One of Instagram’s most popular features is the option to add music directly to Instagram stories. Instagram offers a lengthy selection of tunes from its music library and the ability to import songs from other music streaming services, like Spotify.
Instagram gets new tunes in its music library daily. This article will teach you everything you need about adding music to your Instagram Story or post. You’ll also see some common questions and misconceptions regarding Instagram music. Let’s get started.
How to Add Music to an Instagram Story on Android/iOS/iPhone
It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or an Android device, as long as Instagram is updated to the latest version. The process of adding music to Instagram is the same for both.
Note: This method requires lyrics or album art to appear on your Story, but you can resize it to your liking. Also, you can legally use premium music clips from Instagram’s library (uses Facebook Sound Collection).
Here is how it’s done.
- Open
the “Instagram app,” then tap on “Your story” in the upper-left
corner.
- Proceed to add a Story. Hold down on the first image/video, then tap on each additional one you want to add/remove. Tap on
“Next” when
finished.
- Choose
the style for your Story, which includes “Layout” for a collage Story or “Separate” to make each image/video a new segment. Choosing “Separate” requires editing each
segment.
- Tap the “sticker icon” at the top of your
screen.
- Select
the “Music sticker.” You can use the search bar at the top to go directly to the correct
one.
- Instagram displays recommended songs, as well as different categories you can choose. Tap on the adjacent “Play” icon to preview each
track.
- Tap
on a song to add it to your post or Story.
- Adjust the “slider bar” at the bottom to choose the song position. You’ll see the lyrics while you slide. You can also change the music and text color/appearance/style or use album
art.
- Tap “Done” when finished with your editing
process.
- Resize,
rotate, or reposition the lyrics (or album art) on the screen by holding down on them and moving, sliding, or twisting
them.
- If you chose “Separate” for the layout in “Step 3” above, you need to edit each Story segment individually by tapping on it. Each one has music (if desired) when they
autoplay.
- Tap
on “Next” when finished editing your
Story.
- Choose “Your Story”at the bottom to post it on your Instagram
Story.
When your followers open your Instagram Story, your added song automatically plays for each segment you edited. If they want to see which song is playing, they can tap on the title under your name, and the song pops up in another tab.
Instagram released the “Reels” feature in August 2020. With it being such a new option, Reels are one of the easiest ways to post content on Instagram, including music. To add music to a reel, follow the steps below.
- Tap the “+” sign in the top right of the Instagram home page.
- Slide and highlight Reels at the bottom of the
page.
- Select the “Music” icon on the
left.
- Choose the “music track” you want to add to the
Reel.
- Adjust the “slider” at the bottom of the screen. Select the part of the song you’re using for the
Reel.
If you forget to add music before recording your Reel, don’t worry. Instagram allows you to add the music before or after recording the Reel.
How to Add Music to an Instagram Post Using Third-Party Apps
It’s important to know that Instagram doesn’t allow you to add music directly to your Instagram posts. You can only add music to your Instagram Stories and Reels. Even if you add music to a video you made on your Story and download it, it will download without the song.
If you want to attach a song to a video and upload it on Instagram as a post, you have to edit your video beforehand. There are loads of free video editing apps and programs available that allow you to add music to your videos. When finished, you can upload the video to your Instagram feed. One of the most feature-rich and user-friendly free video editing apps is InShot. You can also use songs, playlists, and albums from Spotify.
How to Add Audio/Music to Instagram Posts Using InShot
- Open the “InShot app” and tap on the “Video
button.”
- Select the video you want to add sound to from the
list.
- Tap on the “MUSIC” button in the bottom left
corner.
- Tap on “Tracks” to open the music
menu.
- To add a featured track, select the “FEATURED” tab, then browse and choose from categories like “Vlog,”
“Mood,” “Beats,”
etc.
- Select a song to preview. Then, tap on the “download icon” or “USE” to add it to your video.
- Select the “My Music” tab in the navigational menu below the video to add your own
music.
- Browse and select any song to preview it, then tap on “USE” to add it to your video. Be cautious with copyright
material.
- To add sound effects, tap on the “EFFECTS” tab, then choose a
category.
- Select an effect track to preview it, then tap on “USE” to add it to your video. All sounds in the “EFFECTS” tab are free from copyright
protection.
- To edit the timing, fade, or other settings associated with the audio, tap the “track bar” for the correct audio title. Just tap it. You’ll
see white markers appear on the
ends.
- Hold down on the beginning or end “white marker.” Move/adjust the audio track’s start position (always starting from the beginning of the
track) in correlation with the video. You can also adjust the end position (always cuts out the remainder). For advanced editing, go to the next step. Otherwise, skip to “Step
16.”
