How to Add Music to YouTube Shorts on iPad

Adding the perfect backing track to your YouTube Shorts on an iPad can turn a simple clip into something truly magnetic. This guide breaks down the easiest way to add music using YouTube's own library and a more advanced method for using custom audio, giving you full creative control over your final video.

Why Music Matters for Your YouTube Shorts

Before jumping into the "how," let's quickly touch on the "why." In the fast-paced world of short-form video, audio isn't just an addition, it's a core component of your content strategy. A great soundtrack does three things incredibly well:

• It Hooks Viewers Instantly: The first two seconds are everything. A familiar or trending song immediately tells a viewer what your video is about and why they should stick around.
• It Sets the Mood: The right music can make a clip funny, emotional, epic, or suspenseful. It's an emotional shortcut that helps your audience connect with your content on a deeper level.
• It Drives Discoverability: Using trending audio is one of the most powerful ways to get your Shorts discovered. When users tap on a sound from another video, they see a feed of all the Shorts using that same audio - a prime opportunity for your content to be seen by a new audience.

Understanding which method to use depends on your goal. Do you want to jump on a trend quickly, or do you need a custom-edited video with a unique sound? We’ll cover both.

Method 1: Using YouTube’s Built-in Music Library

This is the fastest, easiest, and most common way to add music to your Shorts. The biggest advantage here is that all the music inside YouTube’s library is licensed for you to use, so you never have to worry about copyright strikes or your video being muted. It’s the perfect method for reacting to trends and creating content on the fly.

Step-by-Step Guide for iPad Creators

Follow these simple steps to add popular and trending music directly within the YouTube app on your iPad.

1. Start a New Short

Open the YouTube app on your iPad. At the bottom of the screen, tap the large + (Create) button. From the menu that appears, select "Create a Short." This will open the Shorts camera interface.

2. Record or Upload Your Video Clip

You have two options here:

• Record a new clip: Use the red record button to capture video directly within the app. You can record one long segment or multiple smaller clips. By default, the limit is 15 seconds, but you can tap the "15" in the top right corner to extend it to 60 seconds.
• Upload from your library: Tap the small square icon in the bottom-left corner to access your iPad’s Photos library. Select the video (or videos) you’ve already recorded and edited.

3. Access the 'Add Sound' Menu

Once your video clip is either recorded or selected, you'll see a toolbar at the top of the editing screen or a menu on the side. Tap on the “Add sound” button, which often has a music note icon. This is your gateway to YouTube's vast audio library.

4. Choose Your Music

You are now in the YouTube Music library. It might seem like a lot at first, but it’s easy to navigate:

• Search Bar: If you know the song or artist you want, just type it into the search bar at the top.
• For You / Recommended: This feed suggests sounds based on your viewing history and what’s popular in your region.
• Top Sounds: This is a goldmine for finding what’s currently trending. If you want to join a popular challenge or meme, this is the place to look.

Tap on any song to hear a preview. When you find the one you want, tap the song title or the blue arrow button on the right to add it to your video.

5. Adjust the Audio Segment

After selecting your track, YouTube will automatically sync it to your video, but you likely won't want the song to start from the beginning. To fix this, look for the “Adjust” button (sometimes represented by slider icons). Tapping this will bring up a view of the song's waveform. You can drag this waveform left or right to select the exact 15- or 60-second snippet that you want to feature in your Short. Use this to find the beat drop or key lyric that fits your video perfectly.

6. Balance Original Sound and Music

What if your original video has spoken words or important sounds you want to keep? On the editing screen, tap the "Volume" option. This will pull up two sliders: one for the "Original sound" (your video's built-in audio) and one for the "Added sound" (the music track). You can drag these sliders to balance the two. For a voiceover with background music, you might have your original sound at 100% and the added music down at 10-20%.

7. Finish and Publish

Once your audio is perfect, you can add text, filters, and other effects. Tap "Next," add a compelling caption (don’t forget your #shorts hashtag!), set your audience, and hit “Upload Short.” You’re done!

