11 ways to find trending TikTok sounds in 2025

TikTok has emerged as a dominant force, fundamentally reshaping how people consume content.  For brands and marketers, understanding and leveraging this platform isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity.

At the heart of a successful TikTok marketing strategy lies the ability to identify and utilize trending sounds, which can dramatically amplify your content’s reach and engagement.

This article will share why those trending sounds are so important and offer eleven ways you can discover those sounds for your brand.

Why trending TikTok sounds are essential for your brand

Trending TikTok sounds are far more than just background noise; they are powerful algorithmic signals and cultural touchstones that drive discoverability and foster deeper engagement. When a sound goes viral, it creates a shared experience, pulling users into a collective conversation and making your content instantly more relatable and shareable.

Consider the compelling statistics: nearly half of all TikTok users (49%) report purchasing a product after seeing it advertised, promoted or reviewed on the app. This illustrates TikTok’s direct influence on consumer behavior.

By integrating trending audio, you’re not just creating content; you’re participating in a dynamic conversation that the TikTok algorithm favors, significantly increasing the likelihood of your videos appearing on users’ “For You Pages” (FYP) and resonating with potential customers.

11 Actionable Ways to Discover Trending TikTok Sounds

Knowing you should use trending audio is the easy part. The real challenge is finding the right sounds before they become oversaturated. Fortunately, discovering viral audio doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

By building a few simple methods into your workflow, you can proactively spot trends early. This strategic approach allows you to spend less time searching and more time on what matters: creating compelling content that makes an impact on your business.

1. Immerse yourself in your For You Page (FYP)

Your FYP is TikTok’s sophisticated, personalized content feed, constantly refreshing with videos tailored to your interests and interactions. This makes it an incredibly intuitive way to spot emerging sound trends.

As you scroll, pay keen attention to audio clips that appear repeatedly across different creators’ content. Frequent repetition is a strong indicator of a sound gaining viral momentum. Beyond just the audio, observe the popular video styles, transitions and filters associated with these sounds—they can inspire your own creative approach.

How to do it:

• Active Scrolling: Spend time on your FYP and take note of the audio clips you hear frequently.
• Look for the Sound Icon: Tap on the spinning record icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will take you to the audio’s main page.
• Check the Numbers: On the audio page, you’ll see how many videos have been created with that sound. A high number of videos, especially those created recently, is a strong indicator of a trending sound.

2. Harness TikTok’s in-app search function

The TikTok search bar is an underutilized powerhouse for trend discovery. Tap the magnifying glass icon and experiment with keywords like “viral sounds,” “trending audio,” or “popular songs.” Then, filter your search to the “Sounds” tab.

Here, TikTok provides a curated list of popular audio clips, often displaying the number of videos using each sound, offering a clear measure of its popularity. You can also explore the “Hashtags” tab to uncover popular challenges and trends that frequently use specific sounds.

3. Use TikTok’s “Add Sound” feature

When you initiate the video creation process by tapping the central “+” button, you’ll find the “Add sound” option. This gateway leads to TikTok’s extensive sound library. Within this library, look for specially curated playlists and categories such as “TikTok Viral,” “Featured,” “New Releases,” or “TikBiz” (which specifically highlights commercially cleared sounds).

These collections are invaluable for identifying what’s currently popular and, crucially for brands, what’s safe to use.

How to do it: 

1. Open the TikTok app and tap the “+” icon to start creating a video.
2. At the top of the screen, tap “Add sound.”
3. This will take you to the “Sounds” page. Here, you’ll find playlists curated by TikTok, such as “TikTok Viral,” “Trending,” and “New Music.”
4. Browse these playlists to discover the latest trending audio.

4. Analyze your competitors’ most popular videos

Your competitors can be a goldmine of information. By seeing what sounds have worked for them, you can find audio that is likely to resonate with your shared target audience.

How to do it:

1. Identify Key Competitors: Curate a list of brands in your industry or niche that are active and successful on TikTok.
2. Visit Their Profiles: Go to each competitor’s TikTok profile page.
3. Sort by “Popular”: Tap on their video feed and select the “Popular” tab. This will automatically sort their videos from most to least viewed.
4. Identify the Sounds: Watch their top 5-10 videos and take note of the audio they use. Tap the spinning sound icon in the bottom-right corner to see the main audio page and how many other creators have used the sound. If a recent video has high views and uses a sound with a large number of creations, it’s a strong indicator of a relevant trend.

5. Monitor viral music charts on Spotify and YouTube

TikTok trends don’t exist in a vacuum. Often, the songs that go viral on TikTok are the same ones climbing the charts on major music streaming platforms. This method helps you spot potential trends before they peak.

How to do it: 

On Spotify:

1. Open the Spotify app and navigate to the Search tab.
2. Select the Charts card.
3. Browse playlists like the “Viral 50 – [Your Country]”. Songs appearing here are gaining massive traction through social shares, making them prime candidates for the next big TikTok trend.

On YouTube:

1. Go to the YouTube homepage or app.
2. Select the Explore tab (often represented by a compass icon).
3. Tap on Trending.
4. From the top menu, select Music. This will show you the music videos that are currently most popular in your region, which are often the source of viral TikTok sounds.

