How to Add Your Own Audio to Instagram Reels

Adding your own unique audio to Instagram Reels is one of the most powerful ways to make your content stand out and build a recognizable brand. This guide walks you through the different methods for creating, adding, and mastering original audio, transforming your Reels from trending copies into authentic, engaging originals.

Why Bother with Original Audio?

In a sea of content all using the same trending sounds, unique audio immediately grabs attention. When you see a creator pop up on your For You page, what makes them instantly recognizable? Often, it’s a specific sound, phrase, or music style they use consistently. Creating your own audio isn't just a technical trick, it's a core branding strategy.

• Stand Out From the Crowd: Using the week's most popular sound is great for a quick boost, but it also makes your Reel blend in with thousands of others. Original audio - whether it's your voice, a custom sound effect, or a snippet of your own music - makes your content distinct and memorable.
• Establish Your Brand Voice (Literally): Your audio becomes a part of your brand identity. For coaches, educators, and service providers, using your voice in a voiceover builds authority and helps your audience feel a personal connection. For humor or lifestyle creators, a signature sound effect or catchphrase can become an inside joke with your community.
• Create Your Own Trend: The ultimate goal for many creators is to *start* a trend, not just follow one. When you create an original audio clip that’s shareable, funny, or relatable, other users can save it and use it in their own Reels. Every time someone uses your audio, your account is credited at the top of their Reel, creating a powerful loop of discoverability and driving tons of traffic back to your profile.

Think of original audio as your content’s sonic signature. It’s a subtle but mighty tool for building community and making an impression that lasts longer than 15 seconds.

How to Add Your Audio: 4 Core Methods

Instagram gives you a few different ways to get your custom audio into a Reel. Let's break down each one, from the simplest on-the-spot recordings to using sounds you’ve created in other apps.

Method 1: Recording Audio Directly into the Reel

This is the simplest way to add your voice or capture live sounds. It’s perfect for spontaneous thoughts, direct-to-camera explanations, or capturing the ambient sound of a scene.

When to use this method:

• Creating simple, in-the-moment voiceovers.
• Speaking directly to the camera without any edits.
• Capturing real-world sounds for your video clips.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Instagram app and swipe right to open the camera, then select Reel at the bottom.
2. Record your video clip by holding down the record button. All the audio from your environment, including your voice, will be captured along with the video.
3. If you want to record only your voice without significant ambient noise, find a quiet space to record.
4. After recording your clips, tap Next. Here, you'll enter the editor. If you don't plan to add music over your voice, your Reel is ready. Otherwise, move on to the audio mixing tools.

Method 2: Uploading a Video with Pre-Made Audio

This is the most common and versatile method for adding custom audio. It involves creating your video and sound *outside* of Instagram in a video editing app (like CapCut, InShot, or Adobe Premiere Rush) and then uploading the finished file to Reels. This gives you complete creative control.

When to use this method:

• Adding custom music tracks (your own or royalty-free).
• Using carefully edited sound effects synched to your video clips.
• Creating complex vocal edits or cleaning up a voiceover with an external tool.
• Repurposing a TikTok or YouTube Short that already has its audio perfected.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Create and Edit Your Video First: Use an external video editor on your phone or computer. Add your clips, trim them, and most importantly, add and mix your audio track exactly how you want it. This could be a voiceover, a sound effect, or background music.
2. Export and Save Your Video: Once you've finalized your video, export the file from your editor and save it to your phone’s camera roll.
3. Upload to Reels: Open Instagram Reels and tap the blue plus (+) icon in the bottom left corner to access your camera roll. Find and select your edited video.
4. Name Your Audio: On the final share screen where you add your caption, tap Rename Audio. Type a clever or descriptive audio title in the text box. Choose a title that is captivating, inspiring others to listen and share. This makes your audio unique and helps increase your page's visibility when others use it.
5. Final Polish & Post: Before posting, review the caption, cover photo, and tags. When you publish it, your video's imported sound will become the "original audio" of the Reel, complete with the name you gave it. Other users can now tap on it and use it in their own videos.

