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How to Add Music to Instagram Story, Video Post, or Reel
Short-form videos set to popular music are all the rage thanks to the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Instagram has several different platforms where you can share a short video set to music, including Reels, Stories, and feed video posts. But with so many different ways to add music to videos and so many various sources to choose from, it can be daunting.
This article will give you step-by-step instructions for all adding music to your Instagram videos and answer all of your potential questions.
- Where to Get Music for Instagram Videos?
- How to Add Music to Any Instagram Video?
- How to Automatically Fit Music to a Video for Instagram?
- How to Add Music to an Instagram Story in App?
- How to Add Music to an Instagram Reel in App?
- How to Add Music to Your Instagram Story via Spotify?
- How to Post a Music Video to Stories Using TikTok?
- Best App for Adding Music to Instagram Posts Free Download
- Instagram Music FAQs
Where to Get Music for Instagram Videos?
iTunes
Pros: You probably already have an iTunes account with a perfectly curated selection of your favorite music. And if you don’t already own the track you want to use, you can quickly find and buy it.
In addition, iTunes has all the latest trending music from famous artists readily available.
Cons: Buying a song from iTunes does not guarantee it is legal to use on Instagram, and your video could be taken down.
PowerDirector
Pros: Includes a royalty-free music library.
With PowerDirector, there is the option to add sound effects and audio tools for removing background noise and changing the volume of your music tracks. It also has a smart fit audio tool to fit any song to the length of your video seamlessly.
Cons: Music not from big-name artists.
AudioJungle
Pros: There are over 1 million royalty-free music tracks and sounds from Audio Jungle’s musicians and sound engineers.
Cons: Each track costs anywhere from $10 - $70, and you can only use the track once. Also, it does not include popular songs from famous artists.
How to Add Music to Any Instagram Video?
The easiest way to add music to any kind of Instagram post is with PowerDirector on iOS and Android. One of the biggest advantages to using the app is you can add sound effects and edit your video’s audio at the same time you add music.
Follow these simple steps to add music, sound effects, and edit your audio once you’ve downloaded PowerDirector.
Step 1: Open the PowerDirector app and click New Project.
Step 2: Choose the Project Aspect Ratio. Use 1:1 or 16:9 for a Post and 9:16 for Reels and Stories.
Step 3: Choose the video you would like to use and tap the + to add it to the editing timeline.
Step 4: Choose Music from the menu on the left. Choose Stock Music to browse PowerDirector’s royalty-free music library, with songs organized by genre.
Step 5: Click the Download button (down arrow icon) next to the song of your choice. Then use the + to add it to your timeline.
Step6: Tap Sound FX from the menu on the left.
Sound effects are categorized by type, like “Animals,” “Transportation,” and “Environment.”
Step 7: Click the Download button (down arrow icon) next to the sound effect of your choice, then use the + to add it to your timeline.
Step 8: Tap on the timeline to bring up the Edit menu (pencil icon) and open it.
Step 9: Choose Audio Mixing to change the volume of each element of your video.
If you want to make other audio edits open Audio Tool, where you can remove distracting background noise, record voice-over, or use the voice changer.
Step 10: When finished adding music and editing your video’s sound, hit the Produce button (arrow facing up icon) in the upper right corner.
Step 11: Choose Share on Instagram and select the Video Resolution. The best resolution for Instagram videos is 1080p.
Step 12: Tap Next and wait a few seconds for your video to render.
Step 13: Tap Share to Instagram. You will have the option to upload to Stories or post to your feed. If you want to post the video as a Reel you will need to export the video and upload it via the app.
How to Automatically Fit Music to a Video for Instagram?
The PowerDirector editing software on Windows and Mac has a tool that will automatically fit your music selection to the length of your video.
Download it for free below and follow these steps:
Step 1: Open PowerDirector and click Import Media in the top left corner, then Import Media Files…
Step 2: Find the video or videos you wish to edit and click Open.
Your video will be added to the Media Room.
Step 3: Drag your video or videos onto the editing timeline in the order you want them to appear.
Step 4: Go back up to Media Content and click on Background Music (to choose from the PowerDirector music library.) Or use your own music.
Step 5: Select a song and Download it to add it to the Media Room.
Step 6: Drag your song onto the editing timeline under your video.
Step 7: Select the song on the timeline to bring up the menu bar and click on Tools.
Step 8: Click on Smart Fit for Duration and the track will automatically be edited to fit your video clip.
How to Add Music to an Instagram Story in App?
Step 1: Open Instagram and tap the + icon at the top of your screen.
Step 2: Choose Story.
Step 3: Tap the Camera icon to record a new video, or choose one from your camera roll.
