How to Add Music to an Instagram Reel Without Copyright

Nothing deflates that post-and-go feeling faster than receiving a surprise notification from Instagram: Your video has been muted because it may contain music you don't have the rights to. All that effort in timing your edits, wasted. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to add music to your Instagram Reels without worrying about copyright strikes. We'll cover the safe in-app methods for every account type and how to use external music the right way, so your content gets seen and heard.

Understanding the "Copyright Problem" on Instagram

So, why is adding music to a video so complicated? It all comes down to licensing. Musicians and record labels own the rights to their work, and platforms like Instagram have to pay massive licensing fees to let users access popular songs. When you use audio without the proper permission, you're infringing on the owner's copyright, and Instagram has systems in place to detect and block this.

If you're caught using copyrighted audio improperly, a few things can happen:

• Your Reel's audio will be muted. The video will still be live, but it will play in silence, removing all its impact.
• Your Reel might be completely removed. If the infringement is severe, Instagram may take the content down entirely.
• Your account could get a strike. Repeat offenses can lead to account restrictions or even permanent deletion.

The rules also change depending on your account type, which is a major point of confusion for creators and brands.

Creator/Personal Accounts vs. Business Accounts

This is where most people get tripped up. Personal and Creator accounts generally have access to Instagram's full music library, which includes millions of popular songs from major artists. This is because their content is presumed to be for personal entertainment, not direct commercial gain.

However, Business accounts have a much more restricted music library. They can primarily access the Meta Sound Collection, a library of royalty-free music and sounds. Why the difference? It's for legal protection. If a business uses a popular song in a Reel that promotes a product (making it an advertisement), they could be sued by the record label for commercial use without a very expensive direct license. Instagram limits the library for Business accounts to protect both the user and itself from these legal battles.

Method 1: Use Instagram's In-App Music Library (The Safest Way)

The absolute easiest and safest way to add music is directly through the Instagram app. The process is straightforward, and you're guaranteed to be using audio that Instagram has already licensed for use on the platform. Here's how to do it based on your account type.

For Personal & Creator Accounts

If you have a Personal or Creator account, you've hit the music jackpot. You have a massive library of trending sounds and chart-topping hits at your disposal.

1. Start creating a Reel by swiping right from your home feed or tapping the '+' icon.
2. Record your video clips or upload them from your camera roll.
3. Once your clips are in the editor, tap the Audio icon (it looks like a music note) at the top of the screen.
4. Here, you can browse through recommended tracks, check out what's trending, or use the Search music bar at the top to find a specific song or artist.
5. Tap on a song to preview it. Once you find one you like, tap it to add it to your Reel.
6. A timeline scrubber will appear at the bottom. Drag this bar left or right to select the exact 15- to 90-second clip of the song you want to use. You can't use the whole song, only a snippet.
7. Tap Done. You'll be taken back to the editor where you can adjust the volume of the original audio and the added music. This is perfect for when you want the music to be background noise for a video where you're talking.

That's it! Edit your video as usual and post it with confidence, knowing your audio is 100% compliant.

For Business Accounts: Navigating the Royalty-Free Library

If you have a Business account, a search for Drake or Taylor Swift will likely come up empty. You'll be working within the Meta Sound Collection instead. While it might not have the song of the summer, it's packed with thousands of high-quality tracks that keep your account safe from legal trouble.

The steps are the same as above, but your strategy for finding music needs to be different.

• Think in terms of mood, not artist. Instead of searching for a famous band, search for terms like "upbeat," "cinematic," "energetic EDM," or "chill lo-fi." You'll find a massive selection of tracks that fit the vibe you're going for.
• Save sounds you like. When you're scrolling through Reels from other businesses and hear a generic track you like, tap the audio source at the bottom of the Reel and hit "Save Audio." It will appear in your "Saved" folder in the audio library for future use.
• Embrace Original Audios. You can still use trending sounds if they are "Original Audio" clips uploaded by other users (like a viral voiceover). Saving and reusing these is a great way to stay relevant.

Method 2: Leveraging Original Audio and Saved Sounds

Who said you need a chart-topping track to go viral? Some of the most popular Reels use original audio created or popularized by content creators. This is a clever and completely safe way to make engaging content.

Technique 1: Create a Voiceover

A voiceover puts your personality front and center. It's ideal for tutorials, advice, storytelling, or humorous skits where your voice guides the narrative.

