Free kit · for independent artists, managers & labels

Song Promo Kit

Three things to get right before creators use your song: the TikTok start time on your hook, a creator brief they can't get wrong, and a dated release-week plan. Every rule links to its source.

Fills in from the song title and artist when we can find it. You can always edit it.

Listen through and note the second the hook begins, or let "Find my hook" below suggest it. You always choose.

Not listed? We only include distributors whose own help pages document the TikTok start time.

Find my hook

Pick your own song (MP3 or WAV, up to 20 MB and 15 minutes). It is analysed in your browser and never uploaded. We look for the part that repeats and is loudest, which is usually the chorus.

1. Your TikTok start time

Enter this in DistroKid

Preview clip start time → "Let me specify when the good part starts"

0:46

Starts 2 seconds before the hook; DistroKid's 60-second clip runs to 1:46. The 2-second lead-in is our suggestion.

DistroKid's page says start times are available "in 60 second increments" and gives the example that on a 3-minute track the latest start you can pick is 2:00. The same start applies to TikTok, Apple Music and iTunes previews.

Steps in DistroKid

  1. On the DistroKid upload form, find the "Preview clip start time" section for the track.
  2. Select "Let me specify when the good part starts".
  3. Pick the start time. The track must be longer than 1:16, and the latest start is 60 seconds before the end.
  4. Finish the upload as normal.

Already released? You can change it after release with an edit request from the album page. DistroKid Help

Full DistroKid guide →

If you don't set it

Distributors document two different defaults, so we show both. Creators pick up to 15 seconds of the clip (CD Baby Support, Symphonic).

  • Default 29 seconds in (RouteNote): preview starts at 0:29

    Hook lands 19s in, past the first 15 seconds.

  • Default 33% of the track (Label Worx): preview starts at 1:03

    Your hook (0:48) is 15s before this start, so it would be skipped.

Sources: RouteNote Support (29 s), Label Worx Support (33%).

2. Creator brief for your song

The sound page delivered by your distributor, not a fan upload.

Platforms

Why these rules: one rightsholder per TikTok Sound ID and unofficial uploads on 97k+ videos (Pex, Feb 2025); Shorts over one minute with a copyright claim are blocked (YouTube Help); disclosure in the video, "#ad" is fine (FTC).

Your brief

The video
Make a short vertical video (9:16) for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts using the song as the sound.
The hook starts at 0:48 in the song. Trim the sound so the hook plays in your first few seconds.
Make the hook moment the payoff of the video: a transition, reveal, dance move, lip-sync line or reaction.
Keep the song audible. Don't talk over the hook.

Sound rules
- Use the official sound from the artist's profile, not one uploaded by someone else.
- Don't use a re-upload, sped-up or slowed version. Only one rightsholder can claim a TikTok Sound ID, so videos on unofficial uploads can leave the artist with no credit (Pex, Feb 2025).
- Don't upload the song as your own original audio.

YouTube Shorts
- Keep Shorts at 60 seconds or less. YouTube blocks Shorts longer than one minute that have an active copyright claim (YouTube Help).

Disclosure
- This is a paid promotion. Turn on the platform's paid-partnership / branded-content label.
- Also say or show "#ad" in the video itself, not only in the caption. The FTC says the disclosure should be in the video, not just the description, and "#ad" is fine.

Don't
- Don't buy views, likes or followers. Only verified views are paid.
- Don't re-post someone else's video or use a clip you don't have rights to.
- Don't make claims about the artist that aren't true.

Pre-fills a campaign with this brief. You review every field, set your reward per 1,000 verified views and budget, and nothing is charged until you fund it.

3. Release-week plan

Loading your dates…

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is saved unless you press "Launch as a campaign".

Why the start time matters

When a creator picks your song, they get a short clip of it: a 60-second clip from TuneCore and CD Baby (TuneCore Support) (CD Baby Support), 30 seconds from Symphonic and Ditto (Symphonic) (Ditto Music), and creators keep up to 15 seconds of it. If nobody sets the start, TikTok falls back to a default: 29 seconds in according to RouteNote (RouteNote Support), or 33% of the track according to Label Worx (Label Worx Support). On a song with a long intro, either can miss the chorus.

Start-time guides by distributor

Frequently asked questions

Where does TikTok start my song by default?

It depends on what your distributor sends. RouteNote says TikTok starts the preview 29 seconds in unless you set a time; Label Worx says the sample starts at 33% of the track. Set a custom start time on the hook to avoid either default.

How do I set my TikTok start time?

In your distributor's upload form. Each one calls it something different: "Preview clip start time" (DistroKid), "TikTok Clip Start Time" (TuneCore), "Clip Start Time" (Symphonic), "Custom Sample Start" (Label Worx). The kit shows the exact steps and the value to enter.

Can I change the TikTok start time after release?

With most distributors, yes, but not CD Baby: its help page says clip edits are no longer possible once a release is finalised. TuneCore says a change takes about 2 weeks; Too Lost says a few days.

Why tell creators to keep Shorts under 60 seconds?

YouTube says Shorts longer than one minute that have an active copyright claim are blocked. A song video over a minute can disappear.

Do creators need to disclose a paid song promotion?

We recommend it. The FTC says a disclosure should be in the video itself, not just the description, and "#ad" is fine. The brief includes a disclosure line.

When should I release a song?

New music usually comes out on Fridays, the industry's global release day since 2015. Spotify asks you to pitch at least 7 days before release to reach followers' Release Radar, so the plan starts about 4 weeks out.

Related free music tools

Sources

All pages checked 25 October 2026. Distributor steps come from each distributor's own help pages.

Estimates, not guarantees. Real costs and results vary. This is general information, not legal or financial advice: check the licence terms that apply to you, and talk to a qualified professional before you rely on it.