-for-one on Tuesday nights, order now from [Your Name]."

Want to write your own? Fill in this template:

"[Problem your customer has right now]? Call [Your Name]."
"[What you do], [how you do it], [why it feels easy]."
"[One more line that shows the result]."
"[Your offer]. [Next step] with [Your Name]."

Never borrow the tune or words of a famous jingle. A song that sounds like someone else's sends people to them, and it can bring a copyright claim.

How long should the ad run on TikTok?

A song ad on TikTok should usually run 21 to 34 seconds. In TikTok's 2021 analysis of thousands of auction ads, videos in that window got a 280% lift in conversion compared with shorter or longer ones.

That is room for a hook, a short story and an offer. Read the study with care: it is TikTok's own 2021 data across every kind of advertiser, so your own results will tell you more.

Make a 15-second cut from the same song as a second version to test.

What does each route cost in money and time?

A TikTok ad with a song costs anything from $0 in music, with a free library track and your own edit, to up to about $2,500 for a studio jingle with pro vocals, before you make the video. The bigger cost is often your time.

Route	Music cost	Video	Your time	Can say your name?
Commercial Music Library track + your own edit	$0	You make it	A few hours per ad	No
AI music tool + your own edit	A paid plan, varies by tool	You make it	A few hours, plus reading the terms	Yes
Studio jingle + an editor	$300 to $800 made on a computer, no live singer; $800 to $2,500 with pro vocals	Extra cost	Briefs, calls, review rounds	Yes
Done-for-you song ad	From $97 per finished ad (ours)	Included	A short form	Yes

The studio prices come from Violet Recording's 2026 jingle price guide. A studio jingle gives you audio only, so you still need to turn it into a vertical video. See our full jingle price guide.

With an AI tool, read the plan's terms before you publish, since some only allow ad use on a paid plan. Our guide comparing an AI jingle generator with a jingle writer covers the rights.

Where a done-for-you song ad fits

Our song ads are the done-for-you route. We write a catchy song about your business, or use your own words, and a pro-sounding AI singer sings it in the style you pick. The singer is AI, and we say so plainly.

We turn it into a vertical 3D cartoon music video ad with every word on screen. Each ad opens with a hook in the first 3 seconds and ends on your logo, offer and a button.

The ad is ready in 72 hours after a 5-minute form, or 24 hours with a $47 fast-track. You get one round of remakes. One ad is $97, and 5 new ads a month are $297 a month, cancel any time.

You own the ad and can use it in any ad, on your website, anywhere. We make the ad; we do not run your ads. If you are not happy within 30 days, email us for a full refund.

It is the wrong buy if your face or your work should be the star. It is also a poor fit for an offer that changes every week.

Hear the song ads we have made → Click any video to watch with sound.

How do you run a fair first test on TikTok?

Run your first song ad next to the ad you already have, with the same audience, budget and offer, and judge it on calls or bookings, not views. Our guide to running your first song ad as a fair test walks through the full setup.

On TikTok, check the first 2 days for mute notices or rejections. Once you have a winner, test a 15-second cut against the 30-second one.

Say you run a gym with a photo ad offering "First week free." Run the song ad with the same offer to the same people, and keep whichever brings trial sign-ups at a lower cost.

What if TikTok mutes or rejects your ad?

If TikTok mutes or rejects your ad, read the reason in TikTok Ads Manager, swap the audio for music you can prove you may use, and upload it again. If you think it was a mistake, send the licence proof you saved before upload.

TikTok's Commercial Music Library terms say it may mute or take down videos if it loses the rights to a sound, so muting can happen even with a library track.

A song made for your business, with terms that allow ads, does not depend on a library deal that can end.

Pro tip: keep a second version of every ad with different audio, so a muted ad can be swapped the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reuse my TikTok song ad on Instagram Reels and Facebook?

Only if the music is cleared for those apps too. Commercial Music Library tracks are for TikTok only, so a TikTok ad using one needs new audio before it runs on Instagram or Facebook. A song you own can usually run everywhere.

Is it OK that the singer in my ad is AI?

Yes, if the tool or service's terms allow ad use. Say plainly that the voice is AI if anyone asks. Our song ads use a pro-sounding AI singer, and we say so up front.

Do I need a TikTok Business Account to run ads with music?

No. To run ads you need a TikTok Ads Manager account, where you can upload a finished video with its own music. If you also post from a Business Account in the app, you will only see Commercial Sounds. Any music you add outside TikTok still needs its own licence.

Can a TikTok creator sing about my business for an ad?

Yes, if you get written permission to use the video and song in paid ads. Ask them to confirm the music is original, and keep that agreement with your licence proof.

Is TikTok's Commercial Music Library free for ads?

Yes, the Commercial Music Library is free for businesses to use in TikTok ads and posts, and TikTok says it holds 1 million songs. Some tracks marked Premium may cost an extra fee. The songs are cleared for TikTok only, not for other apps.

The short version

A trending song is off limits for a business ad on TikTok, and free library music is safe but TikTok-only and never says your name. To make a TikTok ad with a song, write the words around one offer, use music you can prove you may use, build it in 9:16 with every word on screen, keep it to 21 to 34 seconds, and save your licence proof.

Ready for an ad people remember? Get your song ad for $97, written, sung and animated for you in 72 hours, with a money-back guarantee.

Want an ad people remember?

A catchy song about your business, turned into a 3D animated video ad. Written, sung and animated for you in 72 hours, with a money-back guarantee.

Get My Song Ad — $97 →