Table of Contents

Adding Music to Your Instagram Post: A Comprehensive Guide

Adding a catchy tune to your Instagram post is a sure-fire way to boost engagement and make your content stand out. You can add music to your Instagram Stories, Reels, and even regular feed posts through features like the Music sticker, creative tools within Reels, or third-party video editing apps.

Adding Music: The Nitty-Gritty

The process of adding music to an Instagram post varies slightly depending on the type of post you’re creating. Let’s break it down:

1. Adding Music to Instagram Stories:

Open Instagram Stories: Start by swiping right from your feed or tapping the “+” icon at the top and selecting “Story” at the bottom.
Capture or Upload Content: Take a photo or video directly within the app, or upload one from your camera roll.
Access the Sticker Tray: Tap the sticker icon (a square smiley face) at the top of the screen.
Select the “Music” Sticker: Scroll through the sticker options and tap on the “Music” sticker.
Browse and Choose Your Song: A library of songs will appear. You can browse by mood, genre, or trending songs, or use the search bar to find a specific track.
Select a Snippet: Once you’ve chosen a song, select the portion of the song you want to play in your Story. You can usually adjust the snippet length (from a few seconds to the entire song) and the starting point by dragging the waveform.
Customize the Sticker: You can change the style of the music sticker, including displaying song lyrics (if available), album art, or simply the song title. You can also resize, rotate, and move the sticker around on your Story.
Post Your Story: Once you’re happy with your music selection and sticker placement, share your Story to your followers.

2. Adding Music to Instagram Reels:

Open Instagram Reels: Tap the “+” icon at the top and select “Reel” at the bottom. Or, swipe left from your feed to access Reels.
Record or Upload Video: Record your video directly within the Reels interface or upload a video clip from your camera roll.
Access the Music Tool: Before or after recording, tap the “Audio” icon (a music note) on the left-hand side of the screen.
Browse and Select Music: Similar to Stories, you can browse by trending songs, genres, moods, or search for a specific song.
Adjust the Audio: After selecting a song, you can adjust the volume of both the music track and your original video sound.
Add Other Effects: Enhance your Reel with other effects, filters, text, and stickers.
Post Your Reel: After previewing and editing, share your Reel to your feed, the Reels tab, or both.

3. Adding Music to Regular Instagram Feed Posts:

While Instagram doesn’t offer a direct, built-in music sticker for regular feed posts like it does for Stories and Reels, you can still add music. The key is to incorporate the music into the video itself before uploading it to Instagram. This is typically done using third-party video editing apps.

Use a Video Editing App: Popular options include iMovie, Adobe Premiere Rush, CapCut, and many others. These apps allow you to import your video and then add music from your own library or royalty-free music sites.
Import Your Video and Music: Import the video you want to post and the music track you want to use into the video editing app.
Sync and Edit: Adjust the music volume and placement to perfectly sync with your video. Trim the music if necessary.
Export the Edited Video: Once you’re satisfied with the result, export the edited video in a compatible format (MP4 is generally recommended).
Upload to Instagram: Upload the edited video to your Instagram feed as a regular post.

Important Considerations:

Copyright: Be mindful of copyright laws. Using copyrighted music without permission can lead to your post being taken down. Utilize royalty-free music libraries or obtain the necessary licenses.
Music Availability: The availability of songs can vary by region due to licensing agreements.
Volume Balance: Ensure that the music doesn’t overpower the audio in your video. Balance the volumes carefully.
Relevance: Choose music that complements the mood and theme of your post.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why can’t I find the “Music” sticker on Instagram Stories?

Several reasons could explain this:

Account Type: Business accounts in some regions may have limited access to certain music features due to licensing restrictions. Try switching to a personal account to see if that resolves the issue. You can revert back to a business account later.
Geographic Location: Music availability varies by region. Some songs may not be available in your country due to licensing agreements.
App Version: Make sure you are using the latest version of the Instagram app. Outdated versions can sometimes have glitches or lack new features.
Temporary Glitch: Sometimes, it could be a temporary bug. Try restarting the app or your phone.

