Distributor guide · checked 25 October 2026

FUGA TikTok start time

FUGA is the label-side option and the most detailed: you set both the start and the length, and you can request up to five official sounds per ISRC, for example one starting on the chorus and one on the drop.

“TikTok allows up to five official sounds per ISRC. It is recommended to define one or two 1-minute versions to determine which performs best.”
— FUGA, edited 30 Apr 2026

New release

Go to Catalog > Products > your product > Tracks > your track > "Playtime & Preview".
Set Preview Start and Preview Length (15–60 seconds).
For a TikTok-first launch, set an earlier TikTok release date in Product Delivery Instructions and deliver to TikTok.
For multi-track products, FUGA says to duplicate the release as a TikTok-only product and set the preview there.

Already released

Extra clips can be requested from support with the ISRC and timestamps (Digital Distribution deal).

For extra clips (15–60 seconds), contact FUGA support with the ISRC and the timestamps.
TikTok allows up to five official sounds per ISRC.

Timing: No official timeline for manual mapping requests.

Good to know for FUGA

Format: Set Preview Start and Preview Length at track level. Licensing terms require 15–60 seconds. A 1-minute clip is delivered by default.
Clip sent to TikTok: 60 seconds.
FUGA suggests delivering one or two 1-minute versions (e.g. chorus vs. drop) to see which performs best.
Deliver the official sound before teasers go out: FUGA says TikTok matches at upload time, and manual matches are not retroactive.
The "Contains" attribution stays hidden until the song's official release date.

Work out your exact FUGA 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.

Choose song file

1. Your TikTok start time

Enter this in FUGA

Playtime & Preview → Preview Start / Preview Length

0:46

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

Set Preview Start and Preview Length at track level. Licensing terms require 15–60 seconds. A 1-minute clip is delivered by default.

Steps in FUGA

Go to Catalog > Products > your product > Tracks > your track > "Playtime & Preview".
Set Preview Start and Preview Length (15–60 seconds).
For a TikTok-first launch, set an earlier TikTok release date in Product Delivery Instructions and deliver to TikTok.
For multi-track products, FUGA says to duplicate the release as a TikTok-only product and set the preview there.

Already released? Extra clips can be requested from support with the ISRC and timestamps (Digital Distribution deal). FUGA Support

Full FUGA 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

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

Release date

Loading your dates…

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

Frequently asked questions

How many official TikTok sounds can one song have via FUGA?

FUGA says TikTok allows up to five official sounds per ISRC, and recommends one or two 1-minute versions to test which performs best.

Are views on an original sound moved over when it is matched later?

No. FUGA says data and revenue from a manual match are not applied retroactively; only use after the match counts.

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

FUGA says: A default 1-minute clip is delivered via the Digital Distribution feed.

Source

Managing TikTok Pre-Release Campaigns: Official Sounds and Manual Matching — FUGA, edited 30 Apr 2026

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

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.