How to Add Music to Facebook Ads

Adding the right music to your Facebook Ad can be the difference between a user scrolling right past or stopping to watch. This guide walks you through exactly how to add music to your Facebook ads - from understanding the rules to the step-by-step process in Ads Manager - so you can create more engaging and effective campaigns.

Why Music in Facebook Ads Matters

In a feed crowded with silent videos and static images, sound can instantly change the game. Music isn’t just background noise, it’s a powerful tool that sets the mood, communicates your brand’s personality, and builds an emotional connection with your audience. For placements like Instagram Reels and Stories, where sound is often on by default, not having music is a missed opportunity to capture full attention. A well-chosen track can make your ad feel less like a commercial and more like engaging, native content, which is exactly what performs best on social media.

Consider the difference between watching a highlight reel of travel destinations in complete silence versus watching it with an uplifting, adventurous instrumental track. The music transforms the experience, making the visuals more impactful and the call to adventure more compelling. That’s the power you can bring to your ads.

The Golden Rule: Understanding Music Licensing for Ads

Before you even think about which song to add, you need to understand the number one rule of using music in advertisements: you cannot use copyrighted music without the proper license.

This means you can't just download the latest trending song on Spotify and slap it on your video ad. That song is the intellectual property of artists, songwriters, and record labels. Using it without permission for commercial purposes (like an ad) is a violation of copyright law. Meta's automated systems are very good at detecting this, and if you use unlicensed music, you risk:

• Your ad being rejected immediately.
• Your ad being muted or taken down later.
• Your ad account receiving a penalty or even being disabled for repeat offenses.

Fortunately, you have several safe and completely legal options for sourcing music for your Facebook ads.

Option 1: The Meta Sound Collection (The Easiest & Safest Bet)

Meta provides its own library of thousands of royalty-free songs and sound effects called the Meta Sound Collection. Every track in this library has been pre-cleared for you to use in your Facebook and Instagram ads (and other video content on the platform). It's free to use, integrated directly into Ads Manager, and you never have to worry about copyright strikes.

While you won't find chart-topping pop songs here, you will find high-quality music across dozens of genres, moods, and instrumental styles. It’s the perfect starting point for most advertisers.

Option 2: Royalty-Free Music Subscription Services

If you're looking for more variety or a specific style of music that you can't find in the Meta Sound Collection, premium royalty-free music platforms are your best friend. These services offer vast libraries of professional-grade music specifically licensed for commercial use.

Popular choices include:

• Artlist: Known for its highly curated library of music from independent artists.
• Epidemic Sound: Offers a huge, easy-to-search catalog with tracks broken down into stems.
• PremiumBeat (by Shutterstock): Provides a library of exclusive, high-quality tracks.

Typically, you'll pay a monthly or annual subscription fee that gives you unlimited downloads and a license that covers your use of the music in online ads. Always be sure to read the specific license agreement of the service you choose, but these platforms are built for content creators and advertisers.

Option 3: Commissioning Custom Music

For brands with larger budgets seeking a truly unique sonic identity, hiring a composer to create a custom track is the ultimate solution. This gives you exclusive rights to a piece of music tailored perfectly to your brand and campaign. This is more common for large-scale campaigns and isn't necessary for most small and medium-sized businesses.

How to Add Music: Two Core Methods

There are two main ways to add music to your video ads. You can either add it before uploading your video to Ads Manager, or you can add it within Ads Manager using Meta's tools. Let's break down both.

Method 1: Adding Music in an External Video Editor (The Most Common Way)

Most advertisers create their videos and add the audio in a separate video editing program first. This gives you the most control over timing, volume, and combining the audio with any voiceovers or sound effects. You can use simple tools like Canva or CapCut, or professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Source Your Music: First, go to a royalty-free music library like Artlist or Epidemic Sound and find the perfect track for your ad. Download the track once you've secured the license.
2. Open Your Video Editor: Import your video footage and your downloaded music track into your chosen editing software.
3. Edit Your Video and Audio: Place the music track on your timeline. Edit your video clips to match the beat and rhythm of the music. Adjust the music's start and end points and fade the volume in and out for a polished feel. If you have a voiceover, lower the volume of the background music so the speech is clear.
4. Export the Final Video File: Once you're happy with the result, export the entire project as a single video file (e.g., in .MP4 format). The music is now permanently "baked into" the video.
5. Upload to Ads Manager: Go to Meta Ads Manager to create your ad campaign. At the ad level where you set up your creative, select "Add Media," then "Add Video," and upload your final video file.

