Avoid Copyright Claims on TikTok & Social Media with DistroKid

How to Avoid Copyright Issues on TikTok and Other Social Media for Your Own Songs: A DistroKid Guide

When distributing your music through DistroKid, you expect full control over promoting your tracks across various platforms. However, like many independent artists, you might run into a frustrating issue — getting copyright claims on your own music while promoting it on TikTok or other social media platforms.

The Problem

I faced this exact issue when trying to share clips of my own songs on TikTok. Despite being the creator and owner, I received copyright claims. After some digging, I discovered that my TikTok account was not connected to my DistroKid profile. Without this connection, TikTok flagged my music as third-party content, which triggered the copyright claims.

The Solution

To prevent this issue, make sure to connect your TikTok and any other social media accounts where you promote your music directly to your DistroKid profile. Here’s how:

1. Log into your DistroKid account.
2. Go to the Special Access tab.
3. Under the section for TikTok Account Connection (and other social platforms), follow the instructions to link your accounts.

By connecting your social media accounts, TikTok and other platforms will recognize your ownership of the music, eliminating unnecessary copyright claims.

Important Tip: Repeat this process for any social media platform where you plan to promote your music, such as Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, to avoid similar issues across the board.

Why DistroKid Is a Top Choice for Independent Artists

While this was a minor hiccup, DistroKid remains my go-to service for distributing music. Here's why:

1. Exclusive Discounts:
   If you're a student or educator, you can get a 50% discount on DistroKid here. For everyone else, use this link for 7% off: here.

2. Wheel of Playlist:
   Another great feature of DistroKid is the Wheel of Playlist. It helped get my debut album track, "Fork Inna Di Road," onto playlists and boosted its exposure significantly. Although the feature says you can use it every 24 hours, by staying on top of email notifications, I've been able to get back on playlists within minutes of being bumped off.