How to Credit Music on Instagram

Wondering how to give music credit on your Instagram posts without getting your videos muted or taken down? You're not alone. This guide breaks down exactly when, why, and how to credit music on Instagram, so you can share your content with an amazing soundtrack and give artists their due respect.

Why Crediting Music on Instagram Is a Big Deal

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." It all comes down to copyright law. Every piece of recorded music is someone's intellectual property. The artist, the songwriter, the record label - they all own a piece of it. Using their work without permission or a proper license is technically a violation of that copyright.

You might think, "But everyone does it!" And while that can feel true, it doesn't change the potential consequences:

• Muted Audio: Instagram's algorithm is excellent at detecting copyrighted music. The most common outcome is that your video's audio will be automatically muted. You'll see a notification that says, "Your video has been partially muted because it may contain music you don't have the rights to."
• Content Takedowns: If the copyright holder files a formal complaint, Instagram may remove your post or Reel entirely.
• Account Strikes: Repeat offenders can receive strikes against their account. Get too many, and a temporary suspension - or even a permanent ban - is a real possibility.

Simply put, crediting music isn't just about good etiquette, it's about protecting your content and your account while respecting the hard work of musicians.

The Easiest and Safest Method: The Instagram Music Library

For 99% of creators, the absolute best way to add music to Instagram content is by using the platform's built-in Music Library. Instagram has licensing agreements with major labels and publishers, which means they've already taken care of the legal side for you. When you use a song from their library, you're covered.

The credit is often handled automatically, too. When you add a song to a Reel or Story, Instagram displays a small sticker with the song title and artist, which is usually sufficient.

How to Add Licensed Music to Reels and Stories: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process is incredibly straightforward and nearly identical for both Reels and Stories.

1. Create Your Content: Open the Instagram app and start creating a Reel or Story. You can record a new video, upload one from your camera roll, or use multiple clips.
2. Access the Music Library: Once your visual content is ready, tap the music note icon at the top of the screen. This will open the Instagram Music Library.
3. Find Your Perfect Track: You can browse through trending songs, check out recommendations, or search for a specific artist or song title using the search bar.
4. Select Your Clip: After choosing a song, you'll see a timeline scrubber at the bottom of the screen. Most songs are only licensed for short clips (typically 15-90 seconds on Reels). Drag the scrubber to select the exact part of the song you want to feature. For Stories with still images, the music will play for the standard 15-second duration.
5. Customize the Look (Optional): For Stories, you can choose how the music sticker appears. You can display the album art, a smaller text-based sticker, or just the lyrics if they are available. Tap the sticker to cycle through the options. For Reels, the sound is embedded directly and credited in the audio attribution link at the bottom of the video.
6. Finalize and Post: Adjust the volume mix if needed (balancing your original audio with the music) and finish any other edits. Then, share your masterpiece!

One Catch: The Difference Between Personal, Creator, and Business Accounts

You might open the music library and find that the popular, chart-topping song you wanted isn't there. This is a common issue for Business accounts. Because commercial use and advertising laws are much stricter, Instagram provides Business profiles with a "Sound Collection" filled with royalty-free music that's cleared for promotional purposes.

Creator and Personal accounts typically have access to the full library of popular music because their content is presumed to be non-commercial. If having popular music is essential to your content strategy, switching from a Business to a Creator account might be worth considering. (You can do this in Settings >, Account >, Switch Account Type).

Using Music Outside of Instagram's Library

What if you have a specific song in mind that isn't in Instagram's library, or you need to use music for branded content from a Business account? This is where things require a bit more care. You can't just pull a song from your Spotify list and edit it into your video. That's a direct route to getting your audio muted.

The legally correct way to use music not provided by Instagram is to secure a license yourself. This is where royalty-free music platforms come in.

Your Best Friend: Royalty-Free Music Subscription Services

For creators, marketers, and brands who consistently need high-quality music, subscribing to a music licensing platform is the best investment you can make. These services offer vast libraries of music and sound effects that you can use legally across all your social media channels without fear of copyright strikes.

A few popular options include:

• Artlist: Known for its high-quality, curated catalog of music from indie artists. A single subscription often covers universal use.
• Epidemic Sound: Offers a massive library searchable by mood, genre, and more along with sound effects. Their subscription ties the license to your specific channels.
• Soundstripe: Provides another excellent selection of production music, also with straightforward licensing for social media and other projects.

When you use these services, you are able to purchase the legal right to use the copyright, which means Instagram will not mute your audio or remove your video.

Just remember that "royalty-free" doesn't mean "free." It means that after you pay for your license (usually through a monthly or annual subscription), you don't have to pay additional-per-play royalties to the artist later.

How to Manually Credit Music in Your Caption (When You Have a License)

Even when you license a track from an external source, providing credit is a great practice. It supports the artist, looks professional, and informs your audience about the music they're enjoying. It's also sometimes a requirement of the licensing service's terms.

However, let's get one major myth out of the way: a caption disclaimer alone does not protect you from copyright infringement.

Writing "I Don't Own The Rights to This Music" Does Nothing

Let's be perfectly clear: Phrases like "no copyright infringement intended," "music is not mine," or "I don't own the rights" offer zero legal protection.

Copyright law does not care about your "intent." If you use unlicensed music, it is a violation, no matter what you write in your caption. Instagram's automated systems will detect and flag any copyrighted music.

A Simple Template for Proper Music Credit

When you have a legitimate license, proper credit is transparent and professional. It's not an apology, it's an attribution. Here's a simple format:

• Clearly state the track title and artist.
• Mention the source or licensing platform.
• If possible, tag the artist's Instagram handle.

Relatable Examples:

• Correct: Music: "Midnight City" by M83
• Correct: Song: "Sunset Drive" by Awesome Artist (@artisthandle)
• Correct: Soundtrack: "Atmospheric Chill" via Epidemic Sound
• Correct: Licensed music from Artlist: "Rise Up" by The Joneses

Adding the credit is simple. Just type it into your caption field before you publish your post, Reel, or Story. It's clean, respectful, and fully transparent.

Quick Guide: Common Questions Answered

Can I use a 15-second clip without permission?

No, this is a common misconception about "fair use" law, which was not designed for social media. There is no set "safe" duration - whether it's 5 seconds or 25 seconds - that protects you from copyright claims. The system can still detect it, and you will still need a license to use the clip legally.

What if I'm using a remix or viral trending audio?

If you see audio in a Reel and it shows "Original Audio" or the song name below, tap on it and click the "Use Audio" button. Instagram will manage the credit for you. The original creator will be automatically mentioned in your Reel, keeping you safe and allowing you to join the trend.

What about music playing in the background of my video?

This falls into a tricky category called "incidental capture." If music is genuinely playing by accident deep in the background of your video (e.g., in a public cafe), Instagram's system might either miss it or ignore it. However, if the music is a focused and essential part of your video's subject or setting (like concert footage or a DJ set), it will be considered unlicensed use and may be muted. There is always a risk.

Conclusion

Sharing your content with a great song is an excellent way to connect with your audience, but it's important to know how to do it correctly. For most of your posts, Instagram's built-in Music Library is your safest friend. For other cases, licensing music from royalty-free libraries and then providing its details in post captions will keep you headache-free and your content safe.

We know that managing your content, from images and video footage to proper music credit, can feel like a big burden. That's why we built Postbase with a clean, visual calendar where you can see your entire content strategy at a glance. When scheduling your video reels, you can pre-write and save them for later use, including all your music credits, so you never forget to provide proper attribution.