TikTok Commercial Music Library (CML): what it covers

TikTok's Commercial Music Library (CML) is TikTok's pre-cleared music library of 1 million songs that businesses can use for free in their content on TikTok: organic posts, video ads, and branded content. On a Business Account, the Add Sound button shows only these Commercial Sounds, and TikTok's terms allow commercial use of them only on TikTok.

TikTok facts below come from its own help and terms pages, read on 2026-09-28. Sume facts come from the Music Router docs, the API reference, and Sume's Terms of Service. This is not legal advice; for any use not covered here, TikTok's own pages point you to the rights holder or your legal team.

What does the Commercial Music Library cover?

TikTok describes the CML as songs "sourced from independent and emerging artists, as well as top-tier music houses", in all styles, genres, and regions. The key facts:

Why can't a business use the general music library?

TikTok says businesses "cannot use the general music library for commercial usage" and should use the CML for all commercial TikTok activity. Its terms call Commercial Sounds "the only sounds made available on TikTok for Commercial Uses", which include tying a sound to a brand or logo and advertising a product or service on TikTok.

Original sounds from other users are not covered either. For those, TikTok's help page says to consult your legal team to make sure you have a proper license.

Can I use CML music outside TikTok?

Not under TikTok's terms. They say "Commercial Uses outside of TikTok are not permitted and no rights are granted by TikTok for such uses", naming posts on third-party platforms, TV, radio, and theatrical media. Any such use needs separate permission and a license from the sound's rights holders. Other rules in the same terms:

• You may not distribute or perform a Commercial Sound separately from the video you put it in.
• From the Creative Center website, each sound may be used only on the platforms listed under its Usable Placements.
• If TikTok loses the rights to a sound, it may take down videos that use it or mute the audio.

What music can I put in a video I render myself?

A Commercial Sound is added inside TikTok. If your music is baked into the file before upload, for example because the same cut also runs elsewhere, use a track whose license you know. Two options on Sume:

• Generate an original track with the Music Router (POST /v1/music-router/generate), which charges one fixed price per generation, $0.125 per audio on API pricing. Music generation API walks through the call.
• Pick from Sume's BGM catalog, which needs no API key. In current code each track carries a license of sume-original or cc-by-4.0; for CC BY tracks, keep track.attribution with any public use. Background music API covers the catalog.

Who owns a track Sume generates?

Sume's Terms of Service say Sume does not claim ownership of generated outputs created for your account, and that paid plans include commercial use as described on the pricing page. The same terms make you responsible for reviewing outputs before publication or commercial use.

TikTok's pages don't say how TikTok treats audio that arrives already mixed into an uploaded file, so this post makes no promise about claims or muting. To lay a track under your cut with fades and ducking, see Add background music to a video with an API.