2. Can I add my own music from my phone to Instagram Stories or Reels?

While Instagram’s built-in music library is extensive, it doesn’t allow direct uploads from your phone’s music library for Stories or Reels in most regions, again due to copyright issues. However, you can work around this limitation for Reels by:

Playing the Music in the Background: Play the song on another device while recording your Reel. Instagram might recognize the song and add it automatically. However, the sound quality might not be ideal.
Using a Screen Recording: Play the song on your phone and screen record it. Then, use this screen recording as the audio source in your Reel, muting the original video sound. This works but may affect audio quality.
Using Third-Party Apps (Best for Feed Posts): As mentioned earlier, use video editing apps to combine your video with the music you have on your phone before uploading to Instagram.

3. How long can the music snippet be in my Instagram Story?

Instagram allows you to select a music snippet that ranges from just a few seconds up to the full 15 seconds available for a standard Story slide. If your Story is longer than 15 seconds, you’ll need to add the music sticker to each segment of the Story.

4. Can I use music on Instagram if I have a business account?

Yes, you can, but there may be limitations. As mentioned, business accounts sometimes have restricted access to the full music library due to licensing complexities. Consider using royalty-free music or subscribing to a music licensing service designed for businesses. Facebook’s Sound Collection is a good resource for royalty-free tracks.

5. How do I find trending music on Instagram?

Instagram typically highlights trending songs within the music selection interface for both Stories and Reels. Look for sections labeled “Trending,” “For You,” or similar categories. Pay attention to what other creators are using – you’ll often notice certain songs popping up repeatedly, indicating their popularity.

6. How do I adjust the volume of the music in my Reel?

When creating a Reel, after selecting a song, you’ll see a slider icon (usually a volume icon) on the screen. Tapping this allows you to adjust the relative volume of the music track and the original audio from your video. This is crucial for creating a balanced and engaging sound.

7. Can I add lyrics to my Instagram Story with music?

Yes, if the song has lyrics available in Instagram’s music library, the Music sticker will automatically offer the option to display the lyrics on your Story. When you choose the song, you can cycle through different lyric display styles (e.g., showing one line at a time, showing a larger block of text). If the lyric option does not appear, this means the lyrics are not available for that particular song within Instagram.

8. What happens if I use copyrighted music on Instagram without permission?

Using copyrighted music without permission can result in several consequences:

Content Removal: Instagram may remove your Story, Reel, or post that contains the copyrighted music.
Account Suspension: Repeated violations can lead to temporary or even permanent account suspension.
Legal Action: In some cases, copyright holders may pursue legal action against you for copyright infringement, although this is less common for casual users.

9. What are some good sources for royalty-free music for Instagram?

Several platforms offer royalty-free music that you can use without worrying about copyright issues. Some popular options include:

Facebook Sound Collection: A free library of tracks available directly from Facebook.
Epidemic Sound: A subscription-based service offering a vast library of high-quality music.
Artlist: Another subscription-based platform with a focus on cinematic and artistic music.
Bensound: Offers a selection of free and paid royalty-free tracks.

10. How do I add music to a carousel post on Instagram?

Currently, Instagram doesn’t allow you to directly add music to a carousel post (a post with multiple photos or videos). However, a creative workaround is to create a video slideshow using a video editing app, adding the music to the slideshow, and then uploading that single video as part of your carousel. The other images or videos in the carousel can complement the video with music.

11. Why is my Instagram Story muted after adding music?

This usually happens if your account is set to “Private.” Private accounts restrict the music feature as part of their privacy settings, ensuring only approved followers can view the content with music. If you want your music to play, switch your account to public. You can revert it to private after the story expires.

12. Can I change the music after I’ve posted my Instagram Story or Reel?

Unfortunately, no. Once you’ve posted your Instagram Story or Reel, you cannot edit the music. You’ll need to delete the post and create a new one with the desired music. Therefore, it’s crucial to preview your content carefully before posting to ensure you’re happy with the music selection.