How to Add Trending Music to YouTube Shorts

That sound you can’t get out of your head is probably the same one powering thousands of viral YouTube Shorts right now. Using trending music is one of the most effective ways to boost your Short’s visibility and connect with a wider audience, and the good news is that it's incredibly simple to do. This guide breaks down exactly how to find and add trending music to your YouTube Shorts, including best practices for using audio to get more views.

Why Trending Music Is a Game-Changer for YouTube Shorts

Jumping on a trending sound isn’t just about being cool, it’s a strategic move that directly helps your content succeed. When you use audio that’s already gaining momentum, you’re essentially tapping into an existing trend and giving the YouTube algorithm a strong signal about what your content is about. Here’s why it’s so effective:

• It Boosts Discoverability: The YouTube algorithm has one main job: to show viewers content it thinks they will enjoy. When a sound is trending, the algorithm is actively looking for more videos using that audio to show to people who have already engaged with it. By using that sound, you increase the chances of your Short landing on someone's feed.
• It Creates Instant Connection: Music is emotional. A familiar song or viral audio snippet immediately sets a tone and connects with your viewer, making your content feel more relevant and engaging in the first few seconds. It’s a shortcut to establishing the right vibe for your video.
• It Simplifies Content Creation: Struggling with what to create? Trending sounds often come with a built-in format, challenge, or meme. This gives you a creative launchpad, making it easier to come up with ideas that are timely and likely to perform well. You're not starting from scratch, you're iterating on a proven concept.

How to Find Trending Music on YouTube

YouTube makes it incredibly easy to find what's popular. You don't need a third-party tool or complex analytics - all the clues are waiting for you inside the app. Here are the three best ways to find trending sounds for your next Short.

1. Explore the Shorts Audio Library

The most direct way to find music is through YouTube's built-in audio library, which is specifically curated for Shorts. When you open the Shorts camera, you'll see an “Add sound” button at the top of the screen. Tapping this opens a hub designed for discovery.

Inside, you’ll find sections like:

• Top Sounds: This is your cheat sheet. It’s a real-time list of the most popular songs and audio clips being used across the platform right now. If you want to know what’s trending, start here.
• Recommended: YouTube's algorithm suggests sounds it thinks will fit your content based on your channel and what’s popular with audiences similar to yours.
• Themed Playlists: You’ll also see curated playlists for different moods, genres, or events (like "Chill Vibes" or "Workout Beats"). These are great for finding music that matches a specific video idea.

2. Pay Attention to Your Own Shorts Feed

The best way to get a feel for what’s trending is to simply spend some time scrolling through the Shorts feed. If you see the same song or audio clip used multiple times in a short span, that’s a clear sign of a rising trend. When you find a sound you like, look at the bottom left of the screen.

You’ll see the track title and artist name. Tap it.

This will take you to the official Sound Page. Here, you can see how many Shorts have been made with that audio and scroll through a feed of videos that use it. A high number of videos (tens of thousands or more) indicates a popular sound. More importantly, this page is the fastest way to use the audio yourself - just hit the big red "Use this sound" button to jump directly into the Shorts camera with the audio pre-loaded.

3. Check YouTube Studio Analytics

For a more data-driven approach, head to your YouTube Studio on a desktop. Go to the Analytics tab, and click on the "Research" tab within it. This area can sometimes show you what your audience is searching for, and you might spot trends related to challenges or memes tied to a song.

More specifically for Shorts creators, inside the Analytics tab, click on "Content" and then filter by “Shorts.” Look at your top-performing Shorts from the last 28 days. Do you notice a pattern? If your Shorts with specific sounds performed well, that’s great feedback. You can also analyze which sounds drove views from the Shorts feed, giving you clues as to what the algorithm favored.

Step-by-Step: How to Add Music to Your YouTube Shorts

Once you’ve found the perfect sound, adding it to your video is straightforward. There are two main ways to do it depending on whether you’re recording in the app or uploading a pre-edited video.

Method 1: Adding a Sound Before You Record

This method is ideal when the audio is central to your video idea, like a lip-sync, dance, or challenge.

