How to Get Regular Music on Business Instagram

You spent hours editing the perfect Instagram Reel. The visuals are stunning, the cuts are sharp, and you have a viral-worthy idea. But when you go to the music library to add that trending song everyone is using, it's nowhere to be found. Instead, you're looking at a list of generic corporate tunes. This frustrating scenario is a common roadblock for businesses on Instagram, but it doesn't have to stump your content strategy. This guide will explain exactly why this is happening and show you several clear, actionable ways to get the popular music you want for your business account.

Why Can't I Find Popular Music on My Business Instagram Account?

The short answer is: music licensing. It's the number one reason your business account has a completely different music library than a personal account. When you hear a popular song on the radio or a streaming service, that song is owned by artists, writers, and record labels. To use it in any public or commercial context - like a marketing video for your business - you technically need a commercial license. These licenses can be incredibly expensive and complex to obtain.

To protect both themselves and your business from potentially massive copyright infringement lawsuits, Meta (the parent company of Instagram and Facebook) provides business accounts with its own Sound Collection. This is a library of royalty-free music and sounds that are pre-cleared for commercial use. While it's safe, it's often creatively limiting and lacks the trending audio that drives so much engagement on platforms like Reels.

Instagram makes a clear distinction:

• Personal & Creator Accounts: These accounts are for individuals, artists, and public figures. Instagram's agreements with record labels allow these types of accounts to use popular music for non-commercial, entertainment purposes. It operates under the assumption that an individual sharing a dance in their Story isn't the same as a brand using a hit song in a product advertisement.
• Business Accounts: These are specifically for companies engaging in commercial activity. Any content posted here, including Reels and Stories, is considered marketing. To avoid legal trouble, Instagram provides the restricted, commercially-safe library.

While this is frustrating when you want to jump on a trend, the restriction is ultimately a protective measure. The good news is, there's a simple change you can make and a few clever workarounds to get the tracks you need.

The Simplest Solution: Switch Your Account to a Creator Profile

For most businesses focused on content marketing and community building, the most direct solution is to switch your account type from "Business" to "Creator." Creator accounts were designed for public figures, content producers, artists, and influencers. Sound like what your brand does on social media? For many modern businesses, it's a perfect fit.

Switching gives you immediate access to the full, licensed audio library while retaining most of the professional features you need, like analytics (Instagram Insights) and contact options.

How to Switch to a Creator Account (It takes 60 seconds):

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines (the "hamburger" menu) in the top-right corner.
2. Tap Settings and privacy.
3. Scroll down and tap Creator tools and controls. (If you don't see this, you may need to look under Business tools and controls first).
4. Tap Switch account type.
5. Choose Switch to creator account and confirm your choice.

Instagram will then ask you to select a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Entrepreneur, Digital Creator, Blogger, Clothing Brand). Pick the one that fits best and choose whether you want it displayed on your profile. That's it! The next time you create a Reel or Story, you should see the complete music library.

Is Switching to a Creator Account Right for You?

For 9 out of 10 businesses, the answer is a resounding yes. But it's good to know what changes.

Pros of a Creator Account:

• Full Music Library Access: This is the main reason. You get all the popular songs, trending audio, and everything personal accounts can access.
• Advanced Growth Tools: You still get robust analytics through Instagram Insights, contact buttons, and promotional tools.
• Flexible Profile Controls: You have more control over your profile's appearance, with the ability to hide or show your category and contact info.

Potential Cons of a Creator Account:

• Third-Party App Access limitations: In the past, some third-party social media management tools had trouble connecting scheduling APIs to Creator accounts. However, most modern platforms have resolved this and can now post directly. (It's worth double-checking with your scheduler if you rely heavily on one.)
• Loss of a Few "Business" Features: You might lose access to a small number of super-specific e-commerce functions built just for "Business" profiles, like Instagram's native "Book Now" or "Order Food" buttons. But if you aren't actively using those built-in buttons, you won't miss anything.

Ultimately, if your brand's presence on Instagram is about creating engaging content and building a community, a Creator account aligns better with your goals and unlocks the full creative toolkit.

Creative Workarounds if You Need to Keep a Business Account

What if you absolutely must keep your profile as a "Business" account due to specific integrations or company policy? You aren't completely out of luck, but you'll need to get a bit more creative.

1. Create Your Own Sound: Using Original Audio

One of the most effective and brand-safe methods is to create your own sounds. This can come in several forms:

• Voiceovers: Create a Reel and record your own voiceover explaining a process, telling a story, or sharing a tip. Informative or funny voiceovers are incredibly popular and set you apart.
• Unique Audio Clips: Record a signature sound for your brand. It could be a short jingle, a recurring phrase, or even an interesting sound from your workspace. When another user creates a Reel using your "original audio," your account gets credited at the bottom of the screen - it's great for organic exposure!

Using original audio is not just a workaround, it's a solid branding strategy. Rather than just following trends, you have the chance to start them.

2. "Borrow" Audio from Other Reels and Sounds

You can use audio from another user's Reel by tapping on the scrolling audio title at the bottom of their video. This will take you to an audio page where you can tap Use audio to create your own Reel with that sound.

There's a major catch here: If that audio is a popular, commercially licensed song, Instagram will often still recognize it and block you from using it on a Business account, showing you a message like "This song is not licensed for business use." However, this method works perfectly for tapping into trends that are based on original audio from other creators (like funny monologues or viral voiceovers). Pay attention to whether the sound says "Original audio" under the creator's name.

3. Edit Outside of Instagram (But Do It Legally)

Another popular method is to upload a high-quality finished video - complete with music - directly from your camera roll. You can do this by using a third-party video editing app on your phone, like CapCut, InShot, or Splice.

Here comes the most important warning of this article: You cannot simply add a popular radio hit in an external app and upload it. Doing so bypasses Instagram's protective system and puts your business at risk for copyright infringement. If the song is detected by Instagram's algorithm (which is highly likely), a few things can happen:

• Your video's audio could be muted.
• Your video could be taken down entirely.
• Your account could receive a copyright strike.

This method only works if you have a proper license for the music you're adding. So, where do you get great music that you *can* use legally? That's where subscription-based royalty-free music services come in. Platforms like:

• Epidemic Sound
• Artlist
• Musicbed

These services offer huge libraries of high-quality music created by real artists. For a modest monthly fee, you get a commercial license to use their tracks in your marketing content across social media. The music often rivals what's on the charts, giving your content a polished, professional feel without the legal risk.

A Quick Word on Copyright: Staying on the Right Side of the Law

It can feel tempting to look for sneaky ways around Instagram's music rules, but it's rarely worth the risk. Music copyright is taken very seriously, and the penalties for corporate infringement can be severe. Building a sustainable brand on social media means playing the long game.

By either switching to a Creator account to use Instagram's official library or sourcing your music from a licensed service like Epidemic Sound, you're protecting your business from potential legal issues. It allows you to focus your energy on what really matters: creating fantastic content that connects with your audience.

Final Thoughts

Getting your hands on popular music for your business's Instagram is entirely possible when you understand the rules of the game. The quickest and most effective path for most brands is switching to a Creator account to unlock the full audio library. If you can't, using original audio and sourcing tracks through a legitimate music licensing service are powerful strategies that protect you while giving you creative freedom.

Once you nail your audio and create amazing short-form videos, the final challenge is managing it all without the chaos. When we built Postbase, we were tired of tools that stumbled on video. That's why we designed a platform from the ground up for Reels, TikToks, and Shorts. You can plan all your video content on one beautiful calendar, schedule it across every platform, and trust that it will go live reliably every single time. It helps you stay consistent without wrestling with a clunky, outdated system.