How to Add Music to Instagram Reels

Music is the heartbeat of a great Instagram Reel, turning a simple video clip into an engaging, shareable piece of content that can stop viewers mid-scroll. But knowing how to add the perfect track - whether it’s a trending chart-topper or your own unique sound - can feel tricky, especially with Instagram's evolving features. This guide breaks down exactly how to add music to your Reels, covering the official methods, common troubleshooting for business accounts, and pro tips to make your content stand out.

Why Music on Instagram Reels is Non-Negotiable

Before getting into the how-to, it’s important to understand why audio is so powerful on Reels. It isn’t just background noise, it's a strategic tool. A well-chosen sound can single-handedly skyrocket your video's performance.

• It Hooks Viewers Instantly: Sound sets the mood faster than any visual. A high-energy pop song, a mellow acoustic track, or a funny audio clip immediately tells a viewer what to feel, keeping them watching longer.
• Connects You to Trends: Trending audio acts like a massive discovery engine. When you use a popular sound, Instagram is more likely to show your Reel to people who have recently engaged with other Reels using that same audio. It’s one of the fastest ways to get in front of a new audience.
• Creates an Emotional Response: Music makes your content more memorable. Pairing a heartfelt moment with an emotional song or a simple tutorial with a fun, upbeat track helps viewers connect with your message on a deeper level.
• Drives Engagement: Reels with trending audio often see higher engagement rates, including more shares and saves. Viewers might save your Reel simply because they like the sound and want to use it later, giving your content an extra signal boost to the algorithm.

The Official Method: Adding Music Directly in the Instagram App

For personal and creator accounts, Instagram’s built-in music library is a goldmine. It’s filled with millions of songs, from today’s biggest hits to obscure indie tracks. Adding them to your Reel is straightforward.

Step-by-Step Guide for Adding Licensed Music

1. Open the Reels Editor: Tap the "+" icon on the Instagram home screen and select "Reel." You can either record a new video directly in the app or upload a pre-recorded clip from your camera roll.

2. Access the Audio Library: On the left-hand menu, tap the music note icon labeled "Audio." This opens up Instagram's entire music collection.

3. Find Your Perfect Song: You have a few options here:

• For You: This tab shows you tracks that are trending or recommended for you based on your activity. It's an excellent place to start if you're looking for popular sounds.
• Browse: Look through categories like "Pop," "Hip Hop," or special collections like "Weekend Vibes" or "Fresh Tracks."
• Search: If you have a specific song or artist in mind, use the search bar at the top.
• Saved Audio: If you've previously saved audio from another Reel, you can find it here.

4. Select and Trim the Audio Clip: Once you tap on a song, a timeline scrubber will appear at the bottom of the screen. Drag the scrubber left or right to select the exact 15- to 90-second snippet of the song you want to use. You can also tap the album art to listen to the song before confirming your choice. When you've found the perfect part, tap "Done."

5. Adjust Your Audio Mix: After adding other clips or recording a voiceover, tap the music note icon again to open the audio controls. Here, you'll see two volume sliders: one for your "Camera audio" (the original sound from your video) and one for the music you just added. This is essential for tutorials or talk-to-camera videos where you need your voice to be louder than the background music.

6. Finish and Post: With your audio set, continue editing your Reel as usual. Add text, stickers, or effects, write your caption, and share it with your audience.

The Business Account Problem: "Why Can't I Find Popular Songs?"

If you're using an Instagram Business Account, you’ve probably run into a frustrating issue: the music library looks completely different. When you search for that trending Taylor Swift or Drake song, you get "No results found." Instead, your library is filled with generic, royalty-free tracks you’ve never heard of.

This isn't a glitch. It's intentional. Instagram's music licensing agreements with record labels are for personal, non-commercial use only. To protect businesses from copyright infringement lawsuits, Instagram provides a different library - the Meta Sound Collection - that is fully licensed for commercial purposes. While this legal safety is a good thing, a library of unknown music can make it tough to participate in viral trends.

Fortunately, you're not out of options. You just need a more creative approach.

