How to Make the Music Longer on an Instagram Reel

You’ve filmed the perfect video clips, edited them into a seamless 90-second story, and found the ideal song to bring it to life - only to have Instagram chop the music off at 15 seconds. It’s one of the most common frustrations on the platform, leaving your longer Reels feeling awkward and incomplete. This guide will walk you through exactly how to make the music longer on your Instagram Reel, covering every available method to make sure your audio goes the distance.

Why Is My Reel Music So Short?

Before jumping into the solutions, it helps to understand why this happens. While Instagram allows Reels to be up to 90 seconds long, not every song in its music library is licensed for that full duration. Artists and labels strike specific deals with Instagram, and many of the most popular tracks are only available in short samples - typically 15, 30, or 60 seconds. You’re not doing anything wrong, you’re just running into the limits of music licensing.

Another big factor is your account type. Business Accounts have a much more restricted music library due to commercial licensing agreements. They can only access royalty-free tracks from Meta’s Sound Collection, which often have different length limitations compared to the fun, trending audio available to Creator Accounts. Don't worry - we have workarounds for both situations.

Method 1: Adjusting Music Length Inside the Instagram Editor

Your first stop should always be Instagram’s native editor. It’s the quickest way to get longer music, provided the track you want is available for an extended duration. This works best when you simply overlooked the default setting and need to manually extend the clip.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Create Your Reel: Open the Instagram app and swipe right or tap the plus ‘+’ icon to open the Reel editor. Upload your pre-recorded video clips or shoot new ones directly in the app. Arrange your clips on the timeline until your Reel has reached its final length (e.g., 60 or 90 seconds).
2. Add Your Music: Tap the music note icon on the left-hand menu to open the audio library. Search for the song you want to use and select it. This will add the default audio clip to your Reel.
3. Find the Duration Control: Once you've selected a song, look for a small button that shows the duration, often displayed as a number inside a circle (e.g., “15”). Tap this button. If the song is licensed for longer clips, you’ll see options to extend it to 30, 60, or even 90 seconds. Simply select the length that matches your video.
4. Select the Right Part of the Song: After setting the duration, you'll see the song's waveform at the bottom of the screen. You can slide this waveform left or right to pick the exact segment of the song you want to play during your Reel. For a 60-second Reel, you can choose any 60-second chunk from the track.
5. Finalize and Post: Tap “Done” to confirm your audio selection. From here, you can add text, stickers, or filters before sharing your Reel.

Keep in mind: If you tap the duration button and don't see options for 60 or 90 seconds, it means that specific song isn't licensed for longer use. That's when you'll need to move on to our next method.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party App for Ultimate Control

When Instagram's library won't cooperate, the most reliable way to get full-length audio is to edit your video outside of Instagram. By adding music to your video before you upload it, you gain complete control over the track, its length, and which part you use. When you upload this finished video, Instagram will classify it under "Original Audio."

Recommended Video Editing Apps:

• CapCut: A powerful and free editor with tons of features perfect for creating engaging Reels.
• InShot: User-friendly and great for beginners, it makes adding music and trimming clips very straightforward.
• VN Video Editor: Another excellent free option with a professional-feeling interface and no watermarks.

How to Add Full-Length Music Before You Upload:

1. Start Your Project: Open your video editing app of choice and import the video clips you plan to use for your Reel. Arrange and trim them in the timeline until your video is finalized.
2. Import Your Music: In your editor, find the option to add audio or music. You can import a full song file that you legally own (e.g., an MP3 you've purchased) or use music from a royalty-free service to avoid copyright trouble.
3. Sync Your Audio and Video: Drag the music track into your timeline. Trim the audio to match the exact length of your video clips. You can move the audio track to start at any point in the song - the chorus, the intro, anywhere you'd like. This is where you get true creative freedom.
4. Export Your Video: Once everything is perfectly synced, export the final video file to your phone’s camera roll. The music is now permanently part of the video.
5. Upload to Instagram: Open the Reel editor in Instagram and upload your completed video. The audio will upload with it. Instagram will automatically label the sound as "Original Audio" with your username attached. Now, your 90-second video has music that runs for the entire duration.

A Note on Copyright

While using "Original Audio" gives you control, you’re still subject to Instagram's copyright rules. If you use a famous, copyrighted song in your video editor, Instagram’s automated system may detect it and mute your Reel or take it down entirely. To be safe, especially if you're a brand or monetization-focused creator, it's best to use royalty-free music from platforms like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or Meta’s own Sound Collection, which you can download online.

Method 3: Finding Longer Tracks in the Instagram Library

Not all songs on Instagram are limited to short snippets. You just have to know where and how to look for tracks that offer the full 90 seconds.

Tips for Finding Full-Length Music:

• Explore Emerging Artists: Artists who are trying to promote their music on Instagram often make their full tracks available to encourage creators to use their sounds. Check out playlists like "New Music Friday" or browse smaller indie genres.
• Search for "Instrumental" or "Soundtrack": Production music and instrumental tracks are typically licensed for longer durations. Searching for terms like “cinematic,” “upbeat,” or “lofi” can surface great background music that runs for the full length of your Reel.
• Use Remixed or "Sped Up" Audio: Trending TikTok-style audio, like sped-up or slowed-down versions of popular songs, often have longer clip lengths available because they're classified as unique sounds.
• Save Audio From Other Reels: If you're scrolling and come across a Reel with great music that runs for the full length, tap the audio name at the bottom of the screen and hit "Save Audio." You can then find it in your "Saved" audio folder when creating your next Reel.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Find Any Popular Music?

If your music search only shows generic, unknown songs and no pop hits, the problem is almost certainly your account type. As mentioned earlier, Instagram strictly limits Business Accounts to commercially licensed, royalty-free music to protect both you and the artists from copyright lawsuits.

If using trending audio is a core part of your content strategy, your best option is to switch your account type.

How to Switch from a Business to a Creator Account:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner to open the menu.
2. Select Settings and Privacy.
3. Tap on Creator tools and controls. (Note: if you see "Business tools and controls" here, that confirms you're on a business account).
4. Scroll down and tap Switch account type.
5. Choose Switch to Creator Account from the options.

After switching, you should immediately gain access to the full music library with popular songs. The creator account is designed for content creators, influencers, and public figures and gives you the creative flexibility you need while still providing access to analytics.

Final Thoughts

Mastering audio on your Reels is a game-changer for creating more professional and watchable content. By learning how to use the in-app duration editor, pre-editing your videos for full creative control, and knowing how to find longer tracks, you can finally put the 15-second music limit behind you for good.

We know that once you've perfected your video's audio, the last thing you want is a clunky process to get it posted. Consistency is just as important as content quality, and planning out your Reels can be a huge time-saver. Since we built Postbase with a video-first approach, scheduling your meticulously edited Reels is straightforward. You can line up your content weeks in advance in a visual calendar, customize captions for different platforms, and trust that it will publish reliably - letting you focus more on creating and less on the manual work of posting.