1. Open the YouTube app and tap the "+" icon at the bottom, then select "Create a Short."
2. At the top of the Shorts camera screen, tap "Add sound."
3. Browse or search for your chosen music. Once you find it, tap the song to preview it. Tap the blue arrow icon to add it to your video.
4. You’ll be taken back to the camera screen. Now, you can adjust which part of the song you want to use. Tap the song's name at the top again, then use the slider to scrub through the waveform and select the exact 15- or 60-second clip you need.
5. With your sound selected, you can now record your video. The music will play as you film, making it easy to time your actions perfectly.

Method 2: Adding a Sound to a Pre-Recorded Video

Let's say you've already shot and edited a video outside of YouTube and now want to add a trending track to it. This workflow is just as easy.

1. From the Shorts camera, instead of recording, tap the square icon in the bottom-left corner to open your phone's gallery.
2. Select the video you want to upload and confirm the length. Tap "Done."
3. On the editing screen, you’ll see a row of tools at the bottom. Tap the "Sound" icon.
4. This will open the same Audio Library from Method 1. Find and select the song you want to add.
5. Here’s the most important step: tap the "Adjust" tool. A new screen will show you two volume sliders: one for "Original audio" and one for the "Sound" you just added. This allows you to create the perfect mix. If you want your original audio (like your voice) to be heard over the music, slide the music's volume down slightly. If you want the music to completely replace your original audio, slide the "Original audio" fader all the way to zero.
6. Once you’re happy with the mix, tap "Done" and proceed with adding text, filters, and then publishing your Short.

Remember This: Copyright and Monetization

This is where new creators often get nervous, but it’s simpler than you think. YouTube has put a system in place to make this easy.

When you use a song from the official YouTube Shorts Audio Library, you are generally covered by YouTube's licensing agreement. This means you can use those songs in your Shorts without worrying about a traditional copyright strike, and your video remains eligible for monetization through the Shorts Creator Fund.

However, if you upload a video with copyrighted music that is not from the Shorts library (for example, a popular song playing in the background of your edited video), it may receive a Content ID claim. This is not a copyright strike and won't harm your channel's standing. It simply means the music rights holder has claimed the audio, and any ad revenue generated from that Short will go to them, not you. For most creators focused on growth, this is not a major issue, but it's important to understand the distinction.

Best Practices for Using Trending Audio

Simply adding a popular song isn’t enough. To make your content truly stand out, follow these guiding principles.

1. Match the Vibe

The audio should complement your video, not fight against it. A high-energy workout clip should have upbeat music, while a scenic travel montage might work better with something cinematic or relaxed. The audio is a tool for storytelling - make sure it’s telling the same story as your visuals.

2. Add Your Unique Spin

Don't just copy a trend, adapt it to your niche. If everyone is doing a specific dance, how can you do it in a way that’s unique to you? If you’re a chef, maybe you do the dance with a spatula. If you’re a programmer, maybe your code creates the pattern of the trend. This is how you participate in a trend without getting lost in the crowd.

3. Timing Is Everything

Trends have a lifecycle. You want to jump on an audio trend when it's rising, not when it has already peaked and saturated everyone's feeds. If you spot a sound just starting to pop up, that's the perfect time to make your move.

4. Use the Sound Page for Research

Before using a sound, click on its sound page. Spend a minute watching the top-performing videos. What are they doing? How are they structuring their intros? What gags are they using? You don't have to copy them, but this research can provide valuable inspiration for your own take on the trend.

Final Thoughts

Adding trending music to your YouTube shorts is one of the most accessible and powerful ways to enhance your content, reach new viewers, and grow your channel. By following these simple steps, you can start using audio strategically to make your videos more engaging and algorithm-friendly.

Mastering features like trending audio is a big part of the Shorts game. But as your content strategy grows beyond YouTube to platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, keeping track of everything can quickly become overwhelming. At Postbase, we designed our visual calendar with short-form video creators in mind. Our platform gives you one clean, simple place to plan, schedule, and analyze your video content across all your platforms, so you can spend less time juggling tabs and more time creating.