How to Add Sound to a Facebook Post

Adding sound to a Facebook post is one of the fastest ways to stop the scroll and make your content more memorable. What used to require a video editor is now a simple, native feature for photos and videos alike. This article will show you exactly how to add music to your posts, whether you're using Facebook’s built-in library or creating custom content outside the app.

Why Does Sound Matter on Facebook Anyway?

In a content landscape dominated by TikTok and Instagram Reels, users are now conditioned to a sound-on experience. Audio isn’t just background noise, it's a powerful tool that transforms a static post into a piece of entertainment. A simple trending sound can give your content a huge visibility boost, while a carefully chosen song can set the mood, tell a story, and create a much deeper emotional connection with your audience.

Here’s why it’s worth the extra few taps:

• It Grabs Attention: An unexpected soundbite or a popular song can instantly pull someone out of their passive scrolling and focus their attention on your post.
• It Increases Watch Time: Good audio keeps people engaged longer. When a song fits the visual content perfectly, viewers are more likely to watch the entire clip, which signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable.
• It Conveys Emotion: Music is a shortcut to emotion. A cinematic score can make a simple landscape look epic, an upbeat pop song can make a product feel exciting, and a lo-fi track can make a tutorial feel calm and approachable.
• It Boosts Discoverability: Using trending audio can get your content shown to a broader audience who are following that specific trend, functioning much like a popular hashtag.

Method 1: Using Facebook’s Built-in Music Feature

This is the most straightforward way to add popular music to an image or a video directly within the Facebook mobile app. When you add music to a static photo, Facebook automatically converts it into a short video Reel, making it more dynamic and shareable.

For a Single Photo or Multi-Photo Post:

Follow these steps to turn your images into a mini music video:

1. Start a New Post: Open the Facebook app and tap the "What's on your mind?" box at the top of your feed.
2. Select Your Photos: Tap "Photo/Video" and select one or more images from your camera roll. If you select multiple photos, Facebook will create a simple slideshow.
3. Enter the Editing Mode: After selecting your image(s), you'll see a preview. Tap the "Edit" button, usually located on the image thumbnail itself.
4. Find the Music Icon: In the editing screen, look for the toolbar with different options. Tap the music note icon labeled "Music."
5. Choose Your Track: You'll now see Facebook’s music library. You can browse suggested tracks, search for a specific song or artist, or explore different genres and moods. Tap a song to preview it.
6. Customize the Audio Clip: Once you select a song, you can trim it to use your favorite part. A timeline of the song will appear at the bottom. Drag the slider to select the exact 15- to 30-second clip you want to feature. You can also tap the album art "sticker" on the screen to change its appearance or display lyrics instead.
7. Save and Post: Tap "Done" to save your audio choices. Finish writing your caption, add any necessary tags, and post it. Your photo post will now appear in the feed as a video with your chosen music playing automatically.

For a Video Post:

Adding music to a video you've already recorded is just as easy.

1. Upload Your Video: Start a post and select the video you want to share.
2. Tap the Edit Button: Look for the "Edit" option on the video preview.
3. Add Music: Just like with a photo, tap the "Music" icon. Select a song from the library.
4. Adjust Audio Levels: This part is important for videos. After adding a music track, you will see a volume control option. Here, you can adjust the balance between the original audio from your video and the music track you just added. This is perfect for when you want a music track to play quietly under someone's voice.
5. Finish and Share: Trim your clip, save your edits, write your caption, and hit post.

Quick Tip for Businesses: Business and brand accounts often have a more limited music library due to licensing restrictions. You might see a warning that some songs are for personal use only. To stay compliant, use the royalty-free tracks provided in what Facebook calls the "Meta Sound Collection" or use Method 2 below.

Method 2: Creating a Video with Sound *Before* Uploading

For maximum creative freedom, you'll want to add sound to your video before you even open the Facebook app. Using a third-party video editor gives you complete control over timing, sound effects, voiceovers, and music choices. This is the professional route for creating polished, high-quality content.