Solutions: How Business Accounts Can Get Great Audio on Reels

Even without access to popular music, business accounts can still create sound-on, engaging Reels. Here are the best ways to do it:

1. Get Creative with the Provided Royalty-Free Library

Don't dismiss the Meta Sound Collection entirely. While you won't find chart-toppers, you will find thousands of instrumental tracks organized by genre, mood, and style. A well-chosen instrumental can provide the perfect background vibe for a product showcase, a time-lapse, or a tutorial without being distracting. Spend some time browsing - you might find a few go-to tracks that align with your brand's style.

2. Create and Use Original Audio

Original Audio is an incredibly powerful tool for brand building. This is any sound you create yourself, which then gets attributed to you when others use it and becomes its own audio source. When someone taps the audio on your Reel, your account name appears as the creator. If your sound goes viral, it can drive massive traffic and brand recognition.

• Voiceovers: Create a tutorial, share tips, tell a story, or offer a unique take on an industry topic. Voiceover Reels are highly personal and establish you as an authority.
• Unique Sounds: Record the satisfying sound of your product (a candle crackling, a keyboard typing, a coffee brewing), or create a short, catchy jingle.

Your unique audio makes your content distinctive and helps you build a community around a sound that is exclusively yours.

3. Use Audio From Another Reel

This is the best way for business accounts to ride a trend. When you see another Reel (from any account type) using a sound or song you like, you can often grab that audio for your own use.

1. Find a Reel using the audio you want to use.
2. Tap on the scrolling audio name at the bottom of the Reel.
3. This will open the audio page. If the audio is available for you to use, you'll see a big blue button that says "Use audio."
4. Tap it, and Instagram will open the Reels editor with that sound pre-loaded and ready for you to record or upload your footage.

Note: Sometimes, due to licensing, the "Use audio" button may be greyed out for certain business accounts, but it works often enough to be a go-to strategy.

4. Advanced Move: Using a Video Editing App for Custom Audio

For complete control, you can add your own licensed music outside of Instagram using a third-party video editing app like CapCut, InShot, or Splice.

The process is simple:

1. First, acquire a license for the song you want to use from a royalty-free music platform like Epidemic Sound or Artlist. This is vital to remain compliant with copyright law.
2. Import your video clips and the downloaded song file into your video editing app.
3. Edit your video, syncing your clips to the music.
4. Export the finished video - with the music embedded - to your phone.
5. Upload this final video file to Instagram Reels. Since the sound is already part of your file, it will be uploaded as "Original Audio."

This method gives you the freedom to use high-quality, unique music that no one else in the Instagram library has, helping your Reels stand out with a professional, polished feel.

Pro Tips for Perfecting Your Reel's Audio

Once you’ve got the technical skills down, it's time to refine your strategy.

• Sync Clips to the Beat: This is the secret to making a Reel feel professional and satisfying to watch. Time your video transitions to land exactly on the beat or a significant sound in the audio. Most third-party editing apps have features that help you identify the beat of a song to make this easier.
• Let the Sound Tell the Story: Don't just pick a song because it's popular, pick one that enhances your video's narrative. The right sound can add humor, suspense, or emotional weight to your content.
• Always Check Trending Sounds: Spend a few minutes each day scrolling the Reels feed and see what sounds are gaining traction. You can identify a trend by a small arrow icon next to the audio name. Jumping on a sound early is a great way to boost your reach.
• Balance your Audio Mix: As mentioned before, if you have both original sound (like your voice) and music, use the sliders in the audio controls to get the mix right. A common standard is to set background music to about 10-20% volume so your voice can be heard clearly.

Final Thoughts

Adding the right music to your Instagram Reels is a true game-changer. Whether you're using Instagram's library for popular hits, creating your own distinct sound with an Original Audio, or expertly layering a licensed track in a separate editor, sound is what gives your content a soul and helps it connect with a wider audience. Don't let it be an afterthought - make it a core part of your creative process.

Once your Reel is perfectly edited with killer audio, getting it published at the right time shouldn't be a headache. This is exactly why we built Postbase. We designed it for a video-first world, so you can upload your finished Reels (and TikToks, and Shorts), fine-tune captions for each platform, and schedule them without formatting struggles or unreliable publishing. You can plan your entire video content calendar with a simple drag-and-drop tool and trust that your hard work will go live on time, every time.