One of the most consistently reliable ways to boost the reach of a short-form video on TikTok or Instagram is to use a trending audio track. Both platforms actively surface content that uses popular sounds, meaning a well-made video with the right music behind it can reach a significantly larger audience than the same video with an obscure or original audio track.
But there are some important caveats, particularly for businesses, and getting this wrong can create problems you did not anticipate. Here is what you need to know.
Why trending audio works
Both TikTok and Instagram’s algorithms treat audio as a discovery and categorisation signal. When a sound is trending, the platform knows that large numbers of people are actively engaging with content that uses it. Attaching your video to that trend puts it in front of people who are already in the mindset of engaging with that audio, which tends to improve watch time and interaction rates.
There is also a familiarity effect. When viewers hear a sound they recognise and enjoy, they are more likely to stop scrolling and watch the video. The audio does some of the work of capturing attention that the video itself might not manage alone.
The business account restriction on Instagram
Here is the catch that many small businesses discover only after the fact. Instagram restricts the music available to business accounts due to licensing agreements with record labels and music publishers. Many of the trending commercial tracks that personal accounts can use freely are simply not available to business accounts, or are available only in a limited, often lower-quality version.
If your Instagram account is set up as a business account, which most small businesses are advised to do because of the analytics and advertising features it unlocks, your music library will be noticeably smaller than a personal account’s. Using a track that is not licensed for commercial use on a business account can result in your video having the audio muted, being removed, or in some cases affecting your account’s reach.
TikTok’s commercial music library
TikTok has the same distinction. Business accounts on TikTok are directed towards the Commercial Music Library, which contains a curated selection of tracks that are cleared for commercial use. It is a large library with some genuinely good options, but it does not include many of the viral trending tracks that drive huge reach on personal accounts.
For businesses that want to use trending sounds without risking copyright issues, the solution is to look for trending audio within the commercial library rather than trying to use tracks from the general trending section.
Original audio and voiceover
One increasingly popular approach for business accounts is to create or use original audio, whether that is a voiceover, a branded sound, or audio recorded specifically for the video. This has no licensing restrictions and, if the content is strong enough to generate its own engagement, can actually become a trending sound in its own right over time.
Voiceover-led content, where someone speaks directly to camera or narrates over footage, also tends to perform very well on both platforms and sidesteps the music licensing issue entirely.
How to find trending commercial audio
On TikTok, filter the sound library by the Commercial Music Library and sort by trending. On Instagram, the music browser will show you what is available to your account type, and you can filter by trending or by mood. Both platforms update their trending sections regularly, so checking in once or twice a week to see what is gaining traction is a worthwhile habit.
The bottom line
Trending audio is a genuine and legitimate tool for boosting the reach of short-form video content, and for business accounts it is worth using strategically within the limits of what is available. The key is understanding which tracks you can actually use, sticking to the commercial libraries to avoid copyright problems, and not letting the pursuit of trending audio distract from creating content that is actually good.
A mediocre video with a trending track will always underperform a genuinely interesting video with ordinary audio. The music helps, but it does not do all the work.
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If you’re struggling to see results despite using trending audio, check out our guide on signs your small business social media isn't working effectively. If you’re still deciding between platforms, our guide on Instagram Reels vs TikTok for small businesses can help you choose where to focus your efforts.
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