How to Get Your Music on Instagram and TikTok
When a fan adds your song to their Instagram Story or TikTok video, that is free promotion to their entire audience. But you cannot upload a song to Instagram or TikTok directly. Your music has to arrive through a distributor that delivers to Meta's and TikTok's music libraries. Here is exactly how it works.
Step 1: Use a distributor that covers social platforms
Most major distributors deliver to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok as part of their standard store list, alongside Spotify and Apple Music. When you upload a release, select Instagram Music and TikTok as platforms during the distribution process. If your distributor does not list them, your music will not appear in the apps' music libraries, no matter how many followers you have. Check the store list before you sign up, not after.
Step 2: Upload, wait for approval, then verify
Upload your track through your distributor with accurate metadata, then wait for approval and delivery. Once your song is live in the Instagram music library, you can add it to Stories and Reels directly from the sticker and music picker. On TikTok, your track appears in the sounds library, and fans can use it in their own videos. Search for your song by title in both apps to confirm it is live before announcing it.
Step 3: Use TikTok's own distribution option
TikTok runs its own distribution platform, SoundOn, an all-in-one service for music marketing and distribution built for new and undiscovered artists. At launch, SoundOn paid out 100% of royalties to music creators in the first year and 90% after that, and it distributes to TikTok plus other platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Instagram. Artists who signed up also received audience insights, expert advice from a dedicated artist team, and access to TikTok's song tab where music is linked on profile pages. Check SoundOn's current terms before choosing it, as launch offers can change.
Step 4: Promote the track once it is live
Getting on the platforms is only the start. Post your own Reels and TikTok videos using your sound, participate in trends and challenges, and use relevant hashtags to increase discovery. Collaborate with influencers and other artists to put your sound in front of new audiences. Consistency matters more than any single viral moment — regular posting keeps your sound circulating in the apps' recommendation systems.
What to watch out for
Make sure your distributor actually delivers to both Meta and TikTok — some budget tiers exclude social platforms. Keep your metadata identical across platforms so your song is easy to find. And remember that social discovery is a funnel, not the destination: the goal is to turn a 15-second clip viewer into a Spotify follower and a long-term fan.
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