How to Add Original Music to Instagram

That perfectly edited Reel is ready to go, but the right song is missing from Instagram's music library because the right song is yours. Adding your original music transforms your content, builds a powerful brand identity, and saves you from the ever-present fear of copyright strikes. This guide will show you exactly how to add your own music to Instagram Stories, Reels, and feed posts, whether you're a content creator, a small business, or a musician ready to share your art with the world.

Why Bother With Original Music?

In a sea of trending audio, using your own sound is a power move. While grabbing a popular track is quick and easy, it isn't always the best strategy. Here's why carving out your own sonic space is worth it:

• Builds a Recognizable Brand: When followers hear your unique jingle, theme song, or sound, they'll instantly associate it with you. That's branding gold. Think of it as an audio logo people can't help but remember.
• Avoids Copyright Takedowns: The dreaded "your video has been muted" notification is a content creator's nightmare. Using your own music means you own the rights, giving you complete freedom from copyright flags, muted audio, and potential account penalties.
• Sets Your Content Apart: Millions of other Reels use the same 15 seconds of a pop song. Your original soundtrack makes your content feel fresh, unique, and professional. You become a trendsetter, not a follower.
• Total Creative Control: You get to match the music's vibe, tempo, and emotional arc perfectly with your visuals. No more awkward cuts or settling for a song that's just "good enough." The audio reinforces your message instead of just decorating it.

A Quick Note on Instagram's Music Rules

Before we get into the methods, it's helpful to understand why music access can feel so confusing on Instagram. It often comes down to your account type:

• Personal & Creator Accounts: These accounts generally have access to Instagram's full music library, which includes popular, commercial songs from major artists.
• Business Accounts: Due to licensing restrictions, Business Accounts are limited to a library of royalty-free music and sounds. This is to protect both Instagram and the business from copyright infringement lawsuits. Using a hit song to promote a product without a commercial license is a big legal no-no.

This is precisely why leveraging your own sound is so empowering, especially for brands. When you use your original music, you bypass these limitations entirely. Now, let's get that sound onto your content.

Three Methods for Adding Your Original Music to Instagram

There isn't a magic "upload my MP3" button directly in the Instagram app, but there are several straightforward ways to get it done. We'll cover three main approaches, from a simple workaround to the official method for musicians.

Method 1: The Quick Workaround Using "Use Audio"

This method is a clever way to add your audio using only your phone and the Instagram app. You essentially create a "source" video that contains your music first, then pull the audio from that video into your new Reel.

Step 1: Create a Simple Video with Your Music

First, you need to "attach" your audio file to a video. You can do this easily with a simple video editing app on your phone, such as CapCut, InShot, or Splice.

1. Open your chosen video editor.
2. Import a generic image or a short, unimportant video clip. (This video is just a placeholder for the audio, so it doesn't matter what it looks like).
3. Import your original music track (WAV or MP3 file).
4. Lay the music track over the placeholder video. Make sure the video is as long as the audio you want to use.
5. Export this new video file to your phone's camera roll. You should now have a simple video file where the only important part is the sound.

Step 2: Post the Audio Source Video as a Private Reel

Next, you'll upload this video to Instagram to create an "Original Audio" page that you can use later.

1. Open Instagram and start creating a new Reel.
2. Select the video you just exported from your editing app.
3. Proceed to the editing screen. Don't add any extra music from Instagram's library.
4. On the final share screen, you can choose to hide it from your main grid or, for total privacy, go to "Audience" and select "Close Friends" if you don't want anyone else to see it just yet. You can delete it right after the next step.
5. Share the Reel.

Step 3: Create Your Real Reel Using Your Own "Original Audio"

Now for the final step. Your audio is now on Instagram and ready to be used.

1. Go to the Reel you just posted.
2. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the audio title, which will likely say "Original audio · [yourusername]". Tap on it.
3. This takes you to the audio page for your sound. Tap the "Use audio" button.
4. The Reel creation screen will open with your uploaded sound ready to go! You can now record or upload the video clips for your actual Reel and edit them just as you would with any other trending sound.

This method is clever and works entirely within the mobile ecosystem, but it does add a couple of extra steps.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Editor (The Professional's Choice)

This is the most common and powerful method for creators and brands who want maximum control over the final product. The process is simple: you edit your video and combine it with your music in an external app before uploading it to Instagram.

Step 1: Choose Your Video Editing Software

You can use a wide range of applications, from beginner-friendly mobile apps to professional desktop software.

• Mobile Apps: CapCut (powerful and free), InShot, Splice, Adobe Rush.
• Desktop Software: DaVinci Resolve (free with an incredible feature set), Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro.

Step 2: Edit Your Video and Audio Together

This is where you bring your vision to life. No matter which software you choose, the basic steps are the same:

1. Create a new project and import your video footage and your original audio file (MP3 or WAV).
2. Drag your video clips onto the editing timeline in the order you want them.
3. Drag your audio file onto the audio track on your timeline.
4. Now, put your director's hat on. Trim your video clips, sync important visual moments to the beat of your music, and adjust the volume levels. This is your chance to make the audio and video feel like they were made for each other.

Step 3: Export Your Final Video

Once you're happy with the edit, export the finished product. Your music will be "baked into" the video file. For Instagram Reels, the best export settings are typically a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920 pixels) in an MP4 format.

Step 4: Upload Directly to Instagram

Open Instagram and upload this final video file as a Reel, Story, or feed post. Since the audio is already part of the video, just mute the original clip audio within Instagram if necessary and leave it at that. The sound is yours, the edit is clean, and you didn't have to use any workarounds.

The main benefit here is superior quality and control. The tradeoff is that your audio won't be easily reusable by others via a tappable music sticker, though it will still generate an "Original Audio" page that others can access from your Reel.

Method 3: Go Official by Distributing Your Music

This method is for musicians, producers, and artists who want their music to be available in the Instagram music library for everyone (including themselves) to use via the music sticker.

How It Works

You cannot upload your music directly to Instagram's library. Instead, you must use a digital music distribution service. These companies act as the middleman between you and major music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and - you guessed it - Meta (Facebook and Instagram).

Popular distribution services include:

• DistroKid
• TuneCore
• CD Baby

The Process

1. Sign up for your preferred distribution service. Most charge a small annual fee per single or album.
2. Prepare your audio file (typically a high-quality WAV) and your cover art (a square image, usually 3000x3000 pixels).
3. Follow the service's instructions to upload your track, cover art, and metadata (song title, artist name, etc.).
4. During the upload process, you will be asked which stores you want to distribute to. Make sure you select the box for "Instagram & Facebook."
5. Finalize the submission and pay the fee.

After a review process that can take a few days to a few weeks, your song will become available in the Instagram Story and Reels music library. It's a fantastic way to promote your music, let fans use your sound, and build your brand as a professional artist.

Final Thoughts

Putting your own sonic stamp on your content is one of the most effective ways to build a memorable brand on Instagram. Whether you're using a quick in-app workaround, polishing your project in professional software, or officially distributing your track for the world to use, taking control of your audio makes your content undeniably yours.

Once your video and audio are perfectly paired, the final step is getting it in front of your audience reliably. That's where planning and scheduling come in, and it's where we built Postbase to shine. Because we designed our platform with today's video-first social landscape in mind, you can schedule your finished Reels, Shorts, and TikToks without worrying if they'll publish correctly. Just schedule your carefully crafted content and trust that it will go live exactly when you planned, flawlessly.