Distributor guide · checked 25 October 2026

Symphonic TikTok start time

Symphonic sends a 30-second clip, half the length some other distributors send, so the start time has less room for error: the hook should sit right at the front.

“The duration of the clip we send to TikTok is 30 seconds long. ... users can then create a 15-second clip from the 30 seconds.”
— Symphonic, 14 Apr 2020 (still live)

New release

  1. While building the release in the Symphonic Distribution system, find the "Clip Start Time" field for the track.
  2. Enter the start as hours:minutes:seconds, e.g. 00:00:47.
  3. Select TikTok as a delivery partner and submit.

Already released

You change it by updating the release and redelivering it.

  1. Go to the "Submitted Releases" tab.
  2. Click "Update" on the release.
  3. Adjust the "Clip Start Time" and resubmit the release for approval.
  4. If the "Update" button is missing, contact Symphonic client support.

Good to know for Symphonic

  • Format: Typed as hours:minutes:seconds. Symphonic's example: a clip starting at 47 seconds is entered as 00:00:47.
  • Clip sent to TikTok: 30 seconds.
  • With only 30 seconds delivered and 15 seconds per creator video, start no more than a couple of seconds before the hook.
  • Mind the format: hours:minutes:seconds, so 1:05 into the song is 00:01:05.
  • The source is Symphonic's own blog post from April 2020. It is still live, but check your dashboard in case the screen has changed.

Work out your exact Symphonic 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 Symphonic

Clip Start Time

00:00:46

Starts 2 seconds before the hook; Symphonic's 30-second clip runs to 1:16. The 2-second lead-in is our suggestion.

Typed as hours:minutes:seconds. Symphonic's example: a clip starting at 47 seconds is entered as 00:00:47.

Steps in Symphonic

  1. While building the release in the Symphonic Distribution system, find the "Clip Start Time" field for the track.
  2. Enter the start as hours:minutes:seconds, e.g. 00:00:47.
  3. Select TikTok as a delivery partner and submit.

Already released? You change it by updating the release and redelivering it. Symphonic

Full Symphonic 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

How long is the Symphonic TikTok clip?

Symphonic says the clip it sends to TikTok is 30 seconds long, and users can create a 15-second clip from it.

How do I change the clip start time on Symphonic?

Find the release under "Submitted Releases", click "Update", adjust "Clip Start Time" and resubmit for approval. If "Update" isn't there, contact client support.

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

Symphonic'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 Symphonic'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.