TikTok music copyright: what gets muted

How TikTok differs from YouTube

On YouTube a music match puts a claim on the video and the video usually stays up. TikTok has no claim step. Its Music Terms say "our audio recognition system may detect unauthorized uses of music and your content may be muted", and "We may remove or mute your video if we have reason to believe your use of music is unauthorized."

So the result is a silent video or a missing one, not a redirected payout.

What a mute looks like

TikTok's Creator Academy says a mute can be partial. "If only some of the music in your video violates the copyright rule, only that section will be removed. All remaining voice, sound effects, and other audio will still play."

You get a notification in your inbox, and a "Change sound" prompt appears on your profile page and on the video's details page.

Which music is safe

TikTok has three libraries, and they are not interchangeable.

• Sounds, the general library. The Music Terms limit it to videos made "only for personal entertainment and non-commercial purposes". Up to one minute of a song is generally permitted.
• Commercial Sounds, for anything promoting a brand, product or service. The Commercial Music Library guide covers who has to use it.
• The Unlimited Sound Library, about 80,000 authorised sounds with "no restrictions on usage duration or amount". It is not available to Business Accounts.

The catch

A licence from somewhere else does not stop a mute. TikTok's own guidance says "Songs from outside TikTok's library can trigger mutes or takedowns, even if the rest of your video is original."

When you upload a song that did not come from TikTok's library, the Music Terms have you confirm that you made it or that "you have all the rights and permissions needed". TikTok describes no way to register an outside licence with it in advance. Artlist warns its own subscribers that TikTok "may mute, block, or remove videos that contain copyrighted audio, even when that audio is fully licensed", and names videos with more than one minute of non-TikTok music as a trigger.

For videos of a minute or longer, TikTok's advice is to "always be sure to use licensed music or original audio that you have the rights to."

Check before you post

Turn on "Music copyright check" on the posting page. TikTok says "If there's an issue, you'll get a warning before posting." It is in the TikTok Studio app and on the web. Running it takes seconds and saves a video from going out silent.

If it happens anyway

You have two routes, both from the notification. Replace the sound with one from the Unlimited Sound Library, which restores audio straight away, or appeal the mute if you hold the rights.

What repeated problems cost

TikTok's policy says it will "ban the account of a user who repeatedly commits copyright infringement", and that it may "immediately ban any account in cases of severe copyright violations." It gives no number.