How to Add Background Music to a Facebook Post

Adding music to a Facebook post transforms a static piece of content into a memorable experience, but the process isn't always straightforward. This guide breaks down exactly how to add audio to Facebook Stories, Reels, and traditional video posts, so you can increase engagement and create content that resonates with your audience.

Why Music Is More Than Just Background Noise for Your Posts

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, let's talk about why this matters. In a sea of silent, scrolling content, audio is your secret weapon. A well-chosen track can instantly change the entire mood of a post, grabbing a viewer's attention and holding it for longer. Here’s what thoughtful audio selection can do for you:

• Stop the Scroll: Most people browse Facebook with the sound off, but when an autoplaying video has compelling music indicated by lyrics or a sticker, it provokes curiosity. An appealing track can be the hook that makes someone stop, unmute, and actually watch your content.
• Evoke Immediate Emotion: Music is an emotional shortcut. An energetic pop song can make a product feel exciting and fun. A calming, ambient track can make a tutorial feel approachable and trustworthy. You can tell a deeper story and connect with your audience without saying a single extra word.
• Solidify Your Brand Identity: Consistent audio choices create a sonic identity for your brand. Are you modern and trendy? Upbeat and motivational? Or calm and professional? Over time, your audience will start to associate a certain sound and feel with your brand, strengthening recognition and loyalty.

The How-To Guide: Adding Music Based on Your Post Type

Facebook offers different tools for adding music depending on the content format you're using. A standard video post has different rules and features than an ephemeral Story or a short-form Reel. Here’s a breakdown for each one.

How to Easily Add Music to a Facebook Story

Facebook Stories are the simplest format for adding popular music. Thanks to Meta's licensing agreements with major record labels, you have a massive library of songs at your fingertips, ready to add legally and easily.

Here’s the process step-by-step:

1. On the Facebook app's home screen, tap the "+" Create Story button.
2. Select a photo or video from your camera roll, or create new content on the spot.
3. Once your visual is ready, look at the menu of options on the right side of the screen and tap the Stickers icon (it looks like a small, peeling square smiley).
4. In the sticker menu, tap the Musical note icon labeled "Music."
5. This opens Facebook's full music library. You can browse suggested tracks, search for a specific artist or song title, or explore categories by genre or mood.
6. Tap on a song to listen to a preview. Once you’ve found the perfect one, select it.
7. Now you can customize it. Use the slider bar at the bottom to scrub through the song and select the exact clip you want to play - up to 15 seconds for photos and for the length of your video clip.
8. You can also change how the music appears on your story. Tap the icons above the slider to toggle between different lyric displays, album art stickers, or a more subtle, minimal sticker. You can also tap the color wheel to match the sticker to your branding.
9. Pinch and drag the sticker to position and resize it. Once you’re happy with how it looks and sounds, tap "Done" and share your Story.

How to Add Trending Sounds to a Facebook Reel

Reels are designed around audio, just like TikToks. Using trending songs is a great way to boost your discoverability and join in on popular video formats. The process is very similar to adding music to Stories.

Follow these steps:

1. From the Facebook app navigation bar, tap the "+" Create button and select Reel.
2. Either record your video clips directly in the Reels editor or upload them from your camera roll.
3. On the next editing screen, find the Audio icon (musical note) on the right-hand menu.
4. This opens the music library. You can search for songs, discover trending audio, or access your saved sounds. Tap Add Music.
5. Select your track. The editor will automatically sync it to your video clips.
6. One of the most useful features for Reels is the volume control. After adding audio, tap on the "Audio" option again, and this time hit 'Control'. Here, you'll see two sliders: Your original audio and Added music/audio. This is perfect if you’re doing a voiceover or a product tutorial where your spoken words need to be clearer than the background music. Simply drag the music slider down to make it less prominent.
7. Finish editing your Reel with text or effects, then write your caption and share it.

The Complicated One: Music for Standard Feed Video Posts

This is where things get tricky and where many businesses trip up. Unlike Stories and Reels, you cannot simply add a popular, commercial song by Taylor Swift or Drake to a standard video you upload to your Facebook feed. The licensing agreements Meta has in place for Reels and Stories do not cover in-feed videos.

If you upload a polished marketing video featuring an unlicensed commercial track, you risk getting a copyright strike. The consequences can range from your video’s audio being muted to the video being taken down entirely, or in some cases, restrictions placed on your Page.

You have a few safe, professional options instead:

Option 1: Use Facebook’s Sound Collection (The Safest Route)

Facebook knows creators and businesses need music, so they provide the Facebook Sound Collection. This is a library of thousands of royalty-free songs and sound effects that you are free to use in any video on Facebook or Instagram without fear of copyright issues. The downside? You won't find famous or trending songs here. The library consists of stock music created specifically for this purpose.

Rather than adding the track to Facebook directly, you need to follow this workflow:

1. Go to the Facebook Sound Collection in a web browser.
2. Search or browse for a track that fits the mood of your video.
3. Download the audio file to your computer.
4. Use a separate video editing software (like iMovie, CapCut, or Adobe Premiere) to add the downloaded music to your video file.
5. Export the final video with the music embedded, and then upload it to your Facebook Page as a standard post.

This method requires an extra step, but it guarantees your video won't be flagged for copyright infringement.

Option 2: Use a Third-Party Licensed Music Service

For brands that need high-quality, unique music but want to remain 100% compliant, subscribing to a music licensing service is the best option. Services like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or PremiumBeat provide massive catalogs of incredible music for a monthly or yearly fee. Their licenses typically cover use on social media platforms, including Facebook video posts. The workflow is the same as with the Sound Collection: find your music, download it, add it to your video in an editor, and then upload the final product to Facebook.

Choosing the Perfect Track for Your Brand's Message

Simply knowing how to add music isn't enough, you need to choose the right music. The audio you select should align with your brand, your message, and your audience. Here are a few things to consider:

• Match Your Brand's Vibe: Think about your brand's personality. If you're a high-energy B2C startup, an upbeat synth-pop track might be perfect. If you're a B2B consulting firm sharing a client testimonial, a subtle, optimistic strings track would be more appropriate. Your sound should feel like it belongs to you.
• Let the Music Tell Part of the Story: What emotion do you want your viewer to feel? Music can guide them. A fast-paced, motivational track can build excitement for a product launch. A slower, more emotional track can add weight to a story about your company's mission. Think about the narrative and pick a song that helps advance it.
• Know Your Audience: Consider the demographics and preferences of your target audience. What kind of music do they listen to? While you should stay true to your brand, picking a genre that resonates with your followers can make your content feel more relevant and engaging to them. Using a trending Gen Z sound for an audience primarily composed of Baby Boomers might miss the mark.

Final Thoughts

Adding music to your Facebook content is a powerful way to capture attention, communicate emotion, and build your brand's personality. For Stories and Reels, the process is incredibly simple using Facebook’s built-in music library, but for standard video posts, it's vital to respect copyright law by using pre-cleared audio from Facebook's Sound Collection or a third-party licensing service.

With video and audio becoming so central to social media, managing your content calendar shouldn't feel like a chore. At Postbase, we built our platform from the ground up for modern social media - that means short-form video is a first-class citizen, not an afterthought. You can plan your entire video strategy, from Reels to YouTube Shorts, in one visual calendar and schedule everything with confidence, knowing it'll publish reliably every time. It’s an easy-to-use solution that saves time and helps make creative workflows like this one more seamless.