Method 2: Adding Custom Music Before Uploading

Using YouTube’s library is great, but sometimes you need more creative control. You might want to use royalty-free music you downloaded, add your own voiceover perfectly timed to an action, or include multiple sound effects. For this, you’ll need to use a third-party video editing app on your iPad before uploading to YouTube.

Why Use a Video Editing App?

• Full Creative Control: Edit with multiple audio tracks, create precise cuts, and add fade-in/out effects for a more professional feel.
• Use Custom Audio: You can add your own licensed music, sound effects, or original audio creations.
• Perfect Your Voiceovers: Recording and timing a voiceover is much easier in an editor than trying to do it live in the YouTube app.

Popular Video Editing Apps for iPad

There are many amazing video editors available on the App Store. Here are a few top choices:

• CapCut: Free and incredibly popular for short-form video. It has a user-friendly interface but is packed with powerful features. This is the app we'll use in our example.
• iMovie: Pre-installed on all iPads and completely free. It’s a great starting point for basic edits.
• VN Video Editor: A fantastic free option with no watermarks and features you’d normally find in paid apps.

Example Workflow Using CapCut on iPad

Note: Before you begin, you need to have a music file (like an MP3 or WAV) saved to your iPad's Files app. Make sure you have the proper license or rights to use this music! Great places to find licensed music include Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or even YouTube’s own free Audio Library for creators.

1. Create a New Project: Open CapCut and tap “New Project.” Select the video clip(s) from your Photos and add them to your project.
2. Add Your Audio: Below the video timeline, tap the "Audio" menu, then choose "Sounds." Instead of choosing from CapCut’s library (which may not be licensed for YouTube), tap the folder icon on the right side. Select “From Files” to import your custom music track directly into the editor.
3. Edit Your Music Track: Your music will now appear as a separate layer below your video. You can tap on it to edit it. Drag the ends to trim it, use the "Split" tool to cut out sections, and adjust the "Volume" or use "Fade" effects.
4. Balance Audio Levels: If your original video has audio, you can select that video clip and adjust its volume separately. This lets you achieve an ideal balance between your voice, ambient sounds, and backing track.
5. Export Your Final Video: Once you're happy with the edits, tap the export button in the top-right corner. Make sure your resolution is set to 1080p and the frame rate is 30 for the best quality on YouTube. The video will save directly to your Photos app.
6. Upload to YouTube: Now, go back to the YouTube app. Tap + >, Create a Short >, Upload. Select the video you just exported from CapCut. Because your music is already part of the video file, you won’t press the "Add sound" button. Simply finalize your caption and details, and upload!

A Quick Guide to Music Copyright and YouTube Shorts

Music copyright can be confusing, but here's the simple breakdown for Shorts creators:

• YouTube’s Shorts Library = 100% Safe. Any song you add using Method 1 is pre-cleared for use in your Shorts. You will not get a copyright strike for this.
• Trending Commercial Songs = Use the Shorts Library. If you see a popular song trending (e.g., a Taylor Swift track), always use the sound from YouTube’s official library. Uploading a video with that same song embedded (Method 2) will likely result in a copyright claim and your video could be demonetized or muted.
• Custom Music &, Voiceovers = Method 2 is for you. If you have rights to a song (you made it or you paid for a license), or if you’re using sound effects and voiceovers, editing it outside of YouTube is the way to go. Just be prepared to prove you have the license if YouTube’s Content ID system flags your video by mistake.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're quickly hopping on a trend using YouTube's built-in audio library or crafting a polished piece with custom music in an external editor, your iPad is a powerhouse for creating stunning YouTube Shorts. By learning both methods, you give yourself the flexibility to create engaging video content that perfectly matches your vision and connects with your audience.

Once you’ve perfected your creation process, keeping a consistent flow of content is the next challenge. At Postbase, we focused on making that planning phase feel more organized and less frustrating, especially for video creators. Our visual calendar was designed specifically with short-form video in mind, so you can map out your Shorts schedule alongside your Reels and TikToks in one clean view. It helps us spend less time juggling platforms and more time creating.