Using popular music on business social media

Key takeaways

Using popular music on business social media is risky because many tracks available in the apps are licensed for personal use, not for businesses promoting themselves. Business accounts on TikTok and Meta usually get a smaller library of commercially cleared music. Using anything else can lead to muted videos, removed posts or a copyright claim.

• Trending tracks are often licensed for personal use only.
• Business accounts usually get a commercial music library.
• Using unlicensed music can get videos muted or removed.
• Royalty-free or licensed music is the safe option.

Why can't businesses use any track in the app?

Businesses cannot use any track because the licences platforms agree with music rights holders often cover personal, non-commercial use. A business promoting its products is commercial use. In the UK, copyright arises automatically, and using music without the right licence infringes it.

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• Short-form video for small businesses without a studio

What are the common music mistakes?

The common mistakes are switching to a personal account to get the full library, adding a chart track in an editing app and uploading it, using trending sounds in ads, and assuming a short clip is fine. Length does not make unlicensed use acceptable.

How do you use music safely?

Use the platform's commercial library on a business account, licensed royalty-free music from a reputable library, or original audio such as your own voice. For ads, use only music that is clearly cleared for advertising. Keep a note of where each track came from.

• Commercial libraries in TikTok and Meta.
• Licensed royalty-free music services.
• Original audio and voiceover.
• Written licences for anything else.

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Does music matter for reach?

Music can help a video fit a trend, but many business videos do well with clear speech and captions instead. A voice explaining something useful often holds viewers better than a trending track with on-screen text.

How do you check the music on your videos?

Check the music by tapping the audio on each business video to see its source, and checking whether it came from the platform's commercial library. Look for notices of muted audio or limited reach. Any track added in an outside editing app without a licence is a risk.

• Audio not from the commercial library.
• Muted audio notices.
• Tracks added in outside apps.
• Account switched to personal for music.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a business that switched its Instagram account to personal so it could use trending audio, losing insights and contact buttons. Switching back to a business account and using the commercial library or voiceover keeps both the tools and the legal position.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Music checklist

• Stay on a business account.
• Use commercial libraries.
• Use licensed or original audio for ads.
• Keep a record of each track's source.
• Try voiceover instead of music.

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Next step

Check the audio on your last five videos. Replace any that came from outside a commercial library.