Has your sound been removed on TikTok? In January and February 2023, some Australian TikTok users have noticed sounds being removed from videos across the app without warning. But, why is TikTok removing sounds?
In short: TikTok is running a month-long test which involves removing sounds from many Australian TikTok accounts. Not all users are impacted, but some can no longer access the full music and sound library.
The strange part is, we have noticed that these sounds are not appearing to be removed for all users. Half of our team can still hear the sounds on Born Social’s TikTok account, while they show as ‘removed’ for the other half of our team. These videos have not only included trending sounds, but original audio as well. This tells us it is not a copyright issue.
Why Is The Sound Removed on TikTok?
News sources are reporting that some TikTok sounds have been removed as part of a month-long test. A spokesperson for TikTok also said ‘some of our users will not be able to access our full music and sound library’.
It’s being suggested that this ‘test’ is TikTok is looking to negotiate lower prices for music usage in their app, claiming music is not as crucial to the user experience on TikTok as music publishers suggest.
If this is true, we wholeheartedly disagree! The removal of these sounds has rendered the affected of videos useless - with not only music missing, but also voice-overs.
What Do I Do If TikTok Has Removed My Sound?
For the duration of this test, TikTok has not shared any tips on what to do if your sounds are removed. Many creators are confident that after the test is complete, their sounds will be reinstated. Fingers crossed!