Funny, poignant, catchy — trending sounds are the backbone of TikTok virality and can often make or break a video’s success.

According to TikTok research, “sound is the anti-scroll on TikTok”. With their data, it’s not hard to see why. Eighty-eight percent of TikTok users said that “sound is essential to the TikTok experience,” while 73% admitted they would “stop and look” at ads on TikTok with audio.

Both of these stats are significantly higher than other platforms, TikTok said (though they didn’t offer a comparison).

Of course, it’s not always easy to find TikTok audio at the peak of its popularity — and no one wants to add a phased-out sound to a video clip that’s taken them ages to film.

Learn how to source trending TikTok songs and sounds for your social media posts while they’re still popular. Plus, we’ll surface some examples of TikTok sounds with staying power: a selection of the best tracks in 2025. Whether you’re a content creator, social media manager, or business owner, we’ll help you stay ahead of the audio trends on TikTok.

10 ways to find new trending sounds on TikTok

Yes, you could spend hours scrolling through the platform to try to find the best audio for your next TikTok (honestly, I wouldn’t complain). But if you’re a busy content creator, business owner, or social media manager, you probably just don’t have time for it.

Luckily, there are a few little shortcuts you can take to make this process easier so you can get back to the most important part of content creation on TikTok — filming and editing your short-form videos and still-photo posts.

Let’s take a look at how to find trending TikTok sounds.

A note for businesses: Not all music is cleared for business use on TikTok, even if it’s being used in another post. Original sounds are OK to reuse, but for tracks that might have copyrights on them, look for the “Approved for business use” tag on TikTok. Read TikTok’s official statement on the commercial use of music.

1. Browse TikTok’s Creative Center

If you haven’t checked out TikTok’s Creative Center yet, the link is worth a bookmark. It’s effectively a guide to the biggest trends on the platform within a timeframe of your choice, including creators, hashtags, and — you guessed it — songs trending on TikTok.

Another great feature? You can choose specific regions to pinpoint exactly what is resonating there.

2. Use TikTok’s search function

You may have heard about TikTok SEO or that TikTok is the new Google. According to The New York Times, it’s Gen Z’s search engine of choice.

It’s not hard to see why. The platform has a pretty great search function — and it’s probably one of the simplest ways to discover trending sounds. Here’s how to do it:

1. Tap the magnifying glass icon on the top right of the app to open the search tool in the TikTok app.
2. In the search bar, type a phrase like “viral sound.”
3. Tap the “Sounds” tab and scroll through, paying special attention to the ones labeled “popular.”
4. When you find a sound you like, tap on the “Use this sound” button on the bottom right to add the sound to the editor.
5. Record or add your clips, and you’re ready to post!

3. Check out what TikTok recommends for you

One cool sound discovery feature in TikTok makes it a breeze to find suitable audio for your content. When you’re creating a post in the app, you’ll get recommended music once you add your content. Here’s how to find it:

1. Tap the “+” button on the bottom middle of your screen.
2. Add your content.
3. Tap the “Add music” button at the top.
4. Voile! Curated music based on your content.

For me, you can see once I added a video of my new, glittery manicure, I received fitting suggestions from TikTok, like “All Sparkles, Like Magic!” and “My nails will be done.”

4. TikTok’s music charts

TikTok partnered with Billboard to curate the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States that week. It’s surprisingly well hidden on the platform.

Access it from any sound’s page by clicking the “Music Charts” button in the top right of your screen:

There, you’ll see a list of the top 50 trending TikTok songs.

5. Explore TikTok’s playlists

TikTok has curated a sound library of sorts based on genre, category, and what’s performing well in your area. It’s just takes a few more steps from our last tip to find them:

1. After tapping the “Add music” button in the editor, click the magnifying glass on the right.
2. Instead of searching, tap “Discover more sounds.”

3. There, you’ll find sounds recommended for you, plus a host of playlists created by TikTok.

6. Follow accounts devoted to viral sounds

You’ll notice that when you search for viral sounds on TikTok, some profiles will pop up, too. There are tons of creators who highlight trending TikTok audio. One account we’ve found helpful is @brettwolkey.

Brett covers music exclusively (no audio clips), but his videos are a great source of inspiration. He has fun compilations like “Country songs that hit way too hard,” which can help you find something with a specific vibe. And he has roundups of viral TikTok songs like this one:

7. Check out Tokchart

Tokchart is entirely devoted to tracking trending TikTok audio. Check it out to find the hottest trending songs of the last 24 hours.

8. Try CapCut templates

The CapCut app is a great way to identify emerging trends. This powerful video editing software is often a source of trending sounds and templates.

To find Capcut templates:

1. Search for posts tagged #capcut or just “capcut template.”
2. Find a recent post you like and tap the “CapCut – Try this template” button.
3. Tap the “Use template in CapCut” button.
4. You’ll be taken to Capcut or prompted to download the app if you haven’t already.
5. In CapCut, add your clips to the template and make whatever tweaks you need to.
6. Download the clip to share on TikTok (or use Buffer to repurpose it for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, too).

