TikTok carousel ad music: mp3 required, silent on Ad Network
TikTok carousel ads need an .mp3 of 2 s or more, up to 10M. Library music is silent on Ad Network placements, so upload your own file there.
Music is required on a TikTok carousel ad, as an .mp3 of 2 seconds or more and up to 10M. Tracks from the Commercial Music Library (CML) are not available on TikTok Ad Network placements, so a CML carousel is silent there; only music you upload plays on both.
Rules are from TikTok's carousel specifications page ("Last updated: September 2026"); the generated-audio facts are from Sume's Music 1.0 docs, both read 2026-10-01.
What does TikTok require for carousel music?
| Item | Standard Carousel | VSA Carousel |
|---|---|---|
| Music | Required, plays in a loop | Required, plays in a loop |
| Duration | 2 s or more | 2 s or more |
| Type | .mp3 | .mp3 |
| Sources | CML or upload (up to 10M) | Upload only (up to 10M) |
Why is my carousel ad silent on Ad Network?
TikTok says CML music "will only play on TikTok", making the ad silent for TikTok Ad Network placement. For Ad Network-only carousels, CML options are disabled in Ads Manager and only uploaded music is supported. Its two fixes: upload your own music for consistent sound everywhere, or run two ads, one set to "TikTok only" with CML music and one set to "TikTok Ad Network only" with an upload.
What does a Sume-generated track give me?
A Music 1.0 job returns an audio artifact, typically audio/mpeg on media.sume.com, which you can download and upload as your own file. The price is $0.125 per audio on the rate card. The docs also say Music 1.0 is retiring gradually and new integrations should call POST /v1/music-router/generate; see the Music docs.
Two limits matter here. Music does not take a duration: the docs say not to send duration or duration_seconds, so you cannot set a loop length. And Sume's docs state no file-size cap, so check the file against TikTok's 10M limit yourself before uploading.
What should I do before launching?
Pick placements first. If Ad Network is included, upload an .mp3 you hold the rights to. Check the length is at least 2 seconds and the file is under 10M, then preview the ad. For the image side, see the carousel image specs.
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