How to Do a Duet in TikTok, and Stitch
A Duet or Stitch only exists if the original creator allows it, and once it's posted it's your video, with your own view count, pointing back at theirs.
If you searched how to do duet in TikTok, here it is: open the video, tap the Share arrow, tap Duet, record your side next to the original, then post. A Stitch works the same way from the same panel, except you trim up to five seconds of the original to play before your own clip.
Both only appear when the original creator allows them. And once you post, the Duet is your video: it has its own view count, and it credits and links the original rather than adding to its numbers.
A Duet is a TikTok video recorded side by side with someone else's, playing at the same time. A Stitch is a video that opens with a short clip of someone else's and then cuts to yours. Both are remixes, and both depend on a permission the original creator controls.
That permission works at two levels. Each creator sets who can Duet and Stitch their videos in their privacy settings, and each video has its own switches at upload. On top of that, TikTok removes the option entirely in some cases: other people can't Duet or Stitch videos from private accounts, and since 2021 TikTok has disabled Duet and Stitch on videos from users under 16.
The second fact is about the numbers. A Duet isn't a share of the original. It's a new post on your profile, so it collects its own views, likes and comments, and the original gets a credit and a link that viewers can tap through. That's why Duets work as a way to borrow an audience: a reply to a popular video can be seen by people who came for the original. And it's why the view count on the Duet is the one that decides whether TikTok keeps showing it, the same counter TikTok views move on any public video.
How do you duet with someone on TikTok, step by step?
In current versions of the TikTok app on iPhone and Android:
1. Open the video you want to Duet with.
2. Tap the Share arrow on the right side of the screen.
3. Tap Duet in the share panel. If it isn't there, the creator hasn't allowed Duets on that video.
4. Choose a layout. Side by side is the default; you'll also see options such as top and bottom, or a react layout with the original in a small window.
5. Record your part. The original plays as you record, so you can react to it in time. You can also upload a clip from your camera roll instead of recording.
6. Add effects, text or a voiceover if you want, tap Next, write a caption and post.
The caption shows that it's a Duet with the original creator's username, and viewers can tap through to their video. How to duet in TikTok with others you know works the same way, and it's the one case a friends-only setting still allows: if a creator limits Duets to friends, people they follow who follow them back can still Duet them.
How do you stitch on TikTok?
Stitch starts from the same place:
1. Open the video, tap the Share arrow and choose Stitch.
2. Drag the handles to pick the part of the original you want. TikTok lets you keep up to five seconds.
3. Tap Next and record your own clip, which plays after the borrowed part.
4. Edit, caption and post.
Stitch is built for replies: the original asks a question or makes a claim, and your clip answers it. Duet is built for reactions and collaborations, where both videos need to be seen at the same moment.
What is the difference between a duet and a stitch?
Timing and screen space. A Duet plays both videos at once, side by side or stacked, for the full length. A Stitch plays a short piece of the original first, then hands the whole screen to you.
- Use a Duet to react, sing along, play an instrument with someone, or show a side-by-side comparison.
- Use a Stitch to answer a question, correct a claim, or continue a story someone else started.
- Both credit and link the original creator, and both are controlled by the same kind of permission.
- Neither is the same as a repost, which shares the original video unchanged. How to repost on TikTok covers that.
Why can't I duet a TikTok?
When Duet or Stitch is missing from the share panel, it's almost always a permission on the other side. In order of how often each applies:
- The creator turned it off for that video, or limited it to friends and you aren't one.
- The creator's account is private. Other people can't Duet or Stitch videos from private accounts.
- The creator is under 16. TikTok disables Duet and Stitch on videos from accounts under 16, and the setting can't be changed.
- It's a photo post or a format that doesn't support remixing. Duet is built for video.
- Your app is out of date. Update it and check again before assuming anything else.
Can you duet from a computer?
Duet and Stitch are built into the mobile app's recording tools. The desktop site lets you watch and share, but recording a Duet happens on a phone or tablet.
Who gets the views on a duet?
You do. A Duet is a new post on your profile, so the views it earns are counted on your Duet, not on the original. The same goes for its likes, comments and shares.
The original creator gets something different: a credit in your caption and a link viewers can tap. Some of your viewers will follow it and watch the original, and those views count on the original video, because that's where they happened. A Duet that does well can send a creator a stream of new viewers this way, which is why most creators leave Duets on.
This also means a Duet competes on its own. TikTok decides how far to show it from how people respond to your video, judged on its own watch time and engagement. How the TikTok algorithm works covers those signals, and how to go viral on TikTok covers the eligibility rules that apply to every video, Duets included.
How do you turn off duets on your videos?
For every video at once, open Settings and privacy, then Privacy, and look for the Duet and Stitch controls. In recent versions they sit together under a heading about reuse of your content. Each one offers a choice of everyone, friends (people you follow who follow you back), or only you.
For a single video, open it, tap the three-dot or Share menu, choose privacy settings, and switch Duet or Stitch off there. You can also set this before posting, in the settings on the posting screen.
Turning Duets off stops new ones. It doesn't remove Duets already made, which belong to the people who posted them. If one of those breaks TikTok's rules, report it like any other video.
Is it worth making duets?
For a small account, a Duet is one of the few ways to appear next to a video that already has an audience. People who watched the original and want to see reactions to it are a ready-made audience for yours, and they're already interested in the subject.
The Duets that travel add something: a skill, a joke, an answer, a reaction worth watching for itself. A Duet that only nods along gives viewers no reason to stay, and TikTok shows it accordingly.
Your Duet starts at zero like any other video, and the first viewers see that counter. Some creators use TikTok views so a new post doesn't open on an empty number, or TikTok followers for the profile people land on after tapping through. Neither one makes a Duet watchable. The full catalog is on the TikTok page.
Questions people ask about Duet and Stitch
How do you do a duet on TikTok?
Open the video, tap the Share arrow, tap Duet, choose a layout, record your part next to the original and post. The option only appears if the creator allows Duets.
Why can't I duet a TikTok video?
The creator has turned Duets off or limited them to friends, the account is private, or the creator is under 16, in which case TikTok disables Duets entirely.
What is the difference between a duet and a stitch on TikTok?
A Duet plays your video and the original at the same time, side by side. A Stitch plays up to five seconds of the original first, then your clip.
Who gets the views on a TikTok duet?
The person who posted the Duet. It's a separate video with its own counters. The original creator gets a credit and a link, and any views from people who tap through.
How do I stop people from dueting my TikToks?
Go to Settings and privacy, then Privacy, and set Duet to only you. To change one video, open its privacy settings from the Share menu and switch Duet off.
How long can a TikTok stitch be?
The borrowed part of the original can be up to five seconds. Your own clip after it follows TikTok's normal video length limits.
Keep reading
- TikTok views — A Duet is your own post with its own counter, and TikTok views move that counter on any public video.
- How to repost on TikTok — Sharing a video unchanged, which is a different tool from Duet and Stitch.
- How the TikTok algorithm works — The signals that decide how far a Duet travels on its own.