And that's it! Meta will process your video, and because the audio track is already part of the file, there are no extra steps needed to add the music.

Method 2: Adding Music Within Ads Manager (Using the Meta Sound Collection)

What if you have a video clip without music and you want to quickly add a track? You can do this directly inside the creative editing tool in Ads Manager. This method is convenient but offers slightly less creative control than an external editor.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Set Up Your Campaign: In Ads Manager, create your campaign and ad set as you normally would.
2. Upload Your Video Creative: At the ad level under the "Ad Creative" section, upload the video you want to use. Make sure this is a video without any sound or one where you want to replace the existing sound.
3. Open the Creative Editor: Once your video has loaded, you'll see a preview. Click the "Edit Media" button (it may look like a crop icon or a pencil). From the dropdown, select "Crop & Trim" or a similar creative editing option. This will open up Meta’s Video Creative Editor.
4. Find the Audio Tab: Inside the editor, look for a tab on the left-hand menu labeled "Audio" or "Music." Click on it.
5. Browse the Meta Sound Collection: You will now see the music library. You can search for tracks by keyword or use the filters to narrow down your options by:
   • Genre: Like Cinematic, Electronic, or Jazz.
   • Mood: such as Upbeat, Calm, or Dramatic.
   • Vocals: Instrumental or with vocals.
   • Tempo: The speed of the music.
6. Preview and Select a Track: You can play any track to preview it. When you find one you like, click to select it and add it to your video. The editor will lay the music track over your video's timeline.
7. Adjust the Volume: If your original video has spoken audio you want to keep, you'll see a volume mixer. You can turn down the music volume to ensure it serves as background music and doesn't overwhelm the dialogue. If your video is silent, you can leave it at 100%.
8. Save Your Changes: Once you're finished, click the "Apply" or "Save" button. Meta will automatically apply the music to your video and update the creative in your ad preview.

You’ve now successfully added licensed music to your Facebook ad without ever leaving Ads Manager.

Best Practices for Music in Your Ads

Knowing how to add music is one thing, knowing which music to add is another. Follow these tips to make sure your audio enhances - not distracts from - your message.

• Don't Forget the Captions: This is a non-negotiable. Even with great music and a voiceover, many users still watch ads with the sound off, especially in the main feed. Always include clear, easy-to-read captions or headlines so your message lands, no matter how the viewer is watching.
• Match the Vibe and Pacing: Your music should align with the energy of your ad creative and your brand. A fast-paced, high-energy ad for a fitness app needs an upbeat electronic or rock track. A heartfelt ad for a charity will connect better with a soft, emotional piano score. The tempo of the music plays a big role, too - use it to guide the pace of your video cuts.
• Hook Them in Seconds: Just like your visuals, your audio needs to grab attention in the first three seconds. Choose a track that starts strong and immediately establishes the right mood. Avoid long, slow intros.
• A/B Test Your Audio: Unsure if an indie pop track will perform better than a chill electronic one? Test it! Duplicate your ad and change only the music track. Run both ads and let the data tell you which one resonates more with your audience through metrics like video playthrough rate and click-through rate.

Final Thoughts

Adding legally-sourced music is one of the most effective ways to elevate your Facebook ads, helping you capture attention and build a stronger brand connection. Whether you polish your video in an external editor or use Meta's Sound Collection inside Ads Manager, the key is to choose a track that complements your visuals and enhances the story you’re telling.

Of course, we know that creating amazing video ads is just one piece of a much larger strategy. Actually managing, scheduling, and analyzing all of your social content across multiple platforms can feel like a completely separate job. That’s why we built Postbase. Our visual calendar was designed from the ground up to handle today’s video-first content like Reels, TikToks, and Shorts, making it simple to plan your entire content strategy and get a clear view of what’s going live, and when.