How to Add Spotify Music to Instagram Story

Pairing the perfect song with your Instagram Story can transform a simple photo into a memorable moment. If your go-to music library is on Spotify, you might be wondering how to get your favorite tracks onto your Stories. This guide will show you exactly how to add Spotify music to your Instagram Story using a few different methods, from the officially supported options to a clever workaround for any song you want.

The Easiest Way: Using Instagram's Built-in Music Sticker

First, let's start with the most direct method. Instagram has its own massive library of licensed music that you can add to any Story directly within the app. While this doesn't pull from Spotify, it includes millions of popular songs, and you’ll likely find what you’re looking for here. It’s the simplest and quickest way to get playable audio on your Story.

How to Use the Instagram Music Sticker: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open the Instagram Story Editor: Launch the Instagram app and swipe right from your feed or tap the plus icon (+) at the top and select "Story."
2. Create Your Story: Take a photo, record a video, or upload one from your camera roll. This will serve as the background for your music.
3. Access the Stickers: Tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen. This will open the sticker tray.
4. Select the "Music" Sticker: Find and tap the sticker labeled "Music." This will open Instagram's music library.
5. Find Your Song: You can browse through trending music in the "For You" tab, check out other categories, or use the search bar at the top to find a specific song, artist, or album.
6. Customize the Track: Once you've selected a song, a timeline slider will appear at the bottom. You can drag this left and right to select the exact 15-second clip you want to play in your Story. Some songs also have pre-selected popular segments you can tap through.
7. Customize the Sticker's Look: Instagram offers a few ways to display the music. You can tap the sticker's icon to cycle through different styles: lyrics that show up on screen in different fonts, the song's album art, or a small, discreet box with the song title and artist. You can also pinch to resize it and drag it anywhere on the screen.
8. Share Your Story: Once you’re happy with the song clip and the look of the sticker, tap "Done" and share your Story with your followers.

This is the standard and most reliable way to add playable audio. However, since it uses Instagram’s library, not Spotify's, it won't explicitly show your followers that you’re listening on Spotify.

The Direct Spotify Share: Adding a Link to Your Story

If you specifically want to show off what you're listening to on Spotify and share a direct link back to the platform, you can share directly from the Spotify app. The key difference here is that this method doesn't add playable audio to your Story. Instead, it creates a sticker with the song's or playlist's artwork and adds a small "Play on Spotify" link at the very top of your Story, allowing followers to tap it and listen for themselves in the Spotify app.

How to Share Directly from Spotify:

1. Open the Spotify App: Navigate to the song, album, podcast, or playlist you want to share.
2. Find the Share Menu: On the playing screen, tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner or look for the "Share" icon (a box with an arrow coming out).
3. Select "Share": From the menu that appears, tap "Share."
4. Choose "Instagram Stories": You'll see a list of apps you can share to. Find and tap "Instagram."
5. Finalize on Instagram: The Spotify and Instagram apps will automatically communicate. A new Instagram Story draft will open with the song or album art as a sticker neatly placed over a color-matched gradient background. You can move and resize this sticker just like any other, as well as add text, GIFs, or other elements.
6. Share Your Story: Once you've styled it, share your story. Viewers will be able to see the song you shared and tap the "Play on Spotify" link to open it directly in their own app.

This is perfect for song recommendations or letting people know about a new album drop, but if you want the music to actually play in your story, you’ll need one of the other methods.

The Creative Workaround: Playing Any Song from Spotify in Your Story

What if the song you want isn’t in Instagram’s library? Or what if you want to feature both the playable sound and show the Spotify interface in your Story? This is where a little creativity with your phone's screen recording feature comes in handy. This method records your screen while you play music directly from the Spotify app, giving you a custom video-with-audio clip to upload.

