How to Duet on TikTok: What Brands Should Know

TikTok duets. They’re incredibly popular - and they can make your brand go viral. Here’s how to duet on TikTok, plus examples to inspire your best video yet.
Fanbytes | How to duet on TikTok

In 30 seconds:

  • Spotted those split-screen videos on TikTok, where users collaborate or react to each other’s content? Those are TikTok duets.
  • A duet video is a fun way to engage with other TikTok users and create a conversation. It can even go viral.
  • How can you use TikTok duets to your advantage? And how do they work? Here’s all you need to know.


Ever laughed at Gogglebox? Or checked social media to see how other people are reacting to a TV show?

Then you understand why TikTok duets are so popular.

We love to be entertained by video content, but we also love our peers’ reactions. It can even be even more entertaining than the original video.

Gen Z are no different – they’re just on different platforms. They’ll watch video gamers’ livestreams on Twitch. And they’ll watch funny reactions on TikTok duets on the TikTok app

How can your brand capture their attention? In this article, we’ll talk you through how to duet on TikTok, and give some funny examples to help inspire your content.

What are TikTok duets?

TikTok‘s ‘duet‘ feature is a tool that allows users to create videos that respond to other TikTok users‘ content.

You may have seen TikTok duets on your feed. They are distinctive: The video is split screen, with both videos (original and the ‘duet‘) appearing side by side in a square format.

A TikTok duet means people can effectively ‘reply’ to video content with their own videos – which they can share on their own TikTok profile. 

It’s no surprise TikTokers love this feature: 83% of TikTokers have created a video themselves, and they love trends and features that help them do it. In fact, 43% of engaged TikTok users have uploaded a duet.

You can make a duet with any TikTok video from a brand, influencer, friend or even your own feed, as long as the poster of the original video has allowed their video to be used this way (we’ll explain more on that later).

Why should I care about TikTok duets?

If you’re trying to reach Gen Z, TikTok is the best route for you. It’s Gen Z’s favourite social media platform, and TikTok is 70% Gen Z. 

But you also need to get into their mindset. And TikTokers love TikTok duets. That means it should be a priority for your brand: you want to make content that people like!

We mentioned above that TikTokers love duets because they help them to create content. TikTok duets that work well are ones that entertain followers. But even better are TikTok duets that empower your followers. 

One way you can do this is to try and create a TikTok duet challenge.

Challenges as a whole are a massive part of TikTok culture, but duet challenges are special. They’re easy to partake in: usually, all it requires is the video duetter’s reaction. They play to something TikTokers love most about TikTok: authenticity. And they necessitate engagement, which is a key factor for sending posts viral.

Engaging Gen Z is crucial for any brand on TikTok. Check out our guide, ‘100 Days to Engage Gen Z‘ to learn more.

TikTok duet chains

TikTok duets can drive incredible results, and one of those ways is via duet chains.

Duet Chains’ are when TikTok duets go meta. You can use the duet function with someone else’s duet. These can lead to viral trends, such as the one below (we apologise in advance for getting this tune stuck in your head):

@jonnystewartbass

#duet with @the.bobbybass SHANTY TIME once again! Adding a lower middle harmony 🙂 @nthnevnss @_luke.the.voice_ @apsloan01 #shantytok #wellerman

♬ Wellerman - Sea Shanty - Nathan Evans

The above song even got headlines for reaching no.1 in the charts after the TikTok video went viral.

Creating multi-part harmonies for songs is a natural fit for duet chains. But there’s also a great opportunity for comedy, as this viral chain below shows:

@kapples10

#duet with @trapboombap Brittney did not skip leg day

♬ original sound - Marcus DiPaola

What was originally an awkward video of a TikToker introducing his girlfriend to his followers became an internet meme as more TikTokers dueted with each other, imagining what was going on out of shot.

There’s a lot to learn from these examples to create viral success for your own brand. Consider the reactions your content could evoke and create a space for TikTokers to get creative. Take a look at this video from Duolingo, for example. By using self-deprecating humour, they’ve won over Gen Z TikTokers – and the duets keep rolling in.

We spoke to the person behind Duolingo’s viral TikTok success. Check out the full interview in our article here.

How do I make TikTok duets?

So now you know why to duet on TikTok. Next up: here’s how to duet on TikTok

Creating a shareable duet:

The first thing to know for how to duet on TikTok is that it involves steps from two parties. The first TikToker has to allow others to duet their recorded video. This is important for brands who want to kick off a duet challenge, or ask their followers to duet their content.

Take inspiration from the examples listed above – or try something like the video below, that encourages duets:

Step 1.

Film your TikTok video as usual. It can be about anything! For tips on how to make an engaging video (and one that goes viral!) check out our article here.

If you want people to duet your video, think about the kind of content that people would engage with. After you’ve uploaded the video, tap Next. This is the red button at the bottom of the screen. You’ll come to a mostly-white screen where your video is visible at the top right.

Step 2.

