6. TikTok and Instagram
How your music reaches their libraries, how much distributors take from those earnings, SoundOn and the rules on AI.
When someone uses your song in a video, it reaches people who never looked for you. For that, your music has to be in their library, and that happens through a distributor.
Instagram and Facebook
You can’t upload audio to the library directly. Your distributor does it, if it delivers to Meta.
- Check that your plan includes it. Sometimes it’s an extra.
- It can take one to two weeks after approval, according to external sources.
- Your own Reels move the song most: show the strongest part of the song.
TikTok
Your distributor can deliver there too. There’s also SoundOn, TikTok’s distributor.
SoundOn, as published
- No cost to upload.
- 100% of TikTok and CapCut, and 100% of other platforms during the first year. After that, according to reviews, it keeps 10% of other platforms.
- Usually non-exclusive, and some people use it only for TikTok.
- Reviews with complaints: some point to support and payment problems. Try it first with one song.
Not confirmed on its pricing page: check there before choosing it.
What your distributor keeps
This is often overlooked:
- TuneCore: 20% of what’s earned on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
- DistroKid: the Social Media Pack costs USD 4.95 per single a year, plus 20% of ad revenue.
AI and rights
TikTok’s music terms ask you to disclose AI use in music videos and to have permission to use a person’s image or voice. A cloned voice without authorization isn’t allowed.
Whether the song is in these libraries gets decided when uploading, and it's worth ticking. Making videos can come later: a fifteen-second clip from your phone is enough to start.
What to post
- The best 15 to 30 seconds of the song, not the intro.
- A simple video of you playing or recording. In rock and metal, showing the riff or behind the scenes works.
- Before it comes out to build anticipation, and afterward with the link.
Common mistakes
Quick path: social
Quick path
- Tick TikTok and Meta when uploading the song.
- Check how much your distributor keeps.
- Pick your best 15 to 30 seconds.
- Post before and after release.
- If you try SoundOn, start with one song.
- Disclose any AI use in your videos.
Expected result
Expected result
Your music available for others to use in videos, knowing what share the distributor keeps and with your own material to post. All that’s left is reviewing the other platforms.