TikTok Common Issues & FAQs

This article covers the most frequently asked questions we receive about distributing music to TikTok, including the Commercial Music Library (CML) opt-in process, the 60-second music limit, and other common issues. Please review this guide before submitting a support ticket, as many questions can be answered here.

Commercial Music Library (CML) Opt-In

TikTok separates music usage into two libraries: the General Music Library (GML), which is available to personal creator accounts for standard TikTok content, and the Commercial Music Library (CML), which is a catalog of pre-cleared tracks that businesses can use in organic posts, paid ads, and branded content.

When your music is distributed to TikTok through Symphonic, it goes into the General Music Library by default. Opting into the CML makes your tracks available to TikTok Business accounts and brands, opening up additional revenue opportunities and exposure through commercial and advertising content.

Requirements:

• You must own or control 100% of the publishing rights for the track — both the sound recording and the underlying composition.
• The release must already be distributed and live on TikTok through Symphonic.
• You must have complete authority over publishing, including licensing and royalty collection for the track.

What's not eligible:

• Cover songs are not eligible for the CML. Only original compositions qualify.
• Public domain compositions are not eligible.
• Tracks with shared publishing rights — if any other party controls a portion of the publishing, the track cannot be included.
• Tracks containing uncleared samples or third-party content you don't have full commercial licensing rights to.

Please note: Incorrectly declaring that you control 100% of the publishing rights could have serious consequences. Only opt in if you are absolutely certain you fully own the composition.

How to opt in:

If your music meets the requirements above and you'd like to enroll your tracks in the Commercial Music Library, please contact us and let us know that you'd like to opt in, and our team will process your request.

Things to consider before opting in:

• Once in the CML, your music becomes available to all TikTok Business accounts, including brands and advertisers you may not have a direct relationship with. Consider whether broad commercial availability aligns with your strategy.
• Standard distributed music (in the GML) is not available to TikTok Business accounts. The CML is the only music library that Business accounts can legally use. This means opting in is the only way for brands to use your music on TikTok.
• CML licensing is cleared specifically for use within TikTok. If a brand wants to use your track outside of TikTok (e.g., on YouTube, Instagram, or a website), they would need to obtain a separate license from you directly.

The 60-Second Music Limit

TikTok enforces a 60-second maximum duration for licensed music used in videos. This is a platform-wide licensing limitation — not something Symphonic, the artist, or any distributor can override or bypass.

How it works:

• When a creator selects a track from TikTok's Sound Library and adds it to their video, the platform limits the music usage to 60 seconds maximum.
• If a video is uploaded with more than 60 seconds of copyrighted music, TikTok's system will automatically mute the audio and display a notification such as: "Your video has been muted because it contains music that exceeds the allowed maximum duration."
• This applies to all copyrighted music in TikTok's library — including your own songs, even if you are the rights holder.
• TikTok videos themselves can be up to 10 minutes (or longer), but the licensed audio portion cannot exceed 60 seconds.

If a video using your music is muted:

The most likely cause is that the video exceeded the 60-second music limit. The creator will need to:

1. Trim the audio portion to 60 seconds or less.
2. Re-upload the video with the shortened audio.

Workaround for artists promoting their own music:

If you want to use more than 60 seconds of your own track in a TikTok video, the only method is to add the audio to your video using an external editing app (such as CapCut or another video editor) before uploading it to TikTok, rather than selecting the track from TikTok's Sound Library within the app.

Please note: When audio is added externally rather than through TikTok's Sound Library, the video will not link back to your track's sound page on TikTok. This means viewers won't see the "Use this sound" button, and the video won't contribute to your track's usage count. For promotional purposes, we recommend keeping library-selected clips to 60 seconds or under to maintain that connection.

Why Can't I Find or Use My Music on TikTok?

If you can't find or use your music in TikTok's Sound Library, the most common causes are:

1. You're on a Business account. For licensing reasons, only Personal TikTok accounts can access the standard Sounds library (which includes music distributed through Symphonic). If you've switched to a Business account, you will only be able to use the Commercial Sounds library. To switch back: go to Profile → Menu (three lines) → Settings and privacy → Account → Switch to Personal Account.
2. Your track was recently released. New releases may not appear immediately in TikTok's search results. Try changing the search filter to "Most Recent" when searching for your track.
3. Generic artist or track name. If your artist name or track title contains very common words, TikTok's default search results may not surface it. Search using your full artist name and track title together.
4. The release hasn't finished processing. Allow several business days after your delivery confirmation before troubleshooting. TikTok delivery and ingestion can take time.

If none of the above resolve the issue, please submit a support request and include the specific track(s) and your TikTok profile link so we can investigate further.

Why Is My Music Labeled "Not Licensed for Commercial Use"?

This message appears when a creator is using a TikTok Business account. Business accounts can only access music from TikTok's Commercial Music Library (CML) due to TikTok's own licensing policies. Standard music distributed through Symphonic is not available to Business accounts unless it has been separately opted into the CML.

This restriction is enforced by TikTok and cannot be changed by Symphonic. If you'd like your music to be available for commercial use, see the CML opt-in section above.