Starting out in short video? Start here.
The questions every new creator on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok runs into, answered once, with the source for every fact and the date it was checked.
Music
Where do I get music that won't get my video claimed or muted?
- Free music you can't use on YouTube
Music that is free inside one app is usually licensed for that app only. TikTok and Meta say so in their terms, SoundCloud forbids reuse unless the uploader allows it, and YouTube disowns "royalty-free" channels.
- How to start posting Instagram Reels
You need to be 13 or older. Reels can run to 20 minutes, but Instagram won't recommend one over 3 minutes to new audiences. A free creator account adds insights and shows what you can monetise.
- Safest music for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
On YouTube, use the Audio Library or the in-app sound picker. On Instagram and TikTok, use each app's own library inside the app. For one source across all three, subscribe to Epidemic Sound.
- How to appeal an Instagram music removal
Dispute from the notification Instagram sends you. Meta may restore the Reel itself, pass you to the rights owner or have its staff review it. A country-only block cannot be appealed.
- Instagram music copyright: what gets muted
Meta lets rights owners mute, block or remove a Reel that uses their music without permission. Long, music-heavy clips are the most likely to be limited. Meta's Sound Collection is licensed for its own apps.
- Can you repost TikToks to Shorts and Reels?
Only if the music is yours to take with you. Music added inside TikTok or YouTube is licensed for that platform alone, and a visible watermark from another app makes a video ineligible for TikTok's For You feed.
How this site works
Every page links the provider page or platform help article its facts came from. Advice from YouTubers carries their name and the video where they said it. When a source does not say something, the page says so instead of guessing.
Music is the first topic. More will follow as each one is researched to the same standard.