You'll no doubt have heard TikTok's audio branding many times, but maybe never stopped to think what it really represents.
Of course you wouldn't, but if you ever wondered, TikTok has today shed a bit more light on how it decides the sounds in its app - and its 'sonic identity', along with usage trends and behaviors.
According to TikTok:

At TikTok, we're always looking for ways to enhance the experience of our global community, and this includes harnessing the power of sound. And since more than 1 billion people worldwide continue to turn to TikTok to be inspired, entertained, and connect with one another, we wanted our sonic identity to reflect a similar experience.". That's why we came up with simple two-beat onomatopoeic sonic logo with a melodic twist, which evokes inspiration, authenticity, and belonging."
The audio cue as well as a longer track was made by MassiveMusic featured in the video above
TikTok states that its sonic identity represents the creativity, community, and entertainment focus of the app, with each element playing a part in putting out another aspect of TikTok's broader identity.

And now it's looking to deepen users' engagement with the sound, through new 'Sonic stickers' that you can apply to your creations within the app.
The new stickers give creators an opportunity to experiment with TikTok's sonic identity, giving more ways for the community to engage with TikTok's audio identity, and it will facilitate community around the same.

It is a small part of the larger TikTok story, but it is interesting to see what goes into even the tiniest detail, and how social platforms approach building their UI elements based on usage behaviors and trends.

The new sonic stickers are available through TikTok's Sounds Library in the app.