Feature
How long should ad music be: exactly as long as the ad
Ad music should be exactly as long as your ad, so the music ends when the ad ends. Finish the edit first, then pick a track at that length or just above it.
In short
- Ad music should run exactly as long as the ad, so the music ends with your last line.
- TikTok recommends 21 to 34 seconds for most ads, so a 30-second track fits most TikTok ads.
- YouTube bumper ads are 6 seconds long, and non-skippable ads run 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the campaign.
- A track made at the right length ends properly. A longer track cut short just stops, so trim the ad to 30 or 60 seconds where you can.
- In Cutroom, any track up to 60 seconds costs 50 credits, so a shorter track saves nothing.
- The ad length TikTok recommends for most ads
- 21 to 34 s
- The length of a YouTube bumper ad
- 6 s
- A Cutroom track of 15, 30 or 60 seconds
- 50 credits
How long ads usually are
The platform and the ad format set the length of the ad, and the ad's length sets the length of the music.
Ad lengths by platform and format
From TikTok for Business and Google Ads help, read 21 September 2026.
| Ad format | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok In-Feed ad | 21 to 34 seconds recommended, up to 60 seconds | TikTok for Business |
| YouTube bumper ad | 6 seconds | Google Ads help |
| YouTube non-skippable ad | 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the campaign | Google Ads help |
| YouTube Shorts ad | Under 60 seconds recommended | Google Ads help |
| YouTube skippable ad | No maximum, under 3 minutes recommended | Google Ads help |
Ad format: TikTok In-Feed ad
- Length
- 21 to 34 seconds recommended, up to 60 seconds
- Source
- TikTok for Business
Ad format: YouTube bumper ad
- Length
- 6 seconds
- Source
- Google Ads help
Ad format: YouTube non-skippable ad
- Length
- 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the campaign
- Source
- Google Ads help
Ad format: YouTube Shorts ad
- Length
- Under 60 seconds recommended
- Source
- Google Ads help
Ad format: YouTube skippable ad
- Length
- No maximum, under 3 minutes recommended
- Source
- Google Ads help
How to pick the length of the music
Finish the edit first, so you know the exact length. Then pick the track length at or just above it.
- A 28-second ad takes a 30-second track.
- If your ad falls between two lengths, such as 45 seconds, trim the ad to 30 seconds, so the music ends with your last line.
- If you cannot trim it, take the 60-second track and accept that the music stops in the middle of a phrase at 45 seconds.
- If the ad's length changes later, make a new track with the same description.
- Singing is slower than talking. Plan on about one sung word per second, so 30 seconds holds about 30 words.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Why the music should end with the ad
Music made for 30 seconds is written to finish at 30 seconds. A 60-second track cut at 30 stops in the middle of a phrase.
- The end of an ad is where you ask people to act, such as booking through a link. A track that stops in the middle of a phrase lands on that line, which is the reason to trim a 45-second ad to 30 seconds.
- In Cutroom the music stops when the video ends, with no fade, so a track longer than the ad ends on a hard stop. That is why the two lengths should match.
- Up to 60 seconds, every Cutroom track costs 50 credits, so matching the length costs nothing extra.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom's music tool makes a track at the length you pick, from a description you type.
- Music comes with Basic, $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits. The free first video and Lite do not include it.
- The music tool has no trimming, and a track cannot be edited after it is made.
- The track is made for you, not licensed from a library. Read Cutroom's terms before you use it in a paid ad.
- Two minutes is the longest track, so for hours of background music a music library subscription fits better.
Cutroom track lengths and prices
| Length | Credits | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 15 seconds | 50 | A 15-second YouTube ad or a short intro |
| 30 seconds | 50 | Most TikTok ads, which TikTok suggests keeping to 21 to 34 seconds |
| 60 seconds | 50 | A 60-second ad or a YouTube Short |
| 90 seconds | 90 | A longer ad or an explainer |
| 120 seconds | 130 | The longest track |
Length: 15 seconds
- Credits
- 50
- Fits
- A 15-second YouTube ad or a short intro
Length: 30 seconds
- Credits
- 50
- Fits
- Most TikTok ads, which TikTok suggests keeping to 21 to 34 seconds
Length: 60 seconds
- Credits
- 50
- Fits
- A 60-second ad or a YouTube Short
Length: 90 seconds
- Credits
- 90
- Fits
- A longer ad or an explainer
Length: 120 seconds
- Credits
- 130
- Fits
- The longest track
Questions people ask
- How long should music be in an ad?
- As long as the ad. Finish the edit, then pick a track at that length or just above it, so the music ends with your last line.
- How long is a typical social media ad?
- TikTok recommends 21 to 34 seconds for most ads and allows up to 60 for In-Feed ads. YouTube bumper ads are 6 seconds, and non-skippable ads run 15 to 60 seconds.
- Should I make a long track and cut it down?
- Not if you can make one at the right length. A track cut short stops in the middle of a phrase. In Cutroom every track up to 60 seconds costs 50 credits, so there is nothing to save.
- How many words fit in a sung ad track?
- About one word per second, because singing is slower than talking. That is about 15 words for 15 seconds and 30 for 30 seconds. Read the lyrics aloud at singing speed to check.
- Should the music in my ad have singing in it?
- Not if anyone talks in the ad, because sung and spoken words compete and people follow neither. Use an instrumental under a voiceover and keep sung tracks for ads where nobody speaks.
- What if my ad changes length after I have the track?
- Make a new track at the new length with the same description. It usually sounds similar, which keeps a series of ads consistent. Up to 60 seconds that is another 50 credits.
- How much does ad music cost in Cutroom?
- 50 credits for any track up to 60 seconds, 90 for 90 seconds and 130 for 120 seconds. Music comes with Basic at $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits.
Finish the ad, check its length, and pick the track length at or just above it. Your first video is free; music comes with Basic at $39.99 a month.
Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it