How to Edit Audio on an Instagram Post

Getting the audio just right on your Instagram post can feel like the final, crucial step before your content goes live. If you've ever uploaded a Reel only to notice the music is off or your voice is too quiet, you know the frustration. This guide will walk you through exactly how to edit audio on Instagram, covering your options for new posts and what you can do (or can't do) for posts that are already live.

The Golden Rule: Get Your Audio Right Before Hitting 'Share'

The single most important principle to understand is that Instagram offers the most powerful audio editing tools before you publish. Once a Reel or feed post is live, your ability to alter the sound is extremely limited. The native Instagram editor, especially the Reels editor, is where you have the flexibility to trim clips, mix volume levels, and add voiceovers.

Think of it like baking a cake. You can add all the ingredients - flour, sugar, music, and voiceovers - while you're mixing the batter. Once the cake comes out of the oven (i.e., your post is published), you can't go back and mix in more sugar. You can only add some frosting on top (like editing your caption). Committing to perfecting your audio during the creation process will save you countless headaches later.

How to Edit Audio in New Instagram Posts (Reels & Feed)

This is where you have the most control. The Reels editor is surprisingly robust, allowing you to layer and fine-tune multiple audio sources with precision. Here's how to do it.

For Instagram Reels: The Complete Audio Toolkit

Reels are Instagram's short-form video powerhouse, and their audio editor is designed to match. When creating a Reel, you can work with three types of audio: original audio from your video, music from Instagram's library, and a voiceover recorded directly in the app.

1. Adding and Editing Music from Instagram's Library

Music can set the entire mood of your video. Trending sounds can also help your Reel gain visibility on the platform.

• Find Your Track: After uploading or recording your video clips, tap the music note icon on the left-side panel. This opens Instagram's music library. You can search for a specific song, browse by genre, or check out the 'For You' and 'Trending' sections.
• Select the Perfect Clip: Once you choose a song, a timeline scrubber will appear at the bottom. This is not for whole-song use. Drag this bar left or right to select the exact 15, 30, 60, or 90-second segment of the song that fits your video. Listen for the beat drop or the lyrical moment you want to highlight. Tap 'Done' to add it.

2. Mixing Your Audio Levels (The Most Important Step)

Now you have your original video's audio playing at the same time as the music you just added. This often sounds chaotic. The audio mixer is your best friend for fixing this.

• Open the Mixer: Tap the music note icon again, and this time, select 'Controls' or 'Mix audio'.
• Adjust the Sliders: You will see two volume sliders: 'Camera audio' (the sound from your original video) and '[Song Title]' (the music you added).
• Common Scenarios:
  • Music-Driven Trend: If your Reel is a lip-sync or dance trend, you likely want the music to be dominant. Drag the Camera audio slider down to 0 and leave the Song Title slider at 100.
  • Video with Background Music: If you are talking or showing something with important sounds in your video, you want your original audio to be clear. Lower the Song Title slider to a background level, somewhere between 5 and 20, so it complements your video without overpowering it.
  • Voiceover on Mute Footage: If you plan to add a voiceover later and want silent footage behind it, slide the Camera audio all the way to 0.

3. Adding a Voiceover

A voiceover is perfect for explaining a process, telling a story, or adding commentary to your video footage.

• Access the Voiceover Tool: In the 'Controls' screen, you'll see a 'Voiceover' button. Tap it.
• Record Your Audio: A recording bar will appear at the bottom. Drag the white line on your video timeline to where you want the voiceover to begin. Press and hold the red record button to speak over your video. You can record in multiple segments.
• Mix it In: After recording, you'll be taken back to the audio mixer, where a new 'Voiceover' slider has appeared. You can now adjust the balance between your voiceover, the camera audio, and the music to get the perfect mix. Typically, you want the voiceover volume at 100, while camera audio and music are lowered significantly.

For Instagram Feed Posts (Single Photos and Videos)

While Reels offer the most audio features, you can still add a musical touch to standard feed posts.

