How to Post the Gas Station Dance on TikTok

You have your gas station dance clip. Posting it well takes about two minutes: the right format, the trend sound, an honest AI label if it needs one, and a short caption. Here are the five steps, a checklist to run before you tap Post, and what changes on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Step 1: Check the format

• Vertical 9:16, ideally 1080 × 1920. Horizontal clips get black bars on TikTok.
• About 15 seconds, three shots: dance, selfie, car exit.
• An MP4 file saved to your phone's gallery, not a screen recording. Screen recordings lose quality.

Do not have a clip yet? Film it with our shot-by-shot tutorial or make it from three photos with the Gas Station Dance AI Generator. If you made it on gasstationdance.app, pick the 9:16 format when you generate, then download the MP4 from My videos.

Step 2: Upload and add the sound

1. Open TikTok, tap + and pick the video from your gallery.
2. Tap Add sound and choose "Stay with Me" by Akcent, often listed as "On & On (Stay with Me)". Line the first beat up with the first frame and turn the clip's own volume down. Our song guide covers finding the right version.
3. Shortcut: open any gas station dance video you like, tap the sound name and then Use this sound.

Step 3: Label AI content

If your video was made with an AI generator, turn on TikTok's AI-generated content setting before you post: after the editor, tap Next, then More options, and switch it on. TikTok asks creators to label realistic AI content, may add a label automatically when it detects AI, and says the label does not reduce distribution on its own as long as the video follows its Community Guidelines. A filmed video does not need it.

Step 4: Caption and hashtags

Keep the caption short and say who is in it; the trend is about people. A few examples:

• "Made my parents do the gas station dance"
• "Road trip crew, gas station dance edition"
• "Gas station dance, but it's the office team (AI)"

Then add a few relevant tags rather than a wall of them:

• #gasstationdance and #gasstationdancetrend for the trend itself
• #aitrend or #aivideo if it is AI-made
• One tag about who is in it, like #bestfriends or #familytrend

If friends are in the video, tag them. They are the people most likely to share it.

Step 5: Post and reuse

Post when your followers are usually online; your TikTok analytics show the hours. The same file works on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts: upload the original MP4 instead of downloading the TikTok version, which carries a watermark.

Pre-post checklist

• The clip is vertical and nobody's head or feet are cut off.
• It runs about 15 seconds, in the order dance, selfie, car exit.
• The trend sound is added and the first beat hits the first frame.
• The clip's own audio is turned down so it does not clash.
• Everyone in it agreed to be posted.
• AI-made? The AI-generated content setting is on.
• The caption says who is in it, with three or four hashtags.
• Friends in the video are tagged.

Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts

Post the same clip on the other two apps, but upload the original file each time and add the sound inside each app.

If the song is not available in your region on one of the apps, use the most popular "gas station dance" sound there; most are clips of the same track.

Common mistakes

• Cropping a 16:9 video to vertical and cutting heads off.
• Uploading photos of people who did not agree to be in it.
• Presenting an AI video as real footage. Label it and you are fine.
• Using a different song. Viewers lose the cue, and your video misses the sound page with the other remixes.
• Reposting a TikTok download with the watermark on other apps.

FAQ

Do I have to label an AI gas station dance?
TikTok asks creators to label realistic AI content, and an AI video of real people counts. Turn on the AI-generated content setting; it takes two taps.

Will the AI label hurt my views?
TikTok says the label does not affect distribution on its own, as long as the video follows its Community Guidelines.

Why can't I find the song?
Business accounts on TikTok are limited to the Commercial Music Library, which usually leaves out chart songs. Some sounds are also blocked in some regions. Use a personal account, or take the sound from a remix.

Can I post the same video on TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
Yes. Upload the original MP4 to each app and add the sound there.

Where can I see what other remixes look like?
Browse our gas station dance video collection and read how the trend started.