Distributor guide · checked 25 October 2026

DistroKid TikTok start time

DistroKid handles the TikTok start time in the same setting as Apple Music and iTunes previews, so one choice covers all three. It is optional: if you skip it, the store picks the preview point for you.

“Preview clip time selection is only available for tracks with a duration longer than 1:16, and are only available in 60 second increments.”
— DistroKid, edited 6 Nov 2025

New release

  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.

  1. Open your DistroKid dashboard and go to the album page.
  2. Click "Edit Release".
  3. In the "Preview clip start time" section, choose the new start time.
  4. Click "Submit Edit Request".

Good to know for DistroKid

  • Format: 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.
  • Clip sent to TikTok: 60 seconds.
  • Custom starts only on tracks longer than 1:16.
  • Because the setting is shared with Apple Music and iTunes, pick the part of the song you want to be the first impression everywhere, not only on TikTok.
  • Previews on some services are as short as 10 seconds (DistroKid's page says 10–60 seconds depending on the store), so put the hook near the very start of the clip.
  • If fans are already using your song as an "original sound", DistroKid's help page explains how to request a claim once it is on 1,000+ videos. Note the time range where your song appears.

Work out your exact DistroKid start time

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".

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my TikTok start time on DistroKid after release?

Yes. DistroKid's help page says to open the album page, click "Edit Release", choose a new time in the "Preview clip start time" section and click "Submit Edit Request".

Why can't I set a start time on DistroKid?

DistroKid says custom preview starts are only available for tracks longer than 1:16. On shorter tracks the default preview is used.

What does TikTok use if I don't set a start time on DistroKid?

DistroKid's page doesn't say. Other distributors document 29 seconds in (RouteNote) or 33% of the track (Label Worx), so set it yourself.

Source

Screens change. If DistroKid's form looks different, their help page is the authority. Other distributors: all TikTok start-time guides.

Related free music tools

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.