TikTok’s built-in audio editor is more capable than most creators realize — and you never have to leave the app to use it. Whether you want to swap a track, trim a song to the perfect hook, record a voiceover, or balance your voice against background music, every tool is already there. This guide walks through each audio editing task in order, so you can find exactly what you need and get back to creating.
What TikTok Lets You Do With Sound
Before you start with the steps, here is a quick overview of the sound editing tools TikTok offers.
-
Add or change a sound — Browse TikTok’s library and attach a track to any video before posting
-
Trim and set a start point — Choose exactly which part of a song plays during your video
-
Adjust volume levels — Balance your original recorded audio against any added sound using two independent sliders
-
Record a voiceover — Lay a narration track over your video without leaving the editor
-
Apply voice effects — Transform your recorded voice with filters like Autotune, Baritone, or Echo
How to Add or Change a Sound on TikTok?
Adding or swapping a sound is the most common audio task in TikTok. There are two methods depending on where you are in the workflow.
Method 1: Adding a Sound Before or During Editing
-
Tap the + button at the bottom of the TikTok home screen.
-
Record your video or tap Upload to import a clip from your camera roll.
-
After recording or importing, tap Add Sound at the top of the editing screen.
-
Browse trending sounds, or use the search icon to find a specific track.
-
-
Tap the sound to preview and apply it.
-
Then, tap on the half-exposed editing screen to close the suggested tracks. You’ll be taken back to the main editing screen with the sound attached.
-
Click Next, add details about your video, and tap Post.
Method 2: Changing a Sound on an Already-Recorded Video
-
From the editing screen (before posting), tap the sound name displayed at the top of the screen.
-
This reopens the sound library. Select a new track to replace the current one.
-
Adjust the volume as needed before continuing to post.
Note: Sound can only be changed before a video is posted. Once published, the audio is locked in — more on that in the FAQ below.
How to Search for a Specific Song or Sound?
-
Inside the sound library, tap the Search bar at the top of the screen.
-
Type the song title, artist name, or a descriptive keyword (e.g., “lofi study beats”).
-
As you type, results appear on the screen. Tap any option to hear a preview.
-
Use the category filters — such as Hot, For You, Favorites, or Recent — to browse by mood or genre instead of searching directly.
-
To save a sound for later, tap the bookmark icon next to any track. Access saved sounds under the Favorites tab in the sound library.
How to Trim and Set the Start Point of a TikTok Sound?
This is the step many creators can’t locate. After selecting a sound, TikTok lets you choose exactly which section of the track plays — so you’re not stuck with the first few seconds of a song when the hook hits at 0:30.
-
Select your sound through the Add Sound panel (see steps above).
-
After confirming the sound, tap the downward arrow icon shown at the bottom-right of the editing screen to expand options. From there, tap on the Edit icon to open the editor with a timeline
-
Tap on the track to let the trim handles appear.
-
Use these handles to trim the part of the sound from the beginning or from the end of the track.
-
Keep the playhead at the starting point of your choice, then drag the trimmed audio clip to that point.
-
Play the preview to confirm the selection lines up with your video.
-
Tap the checkmark to lock in your trim point.
Pro Tip: Drag the waveform so the highlighted section starts just before a drop or chorus hook. Opening with the high-energy moment of a song significantly increases the chance that a viewer stays through the full video.
How to Adjust Volume? — Balancing Original Audio and Added Sound
This is the place where you correct the most common audio issue. It happens when the music covers your voice or your voice overpowers the music.
-
From the editing screen, tap Volume (speaker icon, usually in the right-side toolbar).
-
Two sliders will appear: Added Sound and Original Sound.
-
Drag each slider independently to set the level you want.
-
Tap the play button to preview the mix, then adjust as needed.
-
Tap Save or the checkmark to confirm.
Recommended balance by use case:
-
Talking-head / tutorial videos: Set Original Sound to 80–100%, Added Sound to 20–40% so your voice stays clearly in front.
-
Dance or lip-sync videos: Set Added Sound to 100%, Original Sound to 0% (fully muted) to let the music lead without background noise competing.
-
Background music with narration: Original Sound at 70–80%, Added Sound at 30–40% works well for vlogs and walkthroughs.
To mute original audio completely, drag the Original Sound slider all the way to zero. This does not delete your recorded audio — it simply silences it for this video. If you change your mind, drag the slider back up.
