TikTok teleprompter setup: the complete method
Step 1: Open SyncedCue in your phone browser. SyncedCue runs in Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android. Open the browser, navigate to SyncedCue, and create a free account. No app download required.
Step 2: Paste or write your TikTok script. Use SyncedCue's script editor to enter your script. For a 60-second TikTok, aim for 150–170 words. For a 30-second TikTok, aim for 75–90 words. The word count table below covers all TikTok lengths.
Step 3: Set font size to 36–44pt. For phone use at arm's length, 36–44pt is readable without eye movement. Increase if you are filming at a distance and the phone is further away.
Step 4: Enable voice scroll. Voice scroll advances the text as you speak. For TikTok, this is especially important — the fast energy of short-form delivery means fixed scroll rates become unsynchronized quickly.
Step 5: Position the phone. For filming on a second phone: hold or prop the teleprompter phone directly below the filming phone's lens. For filming on the same phone: use a phone clamp teleprompter rig with a separate small display, or film from a laptop webcam with the phone running the teleprompter nearby.
Step 6: Record the hook, then the rest. For TikTok, the first sentence is critical. Record with voice scroll active, deliver the hook with maximum energy, and let the script carry the rest.
TikTok word counts by video length
TikTok content typically delivers at 150–180 wpm. Use these word counts for scripting:
15 seconds: 150 wpm: 37 words 160 wpm: 40 words 180 wpm: 45 words
30 seconds: 150 wpm: 75 words 160 wpm: 80 words 180 wpm: 90 words
60 seconds: 150 wpm: 150 words 160 wpm: 160 words 180 wpm: 180 words
90 seconds: 150 wpm: 225 words 160 wpm: 240 words 180 wpm: 270 words
3 minutes (TikTok long-form): 150 wpm: 450 words 160 wpm: 480 words 180 wpm: 540 words
Practical note: These are continuous delivery counts. TikTok videos often include visual cuts, B-roll, and text overlays that reduce the continuous speaking time. Budget 15–20% fewer words per minute if the video has significant non-speaking sections.
How to write a TikTok script that works with a teleprompter
Write the hook last. The hook — the first sentence — is the most important part of any TikTok. It determines whether a viewer swipes or watches. Write the rest of the script first, then write the hook with full knowledge of where the video goes. The hook should create curiosity, state a benefit, or make a bold claim that the video delivers on.
One idea per video. The fastest way to make TikTok delivery feel scattered is to try to make multiple points in 60 seconds. The best-performing TikTok scripts make one point, make it clearly, and close with a call to action or a strong final line. Scripts that try to cover two or three ideas in 60 seconds feel rushed rather than punchy.
Cut every word that is not essential. At 160 words for 60 seconds, there is no room for context-setting, transitional filler, or background explanation the audience does not need. Start at the point. Background comes later — or not at all.
Write the close before the middle. Knowing where the video ends makes the middle easier to write. The close should either deliver on the hook's promise or prompt a specific action (follow, comment, link in bio). Write the hook and close first, then fill in the middle.
Delivery for TikTok: pace, energy, and the first three seconds
The first three seconds are the whole game. TikTok's algorithm rewards completion rate — the percentage of viewers who watch the full video. Completion rate starts with retention in the first three seconds. If the hook does not hold attention immediately, the rest of the script does not matter.
Deliver the first sentence with maximum energy. Physically: sit or stand upright, shoulders open, face fully engaged. The energy of the first sentence sets the energy the viewer expects for the whole video.
Pace faster than feels comfortable. TikTok viewers are accustomed to fast-paced delivery. What feels slightly too fast in a self-review often feels appropriately energetic to a TikTok viewer. Aim for the upper end of your natural delivery pace — voice scroll will follow you there.
Cut pauses to a minimum. Deliberate pauses — effective in long-form content — are risky in short-form. A 2-second pause in a 60-second video is 3% of total watch time. Use very brief beats (half a second) for emphasis rather than full pauses.
Watch back at 1.25x speed. A reliable calibration test: watch your recorded TikTok back at 1.25x speed. If it sounds natural and energetic at 1.25x, the original speed is appropriate for TikTok. If it sounds rushed at 1.25x, the original pace is already at the right energy.