Popular Video Editing Tools:

• For Mobile: Apps like CapCut, InShot, and Splice are incredibly powerful and user-friendly. They give you multi-track timelines, access to royalty-free music libraries, and options to add sound effects and voiceovers with ease.
• For Desktop: For more complex projects, software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or the free DaVinci Resolve offer endless possibilities.

The General Workflow:

1. Import Your Footage: Open your chosen editing app and import the photos or video clips you want to use.
2. Add Your Audio: This is where you have options. You can:
   • Add a Music Track: Import music you have the license to use. Services like Epidemic Sound or Artlist are excellent for creators and marketers looking for high-quality, royalty-free music. Remember, using copyrighted music without permission can get your content taken down.
   • Record a Voiceover: Most mobile video apps let you record audio directly over your video timeline. This is great for tutorials, explainers, or storytelling.
   • Add Sound Effects (SFX): Add whooshes, dings, or clicks to emphasize actions and make your video more engaging.
3. Edit and Mix: Align your video cuts with the beat of the music. Adjust the volume levels of your different audio tracks so nothing is competing for attention. If you have a voiceover, make sure the background music is quiet enough that the voice is clear.
4. Export and Upload: Export the final video file to your phone or computer. Then, simply upload it to Facebook as you would any other video post. Since the audio is already baked in, you're good to go.

Method 3: Sharing from Instagram Reels to Facebook

Meta is actively encouraging creators to share content across its platforms. The easiest, most integrated way to post a short video with trending audio on Facebook is often to create it on Instagram first.

How a Connected Workflow Simplifies Everything:

When you post a Reel on Instagram, you get access to the full, up-to-the-minute library of trending songs and sounds. If your Instagram and Facebook accounts are linked in the Meta Accounts Center, you can share it seamlessly.

1. Create Your Reel on Instagram: Record or upload your video clips in the Instagram Reels editor and add your music, text, and effects.
2. Go to the Share Screen: On the final screen before posting, where you write your caption, scroll down to the "Share to Facebook" section.
3. Enable Facebook Sharing: Simply toggle the switch for your connected Facebook profile or Page to "On."
4. Publish: When you share your Reel, it will be published on Instagram and Facebook simultaneously, bringing the audio with it. The Facebook post will appear natively as a Facebook Reel, which the platform's algorithm is heavily promoting right now.

Best Practices for Using Sound on Facebook Posts

Just adding sound isn't enough. Using it strategically is what separates forgettable content from truly engaging posts.

• Match the Sound to the Mood: The audio should amplify the message of your visuals, not distract from them. An epic adventure video needs a big, cinematic score. A recipe tutorial might work better with a chic, relaxing lo-fi beat.
• Understand Trending Audio: Spend a few minutes scrolling through Facebook or Instagram Reels to see what sounds are popping up again and again. Using a trending sound can get your content put in front of a massive audience looking for videos using that audio.
• Design for "Sound Off" Too: Remember that many people will still see your video in their feed with the sound off. Use bold visuals, clear on-screen text, and captions to make sure your message is understood even without audio. Think of the sound as a powerful enhancer, not a requirement to understand the post.
• Check Your Licensing: This is worth repeating. If you are representing a business, brand, or public figure, be extremely careful about using copyrighted pop music. Stick to the Meta Sound Collection or use a subscription service for commercially licensed music to avoid legal trouble down the road.

Final Thoughts

Adding sound to your Facebook posts is a simple step that has an oversized impact on engagement. Whether you're tapping into Facebook's built-in library for a quick edit, creating a custom video with a unique voiceover, or seamlessly sharing Reels from Instagram, you’re making your content more dynamic and interesting to your audience.

Creating this rich video content can often lead to a complex schedule, especially when you’re planning posts for multiple platforms. At Postbase, we built our tool specifically for the realities of modern social media, which means a heavy focus on short-form video. Our visual calendar and effortless scheduling are designed to handle Reels, TikToks, and Shorts natively, so you can upload your content once, plan it out, and trust that it will go live - sound and all - exactly when you intend.