Distributor guide · checked 25 October 2026

RouteNote TikTok start time

RouteNote documents the default: with no custom time, TikTok starts the preview 29 seconds in. If your hook is not near 0:29, set the start yourself.

“TikTok will start the identification preview of the track from 29 seconds in, however, this can be updated.”
— RouteNote, 12 Mar 2026

New release

  1. Create the release as normal until you reach the track metadata page.
  2. Select a new start time and listen to the audio to check it.
  3. Save and submit the release.

Already released

After approval you can edit it from your discography.

  1. Find the release in your discography.
  2. Click edit on the release.
  3. Change the start time and save.

Good to know for RouteNote

  • Format: You pick the start time on the track metadata page and can listen to the audio there before saving.
  • If your chorus starts well after 0:29 (common on songs with a long intro and verse), the default preview may miss it entirely.
  • Use the listen button on the metadata page to check the clip before submitting.

Work out your exact RouteNote 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 RouteNote

Start time on the track metadata page

0:46

Starts 2 seconds before the hook. The 2-second lead-in is our suggestion.

You pick the start time on the track metadata page and can listen to the audio there before saving.

Steps in RouteNote

  1. Create the release as normal until you reach the track metadata page.
  2. Select a new start time and listen to the audio to check it.
  3. Save and submit the release.

Already released? After approval you can edit it from your discography. RouteNote Support

Full RouteNote 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

What is the default TikTok start time on RouteNote?

RouteNote's help page says TikTok will start the identification preview from 29 seconds in unless you update it.

Can I change my RouteNote TikTok start time after release?

Yes. RouteNote says you can edit the release from your discography after approval.

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

RouteNote says: TikTok starts the identification preview from 29 seconds in unless you set a time.

Source

Screens change. If RouteNote'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.