TikTok Copyright Checker – Spot Mute/Claim Risks Before You Publish
Audiodrome is a royalty-free music platform designed specifically for content creators who need affordable, high-quality background music for videos, podcasts, social media, and commercial projects. Unlike subscription-only services, Audiodrome offers both free tracks and simple one-time licensing with full commercial rights, including DMCA-safe use on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. All music is original, professionally produced, and PRO-free, ensuring zero copyright claims. It’s ideal for YouTubers, freelancers, marketers, and anyone looking for budget-friendly audio that’s safe to monetize.
This tool checks your TikTok post for music copyright risks and eligibility in real time. Choose your inputs and it translates TikTok’s rules into a clear result you can act on, with next steps you can defend. It focuses on audio only. Not images. Not footage. Not logos.
NOTE: This is educational info, not legal advice, so confirm details with TikTok’s Business Help Center or Support before you publish or boost.
Copyright Violation / Eligibility Checker
Answer a few items and review your risk level and next steps.
Notes: Business accounts cannot rely on general music for commercial use. CML is designed for TikTok content and ads. TikTok does not explicitly allow CML tracks outside TikTok.
Your result
Based on your inputs
Embed This Tool on Your Website
The rules in plain English
“Commercial” on TikTok means the video helps sell, promote, or endorse a product, service, app, event, or brand, including your own. It also covers paid collaborations, affiliate pushes, whitelisting, Spark Ads, boosted posts, lead gen, and any content that aims to drive clicks, installs, sign-ups, sales, or brand lift.
Business accounts must use the Commercial Music Library because their content exists to promote. Creator accounts must switch to the Commercial Music Library the moment a post becomes promotional through a brand deal, a gifted product, paid amplification, affiliate links, or planned use in paid ads or whitelisting, even if the first upload was organic.
Monetization on TikTok hinges on lawful audio. “Promote” and “Spark Ads” accept only original sound or music cleared for commercial use, and business accounts should use the Commercial Music Library. Series and other paid products also require rights you can document, or the video risks monetization loss or removal under TikTok’s IP rules.
Creators follow the same music rules once money comes into play. If your post promotes a brand, uses affiliate links, runs as Spark Ads, or you plan paid amplification, switch to the Commercial Music Library or music you licensed for commercial use, even if the upload started organic.
For non-monetized, personal posts, creator accounts can use general TikTok sounds. But that changes the moment you add promotion or boost the video.
CML scope and limits
TikTok’s Commercial Music Library is a pre-cleared catalog for TikTok content and ads, available inside Creative Center. You can browse and add tracks within Creative Center on desktop or choose Commercial Sounds in the app when you add audio to a video.
The library covers promotional posts and paid placements on TikTok for brands and creators who run commercial activity. TikTok’s help pages say businesses cannot use the general music library and should use the Commercial Music Library for organic branded posts, branded content, and video ads.
For Reels, Shorts, or YouTube, secure separate rights or choose royalty-free music that clearly includes multi-platform commercial use. TikTok’s guidance says that if you use music outside the CML you must hold the necessary licenses, which points to obtaining distinct rights for non-TikTok posting.
Why posts get muted + how appeals work
Muted posts usually trace back to music choices. You use non-CML audio in a commercial post, borrow someone else’s sound, or add a copyrighted track without proper rights. TikTok applies IP rules fast, and Support explains the violation when the system flags your audio.
Tap “View details” on the affected post to see the reason and the policy it triggered. From there you can open Support, read the “muted audio” guidance, submit an appeal with context, and attach proof like a CML link, license document, or invoice.
You do not need to memorize every rule. Run the checker, get a decision you can act on, and save the proof it prompts you to collect. If a mute happens, you already have the receipts ready for Support, which speeds up reviews and keeps production moving.
Inputs explained
What each input does and why it matters, so you can choose correctly.
Account type
Your account sets the baseline for what TikTok expects from your content. Business accounts are built for promotion and brand communication, so TikTok treats their posts as commercial by default. Creator/personal accounts can post non-promotional clips, but the moment money or brand value enters, rules tighten.
Choosing the right type helps you avoid mismatched expectations. If you run client work, sell products, or routinely promote services, select “Business.” If you’re an individual posting personal content without sponsors, “Creator/Personal” fits until a brand deal, affiliate link, or paid boost turns the post promotional.