Method 3: The Native Voiceover Tool

What if you've already pieced together a bunch of video clips in the Reels editor but want to add narration after the fact? Instagram's built-in Voiceover tool is perfect for this. It lets you record audio over your edited video, timeline-style.

When to use this method:

• Adding commentary to existing video clips ("day in the life," tutorials, reaction videos).
• Storytelling that requires you to reference specific visuals on screen.
• Fixing or adding audio after you’ve already assembled your visuals.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Assemble your video clips in the Reels editor, either by recording new ones or uploading them from your camera roll. Tap Next.
2. At the top of the editing screen, tap the music note icon (🎵).
3. This will open the audio mixing panel. Tap on the Voiceover button.
4. A timeline of your video will appear at the bottom. Drag the white slider to the exact spot where you want your narration to begin.
5. Hold down the red record button to record your voice. You can stop and start multiple times to record different segments throughout the video.
6. Once you're done, tap Done. You'll be back in the audio mixer, where you can now adjust the volume of your original video's audio (if any) and your newly recorded voiceover to make sure they balance well.

Method 4: Mixing Your Voice with Music from Instagram's Library

Sometimes you want the best of both worlds: a clear voiceover combined with a trending sound or ambient music. Instagram’s audio mixer makes this straightforward.

When to use this method:

• Adding energy to a tutorial video with background music.
• Jumping on a trend but adding your own commentary or twist.
• Balancing live-action audio with a music track.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Record or upload your Reel that contains your voiceover or live audio.
2. Once in the editor, tap the music note icon (🎵).
3. Tap Music and select a song from Instagram’s library. Trim it to the section you want to use and tap Done.
4. You’ll automatically be taken to the audio mixer. Here you’ll see two volume sliders: one for "Camera Audio" (your voice or original video's sound) and one for the song you just added.
5. Drag the "Camera Audio" slider almost all the way up (e.g., to 100).
6. Drag the music slider way down (e.g., to 5-15). The goal is for the music to be barely audible in the background, adding atmosphere without overpowering your voice. Getting this balance right is what separates professional-sounding from amateur Reels.
7. Tap Done and you’re all set.

Tips for Creating Great Original Audio

Now that you know the different methods, how do you make sure your audio is clear, engaging, and shareable?

1. Prioritize Audio Quality

Viewers will tolerate subpar video quality, but they will exit instantly for bad audio. You don’t need an expensive studio setup, but you do need to be intentional.

• Use a Microphone: Even an affordable lavalier mic that clips onto your shirt or the microphone on a pair of headphones will produce dramatically better sound than your phone's built-in mic from a distance.
• Record in a Quiet, Soft Space: Hard surfaces create echo. A room with clothes, blankets, or furniture (like a walk-in closet or a bedroom) will deaden sound and give you a much cleaner recording. Avoid rooms with humming refrigerators or noisy air vents.

2. Make Your Audio Title Clickable

When you name your original audio, don't just call it "Voiceover." Use a compelling title that makes people want to know what it’s about. For example:

• "My biggest business mistake..."
• "Funny client story, Pt. 1"
• "A sound for when your marketing works"

A good title turns your sound from a one-off element into a reusable asset.

3. A Note on Copyright

This is extremely important. Never use commercial music you don’t have the rights to and import it as "original audio." Instagram's system can detect copyrighted content, and doing so can get your video taken down or your account flagged. If you want music, either use a track from Instagram’s official library or source royalty-free music from services like Epidemic Sound or Artlist, which provide the licenses for you to use their music safely.

Final Thoughts

Creating your own audio for Instagram Reels is a straightforward process that completely changes the game for your content. Whether you're recording a quick voice memo, adding a polished voiceover, or importing a custom soundscape, original audio is the key to creating content that's authentically yours and resonates deeply with your audience.

Once you’ve perfected your reel with unique audio, scheduling it and tracking its performance across platforms shouldn't add more complexity to your plate. We built Postbase specifically for today's social media landscape, which is dominated by short-form video. Our platform was designed from the ground up to make planning, scheduling, and analyzing your Reels, TikToks, and Shorts feel simple and reliable - letting you focus more on creating killer content and less on wrestling with an outdated tool.