Distributor guide · checked 25 October 2026

TuneCore TikTok start time

TuneCore has a dedicated TikTok field, separate from other stores. Changes on a live release take about two weeks, so set it before release if you plan a creator campaign in launch week.

“Your clip will contain the next 60 seconds of music. TikTok users will be able to trim the clip in their posts.”
— TuneCore, edited 17 Apr 2026

New release

On the Song Entry screen, scroll to the "Additional Information" section at the bottom.
Find the "TikTok Clip Start Time (Optional)" field.
Enter the timestamp where you want the clip to start. The clip contains the next 60 seconds of music.
Click "Save & Add Another", or "I am done adding songs" if you are finished.

Already released

You can change it on a live release from your discography. TuneCore says to allow 2 weeks.

Open the release from your TuneCore discography.
Scroll down to the "Song" section and click the pencil icon.
Edit "TikTok Start Time" at the bottom.
Click "Save", then allow 2 weeks for TikTok to process the change.

Timing: About 2 weeks for a change; about 5 days for most new releases to go live on TikTok.

Good to know for TuneCore

Format: You type the timestamp where the clip should start. TuneCore sends the next 60 seconds, and TikTok users can trim it in their posts.
Clip sent to TikTok: 60 seconds.
TuneCore says most releases take about 5 days to go live on TikTok. Upload early enough that the official sound is live before your teaser posts.
A start-time change takes about 2 weeks. If launch week is close, set it right the first time instead of fixing it later.

Work out your exact TuneCore 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 TuneCore

TikTok Clip Start Time (Optional)

0:46

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

You type the timestamp where the clip should start. TuneCore sends the next 60 seconds, and TikTok users can trim it in their posts.

Steps in TuneCore

On the Song Entry screen, scroll to the "Additional Information" section at the bottom.
Find the "TikTok Clip Start Time (Optional)" field.
Enter the timestamp where you want the clip to start. The clip contains the next 60 seconds of music.
Click "Save & Add Another", or "I am done adding songs" if you are finished.

Already released? You can change it on a live release from your discography. TuneCore says to allow 2 weeks. TuneCore Support

Full TuneCore 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 long is the TuneCore TikTok clip?

TuneCore says the clip contains the 60 seconds of music after the start time you enter, and TikTok users can trim it in their posts.

How long does a TuneCore TikTok start time change take?

TuneCore says to allow 2 weeks for TikTok to process a change made on an already distributed release.

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

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

Source

TikTok / TikTok Music — TuneCore, edited 17 Apr 2026

Screens change. If TuneCore'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.