9. Find trending audio on Instagram

Sounds trending on Instagram are often great for TikTok, too. Check out our full guide to find trending audio on Instagram. But the easiest way to find trending audio is by creating an Instagram Reel.

After you’ve added your content, tap the music icon and look for the “Trending” tab. There, you’ll find Instagram’s top 50 trending tracks, complete with their chart positions and popularity trajectory.

10. Check out Spotify

There’s a plethora of Spotify playlists that curate trending songs on TikTok. Just search “TikTok” to find them.

You could also go straight to the source: TikTok has its own Spotify profile, where you’ll find a few playlists featuring the top TikTok songs.

Bonus tip: Know how the sound is being used

Finding the TikTok sound or audio is half the battle. It’s important to know how they’re being used to tap into the trend.

To make sure you’re not missing out on important context, use TikTok’s search function to find the audio. Hit the magnifying glass on the top right of the screen, type in the name of the song, tap the “Sounds” tab at the top of the screen, then tap on the sound to see how other users have used it in their videos.

Top trending TikTok sounds in 2025

Using several of the methods above, here’s a list of TikTok songs and sounds that, as Brett Wolkey would say, hit hard. Here’s a list, plus examples of how creators and businesses have used them well.

Remember: You can save any sound to your favorites collection to use later.

1. Gas Pedal

This is the perfect example of a TikTok song that’s being used in a particular way. This bassy beat by Sage the Gemini is currently topping the charts and has a specific dance TikTokers are performing to it.

Of course, if you know the trend, you can put your own spin on it like @austinpepito did by taking the lyrics a little more literally in his dance:

2. Life is beautiful

Looking for something uplifting? This track could have the positive vibes you’re looking for. It’s great for day-in-the-life or get-ready-with-me videos. In this post, @olivia_chukwu styles her hair:

3. Love You So

This punky love song from 2005 is used by a whopping 3.7 million posts on TikTok. The uplifting tune is perfect for celebratory moments or fun behind-the-scene shots like Crumbl does in this short team skit:

4. Memories

If you’re in a somber or reverent mood, an ambient instrumental track like this can be a suitable backdrop to your next video. This trending TikTok audio provides a majestic tone to a video of lions and elephants:

5. “But look at you. Look at how far you’ve come.”

This audio is all about perseverance. It’s a quote from a therapist character in the Netflix Series Never Have I Ever. People are using this audio to celebrate how far they’ve come.

It’s often used in carousels, as this medical student has done in this video, or in transformation clips like @theloseitlog has done below:

6. Who are you?

People are using this trending TikTok song by Saga Faye to show their aesthetic transformation over time, often using TikTok Carousels and starting with a photo of them as a kid. Here’s another creative example:

7. Little Hot

I’m obsessed with this trending audio for in-process videos. This fun 80s-style beat is a great way to spice up a speech-free clip. The song’s fast pace works well for videos with fast cuts, like @thefoodever did here with a baking video:

8. Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

This Adele hit, and a dance to go with it, has been making the rounds. Some use it as a celebratory dance of something ending, often a breakup. Others are just doing the dance for fun, like this cute family video:

9. Paper Planes

As a Millennial, I’ll never get tired of M.I.A.’s 2008 hit Paper Planes, which was featured in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. And it looks like TikTok isn’t tired of it either.

This fun beat is a flexible pick, whether you want to show a day-in-the-life moment, in-process video, or just dance to it! Here, @mathcustomfootwear uses it as background music to customize a pair of sneakers:

10. “She’s an icon”

This trending TikTok sound is surprisingly versatile. The Wendy Williams quote, “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment.” is being used in videos to celebrate powerful women or show off a new look:

11. DtMF

This bittersweet song by Bad Bunny has become a popular track for users to share memories or post videos of loved ones and pets who have passed away.

It’s also a great tune for setting the mood for something low-key like a night drive, as @gryffin.the.corgi does here:

12. Chill Vibes

If you’re looking for some chill low-fi, this trending sound has your back. For a slow tune, it’s got an uplifting vibe. And it’s super flexible. I’ve seen it used for makeup tutorials, cake decorating, and a car tour. Notion uses it to give followers a glimpse into their New York office:

Happy posting!

There you have it. Ten solid ways to find top trending sounds for your next TikTok — plus a few great tracks to try for yourself.

The key to success with TikTok audio is to understand how thye’re being used and putting your own creative spin on them.

Whether you’re creating content for your business or personal brand, staying on top of TikTok’s audio trends can help you reach new audiences and keep your content fresh. Start with one or two of the methods we discussed to find trending sounds — and don’t forget to save your favorites for later.

If you’ve created a TikTok post with trending audio from this list, we’d love to see it. Tag @bufferapp on TikTok so we can find you!

https://buffer.com/resources/how-to-find-trending-tiktok-sounds/