1. Record or upload your video clips into the Reels editor.
2. Proceed to the editing screen and tap the Audio icon.
3. From here, tap the new Voiceover button at the bottom.
4. Drag the selector to where you'd like the voiceover to start and hit the red record button. Record your audio, and then tap 'Done'.
5. You can now add background music from the Meta Sound Collection for extra production value, just make sure to turn down its volume so your voice can be clearly heard.

Technique 2: Use an Existing "Original Audio" from Another Reel

Jumping on a trending original sound is a huge driver of discoverability on Reels. This is different from using a commercial song, you're simply using a sound clip that another creator has popularized on the platform.

1. While browsing Reels, if you find an audio clip you want to use, tap the scrolling audio title at the bottom of the screen.
2. On the audio page, you can see all the other Reels that use this sound. Tap Save Audio to add it to your personal library for later, or tap Use Audio to start creating a Reel with it immediately.
3. If you saved it, you can find it later by going to the Reels audio browser and tapping on the Saved folder.

Method 3: Finding and Using Royalty-Free Music from Third Parties

If the Meta Sound Collection feels too limiting and you need higher-quality production music, you can turn to third-party subscription services. This is the go-to method for professional content creators and brands who want a unique sound.

Important Note: It's your responsibility to read the licensing terms for any music you source externally. "Royalty-free" does not always mean "free to use in any commercial context." Look for licenses that explicitly permit use on social media platforms for promotional or branded content.

Where to Find Quality Royalty-Free Music

• Epidemic Sound: A hugely popular subscription service with an enormous, high-quality library. Their commercial plans are designed for social media and advertising, giving you total creative freedom.
• Artlist: Another premium subscription service known for its 'cinematic' quality music. Their licenses are very clear and cover commercial use on social media.
• Canva Pro: If you already use Canva Pro to design your creative, you have access to a large library of pre-licensed audio tracks that you can add directly to videos you create within their platform.
• YouTube Audio Library: Inside YouTube Studio, there's a surprisingly robust library of free-to-use music. Pay close attention to the licensing type - some tracks require you to credit the artist in your description.

How to Add This Music to Your Reel

Unlike using Instagram's library, you can't just add these tracks inside the Reels editor. You'll need to "bake" the audio into your video file before you upload it.

1. Once you've found the perfect track, download the MP3 file to your phone or computer.
2. Use a video editing app on your computer or on your mobile device, such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, CapCut, LumaFusion, or InShot, to combine your video clips and the audio track. Edit your Reel as usual within this external application.
3. Export the final video file. It will be a single MP4 or MOV file with the music and video already joined.
4. Open Instagram and upload this completed video to the Reels creator.
5. When you get to the step where you add audio, simply don't add anything. Instagram will use the audio embedded in your file. You can check the preview to make sure it sounds right. Adjust "Camera Audio" volume up in the sound mixer to full.

What NOT to Do: Common Music Mistakes to Avoid

To keep your account in good standing, steer clear of these common workarounds that are actually copyright violations.

• Don't screen record a song from Spotify or Apple Music. This is direct copyright infringement. Instagram's audio detection algorithms are excellent at identifying commercially released music, and your video will likely get flagged and muted almost instantly.
• Don't use the phrase "I don't own the rights to this music." This classic disclaimer offers zero legal protection. It's like acknowledging you're robbing a bank while doing it - you're still breaking the rules.
• Don't assume remixes or cover songs are safe. Remixes are considered "derivative works" and are also protected by the original song's copyright. Unless the artist of the remix explicitly provides a license for you to use it, it's not safe to use.
• Don't use trending music on your business account even if it's outside of the app. Unless a track is explicitly licensed for commercial use - even if you obtained the audio outside the Instagram ecosystem - it's likely your Reel will still get the boot. Stay diligent and look for royalty-free tracks when in doubt for your brand.

Final Thoughts

Navigating music copyright on Instagram feels tricky, but it boils down to a few simple rules. Always lean on Instagram's built-in audio library for your account type, create your own original sounds, or invest in a proper third-party licensing service. Protecting your content and account is worth the small extra step of using music the right way.

Getting the audio right is a huge part of creating great Reels, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Managing a content calendar, scheduling videos to post at the right time, and keeping up with comments can feel like a full-time job. At Postbase, we built our platform from the ground up for video-first social media. We focused on making the entire workflow - from planning content on a visual calendar to scheduling Reels, Shorts, and TikToks reliably - feel effortless, so you can spend your time on creative ideas, not fighting with your tools.