How to Add a Song That's Not on Instagram

Ever find the perfect song for your Instagram Reel or Story, only to search for it in the music library and come up empty? You’re not alone. While Instagram’s library is massive, it doesn’t have everything. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add any song to your Instagram content, even if it's not in the official library.

Why Isn't a Song on Instagram in the First Place?

Before jumping into the "how," it helps to understand the "why." Instagram's music library is built on complex and expensive licensing agreements with record labels and publishers. If Instagram doesn't have a deal with the label that owns a particular song, that track simply won't be available. This is why you'll often find that many indie artists, niche genres, unofficial remixes, or brand-new tracks haven't made it into the library yet.

Another common reason involves your account type. Have you noticed your music options shrink after switching to a Business Account?

• Personal and Creator Accounts generally have access to the full library of commercially released music because their content is presumed to be for personal use.
• Business Accounts often have access to a much more limited "Royalty-Free Music Library." This is because businesses using music for promotional material are subject to stricter commercial licensing laws. Instagram provides this smaller library to protect businesses (and itself) from copyright infringement lawsuits.

Frustrating, right? The good news is there’s a reliable workaround that gives you complete creative control, no matter what kind of account you have.

The Best Method: Add the Music Before You Upload

The most effective and highest-quality way to use a song that’s not on Instagram is to add it to your video before you ever open the Instagram app. By using a separate video editing app, you can "bake" the audio directly into your video file. When you upload it, Instagram sees it as a single file with "Original Audio," giving you an easy path around the music library's limitations.

This approach gives you total control over which part of the song you use, the volume mix, and the timing. Here’s how to do it using popular (and often free) mobile video editing apps.

Step-by-Step Guide: Using a Mobile Video Editor (like CapCut or InShot)

Apps like CapCut and InShot are favorites among content creators because they're powerful, intuitive, and available on both iOS and Android. For this example, let's walk through the process with CapCut, though the steps are very similar across most editing apps.

First, you need the song file on your phone. You must own the music or have the rights to use it. This could be a song you purchased, a royalty-free track you downloaded, or your own original music. You can't just rip a song from a streaming service like Spotify - you need the actual audio file (like an MP3 or WAV).

Once you have the audio file on your device:

1. Start a New Project: Open CapCut and tap on “+ New project.” Select the video clip (or photos) you want to use from your phone’s gallery and tap “Add.”
2. Add Your Custom Audio: With your video in the editor, tap on the “Audio” option at the bottom. Then, tap on “Sounds.”
3. Import Your Song: Instead of using CapCut’s library, tap on the folder icon labeled “From device.” This will show you a list of all the audio files saved on your phone. Find the song you want to use and tap the “+” button to add it to your video timeline.
4. Edit and Sync the Audio: Now, the magic happens. Your video and the new audio track will appear as separate layers in the timeline. You can:
   • Trim the Song: Drag the ends of the audio clip to select the exact part of the song you want. Maybe you want to start right at the chorus or use a specific 15-second instrumental section.
   • Adjust the Timing: Tap and hold the audio clip to slide it left or right, perfectly aligning it with the visuals in your video.
   • Control the Volume: Select the audio clip, find the “Volume” option, and adjust the level. You can also fade the music in or out for a more polished feel.
   • Mute Original Video Sound: If your original video clip has unwanted background noise, select the video clip itself on the timeline and tap the "Mute" icon or lower its volume to zero. This ensures your custom song is the only thing people hear.
5. Export Your Masterpiece: Once you're happy with how everything looks and sounds, tap the export icon in the top-right corner (it usually looks like an arrow pointing up). Choose your resolution (1080p is great for social media) and frame rate, then tap “Export.” The app will render your video with the new audio baked in and save it directly to your phone's camera roll.
6. Upload to Instagram: Now, open Instagram. Create a new Reel or Story, and when you select your media, choose the new video you just exported from CapCut. Since the music is already part of the video, you can skip the music search step entirely. Tweak your captions, add any text or stickers, and post.

Using a Desktop Video Editor

If you produce content with higher production value, you might already edit your videos on a computer using software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or the free and incredibly powerful DaVinci Resolve. The process is philosophically the same as with a mobile app, just with more advanced tools.

1. Open your video editing software and create a new project.
2. Import both your video footage and your desired audio file into the project.
3. Drag both the video and audio clips onto your timeline.
4. Use the software's tools to cut, sync, and mix the audio perfectly with your video. You have precise control over levels, crossfades, and synchronization.
5. Export the final video as an MP4 file, airdrop or transfer it to your phone, and upload it to Instagram as a Reel with "Original Audio."

An Important Warning: Let's Talk About Copyright

Just because you can technically add any song to your video doesn't mean you're on the right side of copyright law. Instagram and its parent company, Meta, take this very seriously.

When you upload a video with commercial music that you don't have a license for (even if you added it yourself), Instagram's content ID system may still detect it. If it recognizes a popular copyrighted song, a few things could happen:

• Your Audio Could Be Muted: Instagram might automatically mute the audio on your video, leaving your content silent.
• Your Video Could Be Blocked or Removed: In some cases, especially if a rights holder files a claim, Instagram might completely block the video in certain countries or take it down altogether.
• You Could Get a Copyright Strike: Repeated infringements can lead to a strike against your account, which could result in temporary restrictions or, in worst-case scenarios, account suspension.

How to Avoid Copyright Issues

To stay on the safe side while still having amazing audio, consider these options:

• Use Royalty-Free Music: This is the golden ticket, especially for brands and serious creators. Services like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and Soundstripe offer huge libraries of high-quality music that you can legally license for a subscription fee. Once licensed, you can use these tracks in your content without fear of takedowns.
• Use Your Own Music: Are you a musician, DJ, or producer? This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your own work! Adding your original songs to your Reels is an incredible way to promote your art.
• Get Permission from the Artist: If you know an independent artist, reach out and ask for permission to use their track. Many indie artists are thrilled at the prospect of free promotion and will happily give you the green light (it’s a good idea to get it in writing, like an email or DM screenshot).

The "Original Audio" Speaker Trick: A Quick but Low-Fi Alternative

If you're in a pinch and don't want to use an external editor, there's another "hacky" method you can try. It won't give you high-quality audio, but it works for quick, casual Stories or Reels.

1. Get two devices: your phone for recording, and another device to play music (like another phone, a laptop, or a Bluetooth speaker).
2. On the second device, cue up the song you want to use. Make sure the volume is fairly loud and clear.
3. Open Instagram on your recording phone and start recording your Reel or Story video.
4. As you record, play the song out loud from the other device. Your phone's microphone will capture both your video and the song playing in the background.
5. When you're done, Instagram will have captured the audio. It will automatically label it "Original Audio" by [Your Username].

The Catch: The obvious downside is audio quality. The music will sound distant, may have echo, and will pick up any other background noises in your environment. This method is also still subject to Instagram's copyright-detection algorithm, so it's not a foolproof way to avoid potential issues.

Final Thoughts

While Instagram's built-in music library is convenient, it's far from complete. The best and most professional way to add a song that isn’t on Instagram is to edit your video in an external app like CapCut or InShot, embedding the audio directly into the video file before uploading. This gives you full creative control, though you should always be mindful of copyright laws to protect your content and your account.

Bringing high-quality video to life with the perfect custom soundtrack takes effort. We’ve managed social accounts for years and know how clunky, outdated tools can get in the way of creating great content, especially when juggling Reels, TikToks, and Shorts. That’s why we built Postbase from the ground up to be video-first, helping you breeze through scheduling your best video content across every platform without the hassle, so you can focus on creativity, not complexity.