At the top, you’ll see a space to ‘Describe your video’. This is where you add your caption.  You’ll want to include your message here. Make sure to include a call-to-action – and maybe a challenge hashtag.

Step 3.

At the side of the screen underneath, you’ll see some toggle buttons and an option for ‘Who can watch this video.’

Tap the option for ‘Who can watch this video’. This is to do with your video’s privacy settings. The options are ‘Only me’ (don’t use this for duets!) ‘Friends’ (meaning only your followers can see the video) or ‘Everyone’. For the best chance of viral success, choose ‘Everyone’, so as many TikTok accounts as possible can see your video.

Fanbytes | TikTok duet steps 1

POV: You are Bella Poarch about to set up a TikTok duet

Step 4.

You may have guessed this one, as you’ll see a toggle on the screen for ‘Allow Duet‘. Make sure you’ve dragged this toggle to the right, so it goes green. This gives your permissions for others to duet your video.

It’s enabled by default, so you might not need to swipe this. But keep an eye out! If the toggle is grey. This will disable duets. You’ll need to swipe it across to enable duets.

Step 5.

It’s time to share! Tap the red button at the bottom of the screen.  

Duet with another TikToker:

If you want to duet with another TikToker‘s video, the steps are pretty simple. You might want to explain these steps to your TikTok fanbase if you want to encourage them to duet your video.

Stuck for a video idea? See if anyone is making a video with your products. This designer duetted with an influencer who wore her design, and her own duet blew up, earning 1.6 million likes. 

@moodiemaggie

#duet with @lucyluelovesu If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I’ll try to answer all of them 🤍#fashiondesigner #fashion

♬ Bust Your Knee Caps - amanda

Step 1.​​​​

Find the video you want to duet. You can access them from the For You page, via search or via their TikTok profile. 

At the side of the screen on the video, you’ll see some icons: a heart, a speech bubble, and an arrow. The arrow is the ‘share button‘. Tap this.

Step 2.

Once you’ve tapped the share icon, some options pop up. You can ‘send to’ a follower’ (don’t choose this), or ‘share to’ another app (don’t choose this). 

The option you want is near the bottom of the screen. You will see a grey icon with ‘Duet‘ underneath. This is the duet option. Tap this!

Step 3.

Once you’ve hit the duet button, it’s time to film your duet

The screen will look different now: the video is square, with a split screen. The original video is on the right, and there’s space for your recorded video on the left. At the bottom is a red button. This is the ‘record button‘.

You’ll see icons at the side of the screen, too. ‘Layout’ gives you the option to do split screen,  use the original video as a green screen, or have the original video inset.

You can also get your video editor skills out using the other icons.

When you’re ready, tap this button.  

Your video is now recording. You’ll be playing at the same time as the original video with the same music overlaid. Have fun: do a voiceover or film your reaction.

Fanbytes | TikTok duet steps 2

POV: You are Mercedes F1’s TikTok account about to make a viral duet

Step 4.

Once you’ve started recording, a red button with a tick appears at the side of the screen. You’ll also see a progress bar at the top of the screen. This tells you how long the original video is. Your duet video has to be the same length or shorter than the original video.

When you’ve finished recording, tap the red tick button. It will take you to a screen where you can watch your video back. If you like the results, tap Next. If you’d like a re-do, hit the arrow at the top left of the screen.

Step 5.

After you tap next, you’ll see a mostly-white screen (similar to the one described before). Add your captions, toggle the buttons and adjust permissions on the right side as you prefer. You’re then ready to hit ‘Post’ to send the video to your audience.

Here’s an example of what your content could look like:

Do TikTok duets get results?

Is making duets worth it? If you’ve got a sense of humour or expertise to share, then absolutely yes.

Are you a skincare brand offering solutions to skin problems? Search that problem via a hashtag (e.g. #dryskin) and duet with the videos you see, offering tailored advice for that person + product recommendations. Gen Z love personalised experiences, so regularly doing this kind of duet can help boost brand sentiment.

Or maybe you want to expand your reach? Starting off a hilarous duet chain or challenge will get lots of people talking about you. Gen Z find user-generated content helpful, so the more you encourage participation, the better results you’ll get.

If you’re using influencers to advertise on TikTok, Duets are a great way to massively increase your maximum reach. You’re no longer capped by the influencer‘s following. Now people can experience your content from any of the users taking part in a duet with the influencer.

We worked with music Label The Other Songs to drive more streams for the single ‘Love Again’ by RuthAnne. We used the duet feature to encourage fans to interact with our influencer content, sharing their insecurities. There were 900+ user videos created from the duet challenge, which meant that instead of just the 153,000 views from the influencer content, we were able to drive 901,000 views to #PromoteLove. We managed to get the song trending on the song charts on TikTok!

Using TikTok to create a community with the duet feature means it’s possible to reach more people and create deeper conversations.  From there, it’s an easy step for viral success. And who doesn’t want that?!


We know that not every brand is fluent in iphone or android like Gen Z. But we are. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help your brand, or check out the links below:


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