Adding Music, Stickers and Effects to Posts

Music, stickers, and effects are core to how TikTok and Instagram Reels content is consumed and discovered. This guide covers what's supported through Publlish's publishing API, what needs to be done natively in the apps, and how to work with these tools effectively in your scheduling workflow.

What's Supported Through Publlish vs. Natively

Before diving in, it's important to understand the distinction — because the API access that Publlish uses has different capabilities than the native apps.

The general rule: basic audio, text, and some stickers are available through Publlish. Platform-native AR effects, trending visual effects, and the full sticker library require the native app.

Adding Music to TikTok Posts in Publlish

When composing a TikTok post in Publlish:

1. Upload your video in the composer
2. Look for the Audio or Music option in the TikTok settings panel
3. Browse TikTok's Commercial Music Library (available for Business and Creator accounts)
4. Search for a track by name, artist, or mood
5. Select the track and set the start time if needed
6. The music will be included when the post publishes to TikTok

Critical note — music licensing for Business Accounts: TikTok distinguishes between personal sounds (trending songs and user-uploaded audio) and Commercial Music Library tracks. Business Accounts can only use Commercial Music Library tracks in published content — personal sounds are restricted to personal accounts. Using a non-commercial sound on a Business Account will result in a publishing error. TikTok error library →

Original audio: If your video already has audio recorded or edited in (voiceover, original music, original sounds), this audio is preserved as-is. You don't need to add separate music — your video's audio is the audio.

Adding Music to Instagram Reels in Publlish

When composing an Instagram Reel in Publlish:

1. Upload your Reel video
2. Look for the Audio option in the Instagram settings panel
3. Browse Instagram's audio library and select a track
4. The audio will be included when the Reel publishes

Instagram's audio library access through the API may be more limited than TikTok's. If a specific track isn't available in the Publlish composer, add it natively in the Instagram app by editing the Reel immediately after it's published.

Adding Text Overlays

Text overlays (text displayed on top of the video) can be added in Publlish for both TikTok and Instagram Reels:

1. After uploading your video in the composer, look for the Text or Overlays option
2. Add your text, choose font style and positioning
3. The text will be burned into the video or added as a layer, depending on the platform

Alternative approach: Many teams add text overlays during video editing (in tools like CapCut, Premiere, or DaVinci Resolve) before uploading to Publlish. This gives you full creative control over typography, animation, and positioning — more flexibility than the in-app tools on either platform.

Adding Stickers

Sticker support in Publlish is limited to what the TikTok and Instagram APIs expose — which is a subset of what's available natively.

For basic stickers (location stickers, poll stickers, countdown stickers on Instagram Stories), these must be added natively after publishing. TikTok branded stickers and effect stickers are also not available through the API.

Workaround: If stickers are important for a specific post, schedule it through Publlish as usual and then immediately open the published post in the native app to add stickers natively before wide distribution occurs.

The Native App Workflow for Effects and AR

Trending effects, Green Screen, AR filters, and the full creative tools on both TikTok and Instagram are only available through the native apps. These are not exposed through the publishing APIs.

For content that relies heavily on platform-native effects, the recommended workflow is:

1. Create and publish the content natively using the TikTok or Instagram apps
2. Log the post in Publlish manually (mark it as published) so your analytics and content calendar stay accurate
3. Use Publlish for content that doesn't require native-only effects

Most agency and marketing team content — polished video, carousels, brand photography — doesn't require native effects. Native effects are primarily valuable for trend-reactive content that's typically created and published quickly anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add trending TikTok sounds through Publlish? Trending sounds are generally personal-use sounds and are not available to Business Accounts through the API. Use the Commercial Music Library for Business Account posts. TikTok error library →

Can I add Instagram Reels music through Publlish? Yes — Instagram's audio library is accessible in the Publlish composer for Reels. For specific tracks not available via the API, add audio natively after publishing.

What's the difference between original audio and added music? Original audio is the sound already in your video file when you upload it. Added music is a separate audio track you select from TikTok's or Instagram's music library. You can have one or the other — not both at the same time.

Can I schedule a TikTok or Instagram Reel without music? Yes — music is optional. Many successful videos use only original audio (voiceover, natural sound, or original music edited into the video).

What happens if I select a music track that's not available in my account's region? You'll get a music licensing error. TikTok error library → — select a track that's available in your region, or use original audio.

Related Guides

• Using TikTok with Publlish →
• Using Instagram with Publlish →
• TikTok error library →
• Cross-posting TikTok and Instagram Reels →
• Sharing videos through Publlish →