Does the post promote a brand, product, or service
This switch defines whether your video is commercial in purpose. Any push to drive sales, installs, sign-ups, lead capture, brand lift, or paid partnerships counts as promotion, even if the clip looks organic. Gifted products and affiliate links usually move a post into promotional territory.
Marking “Yes” sets expectations for stronger proof of music rights and ad-safe usage. Marking “No” is for personal, non-promotional clips. If you’re unsure, consider near-future plans: if you might boost the post, whitelist it, or turn it into an ad, treat it as promotional now.
Placement
Placement captures where and how the video will run. Organic posts live on your profile and feed. Ads (including Spark Ads and whitelisting) extend reach and add brand safety checks. Live streams introduce additional considerations. Series monetization carries its own settings and eligibility gates.
Select the placement you’ll actually use, not just the first upload path. Many issues arise when an organic post is later converted to paid distribution without aligning audio rights. If Series or Live is involved, plan your rights and documentation before your schedule or broadcast window locks in.
Music source used
Your music source determines what documentation you should expect to keep. Platform libraries, royalty-free catalogs, original compositions, fully licensed tracks, public-domain works, AI outputs, and general “sounds” all carry different proofs, terms, and limits. The same clip can be safe in one context and risky in another.
If you choose a source that grants commercial rights and you can document them, risk generally falls. If the source is unclear, stitched from others, or lacks ad-safe permissions, risk rises, especially under paid promotion. When in doubt, favor sources that provide explicit, written commercial terms and keep the receipt.
Is it a cover of a copyrighted song
Covers use your recording of someone else’s composition. Even without sampling the original master, you’re still using a songwriter’s work. Depending on context, you may need the right license and accurate attribution. Treat covers as third-party content, not original music you fully control.
Mark “Yes” if your melody and lyrics come from an existing song, even if arranged differently. Some platforms provide tools that streamline cover permissions in limited contexts, but those permissions rarely extend to advertising. If you’ll promote, secure appropriate rights or choose a track with clear commercial allowances.
Is it a Duet or Stitch using someone else’s sound
Duets and Stitches often inherit another creator’s sound. That sound may include protected music or third-party content the original uploader didn’t clear for your promotional use. Even if platform tools allow the action, downstream ad usage or whitelisting can create conflicts.
If you plan any promotional use, it’s safer to rebuild with audio you control or can document. Marking “Yes” flags this dependency so you can replace the sound with a licensed source. Keep the creative format, but swap the audio to de-risk monetization, boosting, and whitelisting.
Special category
Government or political topics can trigger additional rules around paid distribution, disclosures, and eligibility. Even when your audio is cleared, policy layers for this category may restrict certain placements, audiences, or formats. Treat this selection as a signal to document everything thoroughly.
If your content touches public policy, elections, or government programs, select this category so you review the extra requirements before publishing or boosting. When stakes and scrutiny are high, opt for music sources with transparent, provable commercial rights and keep all proofs accessible for potential reviews.
Will you repost to Instagram or YouTube
Cross-posting changes your rights landscape. Permissions obtained inside one platform’s library may not carry over to other platforms. Royalty-free or originally owned music with clear multi-platform rights generally travels better across Instagram, YouTube, Shorts, and Reels.
If you expect to repost, plan the audio once – choose a source whose license covers every destination and placement you need, including ads. Selecting “Yes” is a nudge to avoid platform-locked sounds and favor licenses that explicitly cover multiple platforms, paid amplification, and future edits or cut-downs.
What the checker does under the hood
The checker reads your answers and maps them to the right music path: Commercial Music Library, royalty-free with commercial rights, or a direct license for a specific track. It factors in account type, ad plans, cross-posting, and special categories to align the source with TikTok use.
It then scores the scenario and shows a plain badge: OK, Warning, or High risk. The rating weighs promotion, placement, and proof, so you know if the upload is eligible on TikTok, needs fixes before launch, or is likely to face a mute or removal later on.
It also prints a short action list you can save. You get a disclosure toggle for branded content, the exact place to add music inside Creative Center, the proof to store such as license files or CML links, and a direct path to the Support appeal flow.
Outputs you get
An “Eligible on TikTok” badge tells you the setup looks right for commercial use. You chose a music source with clear rights and the placement fits platform rules. Keep your invoice or license file handy, add audio through approved tools, and document account and post details.