• For a Single Photo Post: When you select a single photo to post, you'll see a music note icon at the top of the editing screen. Tapping this opens the same music library as Reels. You can select a track and choose a clip up to 90 seconds long.
• For a Standard Video Post: The process is identical. Upload your video, tap the music note icon, and add a track. However, be aware that adding music this way will often MUTE your video's original audio. You don't get the fancy mixing sliders that are available in the Reels editor. For videos where the original sound is important, it's best to upload it as a Reel to access the audio controls.

Editing Audio on a Post That Is Already Live

This is where things get tricky. We've all been there: you post a Reel, it starts getting traction, and you suddenly notice the background music is drowning out your voice. So, can you fix it?

The Hard Truth: You Cannot Natively Replace or Mix Audio on a Live Post

Let's get this out of the way: You cannot change, replace, or add audio on a live Reel or feed post on Instagram. Once the audio is uploaded, it is locked in. There are no built-in editing features to swap out the original audio track with a new one or to adjust sound sources on a previously posted video.

However, you're not completely out of options. You just have to decide which workaround makes the most sense for your situation.

Workaround #1: Delete and Repost (The Most Effective Solution)

While it may feel drastic, deleting the flawed post and re-uploading a corrected version is the only way to truly change the audio. This method works best if the post is relatively new and hasn't accumulated significant engagement. Letting a post with bad audio stay up can hurt your brand more than the temporary loss of a few likes.

How to Safely Delete and Repost:

1. Save Your Assets: Before deleting, make sure you have the original video file saved to your phone. If you don't, tap the three dots on your Reel and select 'Save to your device'. Also, copy your entire caption and list of hashtags into a notes app.
2. Take Note of Engagement: If you track your metrics, take a quick screenshot of the likes, comments, and shares. You will lose this data, so it's good to have a record.
3. Delete the Original Post: Go to the post, tap the three-dot menu, and select 'Delete'.
4. Create the New Post: Now, start from scratch. Upload your video, but this time, carefully follow the steps outlined earlier to add, edit, and mix your audio to perfection.
5. Publish Anew: Paste your saved caption and hashtags, and share the corrected post.

The Trade-off: The downside is obvious - you lose all existing social proof (likes, comments, views, shares). But the result is a high-quality post with the audio exactly as you intended.

Workaround #2: Mute the Original Audio

There are rare cases where simply removing the audio is a valid fix. Perhaps you accidentally included a copyrighted song you don't have the rights to, or there's distracting background noise that ruins the video. You can mute a live video post without deleting it.

How to Mute a Live Instagram Post:

1. Navigate to the video post on your profile.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (...) in the top-right corner.
3. Select 'Edit'.
4. On the video editor screen, look for a speaker icon in the top-left corner. Tap it to mute the video's original audio.
5. Tap 'Done' to save your changes.

This leaves you with a silent video, which may not be ideal, but it's a quick fix that doesn't require deleting your post and losing its engagement.

For Flawless Audio Every Time: Use a Third-Party Editing App

To truly master your audio, the pros edit their videos before they even get to Instagram. Using a mobile video editing app like CapCut, InShot, or VN Video Editor gives you granular control that Instagram just can't match.

Why Edit Outside of Instagram?

• Advanced Controls: These apps allow you to trim audio clips with pinpoint accuracy, create custom volume fades (fade-ins and fade-outs), and separate audio from a video clip.
• Multi-Track Layering: You can easily layer multiple audio tracks - your voice, background music, and specific sound effects - and adjust the volume of each one individually throughout the video.
• Sound Legality: One important caution: Adding popular music in a third-party app and uploading it to Instagram is a quick way to get your video's audio muted for copyright infringement. The best practice is to use these apps to perfect your original audio (like your voice or ambient sounds) and then use Instagram's native music library to add a commercial song. That way, you're covered by Instagram's licensing agreements.

Final Thoughts

Mastering your audio on Instagram comes down to preparation. The Reels editor provides excellent tools for adding music, adjusting volume levels, and recording voiceovers, but these tools are only available before you post. For content already live, your only true fix is to delete and re-upload correctly, sacrificing any engagement you've earned.

Perfecting posts the first time means having a streamlined workflow. At Postbase, we believe that great planning prevents publishing panic. That's why our visual calendar is designed to give you a clear overview of all your content. By scheduling your posts and planning details like captions and audio choices ahead of time, we help you catch those little mistakes before they become live problems, letting you focus on creating without backtracking later.