Where Is 'Fluffing A Duck' From And Why Are TikTokers Dancing To It? Kevin MacLeod's Viral Meme Song Explained

TikTokers are making royalty-free music artist Kevin MacLeod's song "Fluffing a Duck" go viral after Universal Music Group removed its songs from TikTok. The song's cheery, tuba-laden sound is inspiring dances of protest across the app as users wonder what the future of TikTok dancing will look like without some of the world's most popular artists. But what is "Fluffing a Duck" and why is it so familiar? Here's what you need to know.

Where Is "Fluffing A Duck" From?

"Fluffing a Duck" is a royalty-free song by Kevin MacLeod, the artist behind a ton of other popular royalty-free songs, including "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys." The song was first uploaded online for use by anyone in 2010, when it started appearing in things like YouTube videos and video games. It gained further popularity throughout the 2020s on TikTok as a lighthearted, cheery backing track.

There are a lot of places you may have heard "Fluffing a Duck." The song appears in the mobile game Racing Penguin and the Mario & Friends YouTube series on the CrazyMarioBros channel. It's also been used over 400,000 times on TikTok and in countless YouTube videos, offering tons of reasons why you may swear you've heard it before. Recently, the song was even used at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards as Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig presented an award. As far as royalty-free music goes, it doesn't get much more popular that "Fluffing a Duck."

How Is "Fluffing a Duck" Used On TikTok?

Recently, Universal Music Group took all of their music off of TikTok. This resulted in the app losing songs from some of the most popular artists, including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, Bad Bunny, SZA, Rihanna, Adele, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and many more. Some of the most viral songs on TikTok came from these artists, making this a devastating blow to users.

Following the removal, TikTokers started dancing to "Fluffing a Duck" as both a meme and a protest against UMG's decision to remove their artists from TikTok. The song is royalty-free, meaning it was made for anyone to use, so there's no risk of it getting taken off the app. It's also far from your typical dance track, making it a funny way for TikTokers to showcase their frustrations with UMG's decision.

For the full history of "Fluffing a Duck" be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.