Step 4: Tap the Sticker icon from the menu along the top of your screen. It looks like a square with a smiley face.
Step 5: Scroll down to the Music Sticker and tap it.
This will bring up the most trending music for you to browse or use the search bar and type in an artist, song title, or theme.
Step 6: Tap the song you want. Instagram will choose the most popular part of the song to fit your video, but you can use the slider to select a different section.
Step 7: Tap Done, then the arrow at the bottom.
Step 8: Tap Share.
How to Add Music to an Instagram Reel in App?
Step 1: Open the app and tap the + icon in the top right of your screen.
Step 2: Choose Reel from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Choose the length of your video by tapping the Circle iconwith a number in it on the left. The number will either be 15, 30, or 60. Tap the circle until the number shown is the length you want.
Step 4: Choose music by tapping the Music Note icon. You can scroll through trending options or type in a song, artist, or keyword into the search bar.
Reels will choose the song’s best part for your video length, but you can use the scroll bar to find a different part of the song if you wish.
Step 5: Tap Done.
Step 6: Hit the Shutter Button to start recording.
It will automatically stop recording when you’ve reached your video length, or you can stop it at any time. If you stop short of the time limit, you can add multiple videos in the time frame.
Step 7: Tap Preview to watch your video back.
Step 8: Tap the Next button on the bottom of the screen to post your video.
Step 9: Tap Share.
How to Add Music to Your Instagram Story via Spotify?
Step 1: Open the Spotify app and choose the song you want to use.
Step 2: Tap the Ellipsis icon and choose Share.
Step 3: Choose Instagram. You will be redirected to Instagram, where your story will appear with your music cover art.
Step 4: Tap Your Story in the bottom left to post.
How to Post a Music Video to Stories Using TikTok?
Step 1: Open the TikTok app and tap the + icon at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2: Tap the Sounds button at the top middle of your screen.
Step 3: Find the song you want and press the Red Checkmark to add it to your video.
Step 4: Press the Record button to start recording your video and the Checkmark when you are done.
Step 5: Tap Post at the bottom-right of the screen. Now that you’ve posted your video in TikTok, you can share it to other apps.
Step 6: Find your video and tap Share.
Step 7: Tap the Instagram Stories icon and then Your Story to publish.
Best App for Adding Music to Instagram Posts Free Download
PowerDirector is the easiest way to add music to your Instagram videos.
The PowerDirector app has a sizable royalty-free music library and allows you to easily add music to your videos. You can use any music in the app and not have to worry about copyright.
And unlike other music library services, PowerDirector also includes powerful video editing software to help make your Instagram videos stand out in the crowded world of short-form video.
Try it for free below.
Instagram Music FAQs
1. Can I Use Any Song in My Instagram Post?
No. If you use a song from the Instagram Reels library then you can rest assured it is safe to use. To use a song from an app like iTunes or Spotify, you should read the Instagram Music guidelines:
https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/updates-and-guidelines-for-including-music-in-video.
The guidelines state that using a song from these apps is only ok if the video is short and only features a song clip. There should also be video footage to go with it and not just the song itself to a blank screen. Instagram has the right to ban any non-licensed song so proceed with caution.
2. Can I Add Music to a Video That Is Already Posted?
No. You can only edit the Captions and Info of a Reel or a Post after being shared. And Stories don’t offer an Edit function after posting.
The only way to add music to a post you’ve already shared is to hit the ellipsis and choose Delete, then add music to the video, and repost.
3. What Is the Best Free Source for Instagram Music?
The PowerDirector app has a sizable royalty-free music library.
You can use any music in the app and you don’t have to worry about your posts being removed.
4. Why Can’t I Add Music to My Instagram Videos?
Check first that you live in one of the 90 countries where the Instagram music sticker is available. Second, go to the App Store or Google Play to check that you have the latest version of the app.
If you still can’t find the music sticker, you may need to sign out of the app or even delete it altogether and then reinstall.
5. Where Is the Instagram Music Sticker?
The Instagram music sticker is an option in Stories and has the same music library available in Reels.
Either record your Story or choose a video from your camera roll. You will then see your video with a toolbar across the top. This is where you can add text, filters, and graphics to your Story before posting.
Tap the Sticker button, which looks like a square with a smiley face.
You can type “Music” into the search bar or scroll down to the music sticker, which
looks like this:
6. Where Can I Find Background Music for My Instagram Post?
The PowerDirector app has royalty-free libraries for background music.
Simply open the app and start a New Project. Next, choose Music from the menu. Open Stock Music and choose PowerDirector to browse background music by genre.
Related Articles:
- Editing for TikTok
- Editing for Instagram
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