How to Add a Voiceover on TikTok?
TikTok’s Voiceover tool lets you record narration directly over your video after you’ve finished filming. This is useful for tutorials, commentary, and storytelling — all without leaving the app.
-
After recording or uploading your video, enter the editing screen.
-
Tap the “Sound” icon and select “Voiceover.”
-
The timeline will appear at the bottom of the screen. Scrub to the point in the video where you want the voiceover to begin.
-
Hold down the Record button to record your narration. Release to pause.
-
Move the playhead to a different point in the timeline and hold Record again to continue recording over other segments.
-
When finished, tap Done.
-
To disable the original video’s audio, tap on the small speaker icon on the left side of the video clip on the timeline. Or, leave it be to blend your voiceover with the original audio.
Note: Voiceover audio is recorded live through your phone’s microphone. For the cleanest result, record somewhere quiet and hold the phone close to your mouth — or use an external microphone for noticeably better clarity.
How to Apply Voice Effects on TikTok?
Voice effects let you transform how your recorded voice sounds — useful for entertainment content, character-based videos, or adding personality to narration.
To access Voice Effects:
-
After recording your video inside TikTok (this does not work on imported clips), go to the editing screen.
-
Tap the Voice Effects icon (a microphone with a star or sparkle symbol, in the right-side toolbar).
-
Scroll through the available effects and tap one to hear a preview applied to your recorded audio.
-
Tap Save to return to the main editing screen.
Notable effect categories available:
-
Megaphone: — Real-life megaphone. Nasally and thin sound
-
Church — Echoing, spacious, and dramatic
-
Cave — Adds a strong echo effect that makes the sound bounce and repeat in the recording
-
Echo — Adds reverb and spatial delay
-
Synth / Robot — Digitally distorted, mechanical-sounding voice
Important: Voice effects only apply to audio recorded natively within TikTok. If you imported a video clip from your camera roll, the Voice Effects option will be greyed out or unavailable.
One Thing In-App Editing Can’t Fix — Your Source Audio
TikTok’s editor gives you helpful tools. But volume tweaks or voice effects cannot repair audio that started off poor. If the clip was recorded in wind, from far away, or with loud background noise, the sound quality is already damaged before editing even starts.
For creators who regularly film talking-head content — tutorials, reviews, vlogs — a compact wireless microphone makes a meaningful difference. The Hollyland LARK M2 is a clip-on wireless mic designed specifically for mobile shooting. It weighs just 9 grams, has a button-sized profile that stays discreet on camera, and delivers up to 40 hours of battery life across the transmitter and receiver — well-matched to the kind of continuous, on-the-go shooting TikTok creators do. Cleaner audio at the source means less time compensating in the editor.
FAQs
Can I edit the sound on a TikTok after it’s been posted?
No — once a video is published, TikTok does not allow you to change or replace the audio. Your only options are to delete the video and repost with the corrected sound.
Why can’t I add certain songs to my TikTok?
Licensing restrictions vary by country and account type. Business accounts are limited to TikTok’s Commercial Music Library, which is a curated subset of the full catalog. If a song appears unavailable, it may be region-locked, not licensed for commercial use, or restricted due to a rights holder request.
How do I remove the original audio from a TikTok video?
Open the Volume panel from the editing screen. Drag the Original Sound slider all the way to the left (zero). Your original recorded audio will be silenced for this video. Keep the Added Sound slider at your preferred level for the music or track you’ve added.
Can I edit sound on TikTok using a desktop browser?
TikTok’s web editor supports basic uploads and captions but has significantly limited audio controls compared to the mobile app. Full sound editing — including trimming, voiceover, voice effects, and the volume mixer — is only available in the TikTok mobile app on iOS or Android.
Does TikTok have an equalizer or audio enhancer?
No. TikTok does not currently offer a native EQ, noise reduction, or audio enhancement tool. If you need frequency adjustments or background noise removal, the audio must be processed before importing the clip into TikTok using a separate app or recording setup.
Conclusion
TikTok’s native editor handles the full range of audio tasks most creators need — adding tracks, trimming to the right moment, balancing levels, recording voiceovers, and applying effects — all without leaving the app. Master these tools and you’ll spend less time troubleshooting and more time posting.
For more ways to level up your TikTok content, check out our guide to the best microphones for TikTok creators or how to use TikTok’s voiceover feature to grow on the platform.