6. Utilize the TikTok Creative Center

For marketers and creators seeking deeper insights, the TikTok Creative Center is an indispensable, free resource. This platform offers robust analytics on trending songs, hashtags and videos, allowing you to filter data by region and specific timeframes.

You can access detailed performance graphs and track the usage count for each sound, providing data-driven evidence of its popularity. For full data access and to verify commercial usage rights, logging in with a (free) TikTok Business Account is recommended.

How to do it:

1. Go to the TikTok Creative Center website.
2. Navigate to the “Trending” tab.
3. Here, you can filter by region and time period to see the top trending songs, creators, and hashtags.
4. The “Trending” section will show you a list of songs that are gaining popularity, complete with data on how many videos are using the sound and its percentage increase in popularity.

7. Follow dedicated trend-spotting accounts

A growing number of TikTok creators and social media strategists have carved out a niche by identifying and sharing trending sounds and challenges. By following these specialized accounts, you’ll receive regular updates and compilations of what’s currently gaining traction.

How to do it: 

• Search for relevant hashtags: Look for hashtags like #trendalert, #trendingsounds, and #viralsounds on TikTok.
• Follow creator accounts: Many creators specialize in spotting trends early. Find a few that you trust and keep an eye on their content.

8. Monitor external music charts and streaming platforms

TikTok’s influence extends well beyond its own app. Songs that go viral on TikTok frequently cross over into mainstream music charts. Keep an eye on:

• Billboard Hot 100 Chart: Many TikTok hits make their way onto the Billboard charts, signaling broader cultural relevance.
• Spotify and Apple Music: Actively search for and follow playlists titled “TikTok Viral,” “TikTok Hits,” or explore official TikTok-curated playlists on these streaming services. Many users and platforms compile popular TikTok sounds here.

9. Explore third-party trend tracking tools

Beyond TikTok’s native features, a variety of third-party tools are emerging to specifically track trending audio. While not directly affiliated with TikTok, these tools can offer supplementary insights. Examples include platforms like Tokchart, which focuses exclusively on trending TikTok audio, and other apps designed to help creators stay ahead of the curve.

10. Utilize a social media management tool like Sprout Social

For brands that are serious about their social media strategy, a comprehensive management tool is essential. Sprout Social’s integration with TikTok makes it easier to not only manage your content but also to stay on top of what’s working.

While Sprout Social doesn’t have a specific “trending sounds” discovery feature, it provides the tools to make informed decisions about your content strategy. By analyzing your TikTok video performance alongside your other social networks, you can identify which types of content—and by extension, which sounds—are resonating most with your audience.

For example, Sprout’s Post Performance Report allows you to analyze how your TikTok posts compare to those on other networks. This can provide valuable insights into what your audience wants to see and hear from you on TikTok.

Furthermore, by scheduling your TikTok content in Sprout’s shared content calendar, you can plan your posts further in advance than the 10-day limit in the native app. This gives you more time for strategic planning and creativity, rather than getting bogged down in daily tasks.

You can even use Optimal Send Times to help maximize the reach of your content by identifying the best times to post on TikTok.

11. Switch to a TikTok business profile

If you’re using TikTok for your brand, switching to a Business Profile is a must. It unlocks a suite of features that can help you with your content strategy, including access to performance data and audience insights.

A common concern is the loss of access to popular, commercially licensed music. However, with a Business Profile, you gain access to the Commercial Music Library—a collection of over 1,000,000 songs and sounds that are pre-cleared for commercial use. This helps you stay on-trend while mitigating the legal risks associated with using unlicensed music. Many popular creator trends are still available in the commercial library and TikTok strongly encourages brands to make the switch.

Time to turn creative TikTok content into meaningful business results

Finding and using trending TikTok sounds is a powerful way to grow your brand’s presence on the platform. It can lead to increased visibility, higher engagement and a stronger connection with your audience. By incorporating the methods outlined above into your workflow, you can stay ahead of the curve and create content that resonates.

Remember that a successful TikTok strategy goes beyond just using trending sounds. It’s about building a cohesive content plan, engaging with your audience and analyzing your performance to make data-driven decisions. With tools like Sprout Social, you can manage your entire TikTok strategy in one place, from scheduling and comment management to in-depth analytics. This allows you to save time, build better connections with your customers and ultimately, drive business results.

Try a free 30-day trial of Sprout Social today.

TikTok sound FAQs

Should I use a sound that's already viral or is it better to find one that's just starting to trend?

A balanced approach is best. Using a sound that is already massively popular exposes your content to a huge audience, but you’ll also face more competition. The key to succeeding here is to bring a unique, creative or valuable perspective to the trend that makes your video stand out.

On the other hand, being an early adopter of a rising sound can position your brand as a trendsetter. If the sound takes off, your video could become one of the top posts associated with it. The risk is that the sound may not go viral, but the potential reward is high. The best strategy is to experiment with both and use analytics to see what resonates most with your audience.

What is the best way to find TikTok sounds?

The “best” way to find TikTok sounds is to use a combination of daily discovery, proactive planning and strategic analysis.