How to Use Screen Recording to Capture Spotify Audio:

1. Prepare Your Song on Spotify: Open the Spotify app and find the exact song and the part of the track you want to feature. Cue it up so it’s ready to play.
2. Start a Screen Recording:
   • On iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner to open the Control Center. Tap the screen record button (a solid circle inside another circle). A 3-second countdown will begin.
   • On Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open your Quick Settings panel. Find and tap the "Screen recorder" icon. You may need to specify your audio source, choose "Media sounds."
3. Play the Music: As quickly as you can after starting the recording, switch back to Spotify and play the 15-second clip of the song you prepared. Let it play through on your screen.
4. Stop the Recording: Once the clip is done, stop the screen recording. On iPhone, you can tap the red bar or clock in the top-left corner. On Android, you can stop it from the notifications panel.
5. Trim the Video Clip: Your screen recording will be saved to your phone's camera roll or gallery. It will likely have a few extra seconds at the beginning and end from you starting and stopping the recording. Open the video in your phone’s photo app and use the editing/trimming tool to cut it down so it only contains the 15 seconds of clean music and Spotify visuals you want.
6. Upload to Your Instagram Story: Now, go back to Instagram. Open the Story editor and swipe up to access your camera roll. Select your newly trimmed screen recording clip. You can pinch to zoom in on a certain part of the screen (like the album art) to fill the screen if you prefer.
7. Add Your Finishing Touches: Since this is now a video in your Story, you can add polls, text, location tags, or anything else on top of it before sharing.

A quick note on copyright: While this is a very common practice for personal sharing, remember that the music is copyrighted. Instagram's automated systems could potentially flag or mute audio, though it's less common for 15-second Story clips used in a personal, non-commercial context.

Beyond the 'How': Why Bother Adding Music to Your Stories?

Adding music is more than just a fun feature, it’s a powerful tool for social media marketing and brand building. Music isn't filler - it’s a shortcut to connection.

• It Stops the Scroll: A silent story is easily skipped. Audio, especially a popular or attention-grabbing song, makes people pause and wonder what's going on. It boosts the chances of them spending a few more seconds interacting with your content.
• It Expresses Brand Personality: The right soundtrack tells your audience who you are without you having to say a word. A punk rock track on your behind-the-scenes content communicates a rebellious, energetic brand. A calming lo-fi beat on a product shot suggests a sophisticated, modern, and cool vibe. It's an instant personality injection.
• It Enhances Emotional Connection: Music is deeply tied to emotion. Think about it: a highlight reel of a company event feels lifeless without an upbeat, celebratory track. A heartfelt testimonial from a customer hits harder with a gentle, sincere melody behind it. Music gives your visual storytelling depth and makes it more memorable.
• It Drives Cultural Relevance: Using a trending B-side from a new album or an old classic that's having a moment shows your followers that you’re paying attention. It’s a very human way to connect with your audience over shared interests and feel like part of a larger conversation.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are fixes for a few common problems you might encounter.

"I can't find the music sticker in my Instagram app."

This is a common frustration. First, make sure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version. In the past, certain types of Business accounts had limited or no access to the full music library due to licensing restrictions. While Instagram has largely resolved this for most accounts by now, you can check your account settings under Settings >, Account >, Switch Account Type to see if changing to a creator or personal account resolves the issue. It's also possible that music licensing is restricted in your specific country.

"The song I want isn't showing up in Instagram's library."

This happens! Instagram's library is huge, but it's not infinite, and licensing deals can be complicated. If you absolutely need a specific song, the screen recording method outlined above is your guaranteed way to get it into your Story.

"When I share from Spotify, there's no sound."

This is by design! Remember, sharing directly from Spotify to Instagram Stories creates a link to the music, not playable audio. Your Story will have a sticker of the album art and a link viewers can tap that reads "Play on Spotify," but it won't have sound itself. To get playable audio, you must use Instagram's music sticker or the screen recording workaround.

Final Thoughts

From the straightforward Instagram Music Sticker to the direct 'Play on Spotify' link and the clever screen recording workaround, you have several great options for getting your favorite audio onto your Instagram Stories. Choosing the right one depends on your goal: Do you want playable music, a direct link, or a specific song that isn't in Instagram's library?

Creating engaging content like this consistently is a huge part of growing on social media. We know that managing the planning, shooting, and scheduling of Stories and Reels can quickly become overwhelming. At Postbase, we built our visual calendar to make planning your content, especially video-first formats, feel simple and intuitive. You get a bird's-eye view of your entire strategy so you can build out a cohesive content plan that feels thoughtful, not rushed.