A “Caution” badge flags weak spots that could disrupt distribution or monetization. Your plan might include a duet, a cover, a Series episode, Live usage, or cross-posting with platform-locked music. You can usually fix this by swapping audio or tightening proof before you boost.
A “High risk” badge warns that your post likely faces a mute or removal. The tool sees commercial intent but no documented rights for the music. Replace general sounds with cleared tracks or move to a royalty-free catalog that grants ads and multi-platform coverage.
The “Why” line gives the plain reason for your status. It weighs account type, promotion intent, placement, and music source. It also checks special categories and cross-posting. Read this sentence first to see the core issue and to decide what change matters most.
“Next step” shows the action that reduces risk fast. Expect directions like save proof, add audio from the Commercial Library, switch to a royalty-free source, replace a duet sound, or confirm Series settings. Follow this guidance before you publish or pay to promote.
Step-by-step: run a risk pre-flight
Open the checker and answer six items to frame your risk. Confirm whether the post is promotional, if you will run ads or Spark, if you plan to cross-post, if you need a chart song, if it is client work, and whether you will reuse the audio.
Hit Run and read your status and recommended music source. The card shows OK, Warning, or High risk, then names Commercial Music Library, royalty-free with commercial rights, or a direct license for a specific track, so you know exactly which audio path supports your plan.
Follow the steps the card outlines and lock your proof. Pick or add the track in Creative Center when using CML, store the license or track link, save invoices and emails, and keep a simple note with account, placement, territory, term, platforms, dates, and version.
If you will repurpose for Reels, Shorts, or YouTube, plan the rights now. Switch to royalty-free with multi-platform coverage unless you already hold separate written permission for those platforms from the recording owner and the publisher, and keep those documents in your project folder.
Copyright Violation / Eligibility Checker
Answer a few items and review your risk level and next steps.
Notes: Business accounts cannot rely on general music for commercial use. CML is designed for TikTok content and ads. TikTok does not explicitly allow CML tracks outside TikTok.
Your result
Based on your inputs
Embed This Tool on Your Website
Practical examples
These snapshots show how the checker translates your plan into a clean decision you can defend.
Small brand promo, no ads, TikTok-only
Pick a track from the Commercial Music Library and add it through Creative Center to keep the audio inside TikTok’s safe zone. Save the track link in your project doc so your editor and client can find it fast during reviews.
Turn on the branded content disclosure since the post promotes a product or service. Publish the video on TikTok only and avoid cross posting, since CML rights do not clearly cover other platforms. If you later plan Reels or Shorts, switch to royalty free with commercial rights.
%20Eligibility%2C%20Music%20Rules%2C%20and%20Fast%20Fixes/Disclosure%20is%20mandatory%20for%20commercial%20content.jpg)
Agency deliverable with paid + cross-posting
Choose royalty-free music that clearly permits advertising and multi-platform use. Confirm the license covers TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and any paid formats you plan. Add the audio file you licensed and keep the usage terms visible to everyone on the project.
Store the license PDF, invoice, and the vendor link in your ticket. Note account, placement, territory, platforms, and term so your media buyer can launch without delays. Add disclosure on promotional posts and keep the assets ready if Support asks for proof.
Creator wants a chart hit
Secure a direct license for both master and composition from the recording owner and the publisher. Ask for written approval that matches your exact use so the upload and any paid amplification stay clean across all placements you plan.
Spell out term, territory, platforms, paid formats, edits, and renewals in the agreement. Keep copies of the signed documents and contact emails in your project folder. If the plan shifts to Reels or Shorts, confirm those platforms in writing before you publish.
FAQs
Ship faster with clean audio decisions
Publish with confidence and keep momentum. The checker turns TikTok’s music rules into a simple call you can defend, then hands you the exact steps and proofs to lock down. When plans change, rerun it in seconds and stay aligned across creators, editors, and media buys.
At Audiodrome, we create interactive tools designed to simplify music licensing and monetization. They help creators, agencies, and businesses avoid common mistakes, save time, and stay compliant while building content that earns fairly across platforms.
Each tool translates complex rules into clear, practical guidance. Our goal is to give you confidence before publishing, ensuring your projects are protected, professional, and ready to succeed in a fast-changing media landscape.
Quick Reference: Licensing Terms in This Guide
Royalty-Free Music
Sync License
Composition Rights
Master Rights
Platform-Specific License
Usage Scope
Territory Rights
License Term (Duration)
Content ID
Copyright Claims
Monetization Eligibility
Takedown Notice