- While the audio track is
still selected (shows white markers), tap on
“EDIT.”
- Slide the “purple dot markers” (left and right) to clip the audio as you see fit, such as cutting it to start at the 3.7-second mark rather than the beginning and
ending the track at the 19.4-second mark. The preview continues to play as you
edit.
- Tap on the “checkmark” when finished with your cutting, volume level, and fading
adjustments.
- The app returns to the track’s audio
editing screen. Tap on the “play” icon to preview your
edits.
- If needed, you can re-edit the track by tapping the “audio’s track bar” and selecting
“EDIT.”
- If you don’t need to re-edit the track, you can add more “TRACKS” or “EFFECTS,” or even
“RECORD” your own
sounds.
- You can adjust the video’s master volume by tapping
“VOLUME.”
- Tap on the “checkmark” to save all
changes.
- When satisfied with the final edits, tap on “SAVE” in the upper-right
corner.
- Confirm your resolution, framerate, and size, then tap on “SAVE” once
more.
- Your audio/video file is now saved, represented
by a green circled checkmark. You can (A) tap the checkmark icon to see the location details, (B) play the video from the thumbnail at the top, or (C) share the video to Instagram
directly.
How to Add Audio/Music to Instagram Posts Using Spotify
You can also add music to Instagram posts from Spotify, whether it be a song, an album, or an entire playlist. Once again, this method is identical for both iPhone and Android devices. This is how it’s done:
- Open
your “Spotify” app.
- Select the song, album, or playlist you want to add to
Instagram.
- Tap the “three dots” on the right side of the song
title.
- Scroll down and tap
“Share.”
- Tap “Instagram
Stories.”
Your Story will open with the song preloaded, and you can make any additional adjustments. When you’ve finished perfecting the video, post it to your Story. If your followers have Spotify accounts, they can open the song on Spotify.
Note: There was an issue adding Spotify songs to Instagram, but a recent update resolved the error. Ensure that your Instagram app is updated.
How to Add Music to an Instagram Post the “Old Way?”
Adding songs to your Instagram Story the ‘old way’ refers to how people used to add tunes before Instagram introduced the music feature. This is how it’s done:
- Start playing the song you
want to post. It can be any song in your phone’s library or a music streaming
app.
- Go to Instagram and open your Story while the song is still playing in the
background.
- Start filming your Story by pressing the record
button.
- Make any necessary adjustments to the Story. Post it by tapping “Your Story” in the bottom left
corner.
When you play your Story, you’ll be able to hear the song in the background. What’s great about this method is that you don’t have a 15-second time limit. You can record as many stories as you want.
Additional FAQs
If we didn’t answer all of your questions about Instagram music above, keep reading!
How Do you Open Spotify Songs from Stories?
Once you share a particular song from Spotify, you can open it from your Instagram. This option is also available for your followers, who might be interested in the song you just posted.
To open Spotify from Instagram, you need to:
- Open your
Story.
- Tap on the “Play on Spotify” option below your name.
- Tap “Open
Spotify.”
The song will immediately open on your Spotify. Keep in mind that you need to be logged into your account for this to work.
Note: Instagram users without a Spotify account won’t be able to do this.
What Kind of Music Is There to Choose From?
There are millions of songs to choose from in the Instagram music library. When you tap on the Music sticker, you can search for a particular song or find one in the “For You” section. You can also go to the “Browse” section, where you have different categories:
• Genres – Rap, Hip Hop, R&B and Soul, Pop, Latin, etc.
• Moods – Bright, Dreamy, Groovy, Peaceful, etc.
• Themes – Arabic party, Love, Family, Movie soundtracks, Morning, etc.
Troubleshooting
Some users sometimes encounter issues with Instagram music. For instance, certain songs might be unavailable, or your music feature might not work. Here are some factors you need to keep in mind:
• Do you have the newest version of Instagram? Make sure to update Instagram if you haven’t.
• Do you have a Business account? Instagram restricts some songs for Business accounts. If that’s the case, you can switch to a regular account.
• You may live in a country where Instagram music isn’t available yet. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it. However, there is a chance that Instagram music will become available in your region in the future.
Add Your Favorite Tunes to Your Instagram Story
Now you know how to add music to your photos and videos on your Instagram stories. Considering the different music apps you can use to add your favorite tunes, the sky is the limit!
Have you ever added a song to your Instagram? Did you use any of the methods outlined in this guide? Leave a comment in the section below.
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