How to Put a Song on Instagram

Adding the perfect song to your Instagram content can turn a good post into a great one, stopping the scroll and creating an instant vibe. Whether you're making a dynamic Reel, a quick Story, or a simple photo post, music is a powerful tool for capturing attention. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add music to Instagram Stories, Reels, and feed posts, including how to handle custom audio and troubleshoot common issues like a limited music library.

Why Music Matters on Instagram

Before we get into the "how," let's talk about the "why." Music isn't just background noise, it's a core part of the Instagram experience. Using a trending audio clip on Reels can massively boost your visibility, placing your content in front of people who don't already follow you. A well-chosen song in a Story can set a mood - be it funny, inspiring, or nostalgic - and make it far more engaging than a silent clip. For brands and creators, a consistent vibe through music can even help build a recognizable identity. Simply put, audio is one of the most effective ways to make your content feel more personal and professional.

Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Music to Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are the most common place to add a soundtrack. The process is straightforward and offers a few fun customization options to make your Story pop.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Create Your Story: Open the Instagram app and swipe right from your feed to open the Story camera, or tap the "+" icon at the top and select "Story." You can either take a new photo or video right there or swipe up to choose one from your phone’s camera roll.
2. Open the Sticker Tray: Once your photo or video is on the screen, tap the sticker icon at the top of the display (it looks like a square smiley face). This will open up a menu full of stickers, polls, quizzes, and other interactive features.
3. Select the Music Sticker: Find and tap the "Music" sticker. This will open Instagram's music library, which is packed with millions of songs.
4. Find Your Perfect Song: You’ll see a "For You" tab with personalized suggestions and a "Browse" tab where you can look through different genres, moods, and themes. If you have a specific song in mind, use the search bar at the top to find it instantly.
5. Choose Your Clip: After selecting a song, Instagram will automatically load a 15-second clip, which is the maximum length for a single Story slide. You can move the slider bar at the bottom to scrub through the song and find the exact part you want to use.
6. Customize the Look: This is where you can get creative. Instagram gives you several options for how the music appears in your Story. You can display the song's lyrics in different fonts and animations, show the album artwork, or use a small, subtle sticker with the song title and artist. Tap through the different display options to find one that fits your aesthetic.
7. Place and Share: Drag the sticker or lyrics anywhere you want on the screen. You can pinch to resize it or rotate it. When you're happy with how it looks, just tap "Your Story" to share it with your followers.

Putting a Track on Your Instagram Reels

For Reels, audio is even more fundamental. Trending sounds directly influence what people watch and what the algorithm shows them. Using popular music is one of the best ways to get your Reel discovered.

There are two main ways to add audio to a Reel:

Method 1: Adding Music *Before* You Record

This is the best method if you want to sync your video actions to the beat of the music.

• Start a New Reel: Tap the "+" icon and choose "Reel."
• Access the Audio Library: On the left side of the screen, tap the "Audio" icon (it looks like a music note). This will take you to the music browser, which is very similar to the one for Stories but with a bigger emphasis on trending songs.
• Pick a Song: You can search for a track or browse what’s popular. Once you select a song, use the slider to choose the part you want. You can start building your video by filming directly with the audio.
• Record Your Clips: Tap the record button to start filming your video clips. The music will play in the background, making it easy to time your transitions, dance moves, or whatever else you're creating.
• Edit and Share: After recording, you can trim your clips, add text or effects, and then proceed to the final share screen to write your caption.

Method 2: Adding Music *After* You Record

This approach works well if you've already filmed a video outside of Instagram or want to keep your video's original audio and just add a backing track.

• Upload Your Video: Open the Reel editor and swipe up to select a pre-recorded video from your camera roll.
• Add Audio in the Editor: After your video loads into the editor, tap the music note icon again at the top of the editing screen. This will open the music library.
• Adjust Your Volume Levels: Once you add a song, you'll see a screen with two volume sliders: one for your "Original Audio" (the sound from your video) and one for the "Music" you just added. This is great for voiceovers where you want quiet background music. You can turn your original sound down or completely off if you only want the new song to play.
• Finalize and Share: Finish your edits, add your caption and hashtags, and you're good to post.

Adding Music to In-Feed Posts (Photos and Carousels)

Instagram also lets you add music directly to standard grid posts, including single photos, carousels, and videos. This feature transforms simple photo posts into a more immersive experience for your followers in their feed.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Create a New Post: Tap the "+" icon and select "Post."
2. Select Your Media: Choose the photo, group of photos (for a carousel), or video clip you want to post from your gallery.
3. Navigate to the Caption Screen: Apply your filters and edits, then tap "Next" to get to the final screen where you write your caption and tag people.
4. Select "Add Music": Right below the "Add Location" option, you'll see "Add Music." Tap it.
5. Choose Your Song: The same music library you've seen before will appear. Find the track you want to use.
6. Adjust the Clip: You can choose the duration of your audio clip, from 5 up to 90 seconds. Like with Stories, use the slider to select the specific part of the song you want to feature.
7. Share Your Post: Once you’ve written your caption and made all your final adjustments, tap "Share." Your post will appear in the feed with the song title and artist displayed at the top.

Going Beyond the Library: Using Your Own Audio

What if you want to use a song that isn't in Instagram's library, like your own original music or a specific royalty-free track you've downloaded? While you can't upload audio files directly to Instagram, there's a reliable workaround.

Important Disclaimer: Copyright Is Real

First, a quick warning. If you try to use a famous, copyrighted song without permission, be prepared for Instagram to mute your video's sound or take your post down altogether. Instagram's audio recognition system is very good at identifying commercially licensed music. For your own original music, sound effects, or properly licensed stock music, you are totally in the clear.

The Video Editor Approach (The Most Reliable Way)

The best way to use custom audio is to attach it to your video *before* you upload it to Instagram.

1. Choose a Video Editing App: There are plenty of user-friendly mobile video editors available. Apps like CapCut, InShot, and Splice are great options. You can also use more advanced software like Adobe Premiere Rush or LumaFusion.
2. Combine Your Video and Audio: Import your video clip into the editor. Then, import your custom audio file (whether it's an MP3 or another format) and add it as a new audio layer on your video's timeline.
3. Edit and Export: Sync the audio and video exactly how you want them. When you're done, export the final video to your phone's camera roll. The new video file now has your custom song "baked in" as its original audio.
4. Upload to Instagram: Now, you can upload this newly created video file to Instagram as a Reel or a feed post. When you do, Instagram will see it as a video with "Original Audio" belonging to you.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Find the Song I Want?

One of the most common frustrations on Instagram is opening the music library and finding that the popular song you want is missing. Most of the time, this happens for one specific reason: You have a Business account.

Due to copyright and licensing laws, Instagram cannot legally provide Business accounts with access to its full library of commercial music for promotional purposes. Brands would technically need to negotiate their own expensive licenses to use that music in marketing. To avoid legal issues, Instagram restricts Business accounts to its Meta Sound Collection - a library of royalty-free music and sounds that are safe for commercial use, but don't include Top 40 hits.

Here’s what you can do about it:

• Switch to a Creator Account: Creator accounts are intended for public figures, artists, and influencers. They come with access to the full music library, plus flexible analytics and direct messaging tools. If your business doesn't rely on third-party Business account features (like some appointment booking apps), you might be able to switch. Go to Settings and privacy > Creator tools and controls > Switch account type > Switch to Creator Account. Warning: Before you switch, check that you won't lose any features you currently rely on.
• Use Royalty-Free Music: Embrace Meta's Sound Collection or use the video editor method with properly licensed tracks from sites like Artlist, Epidemic Sound, or even YouTube’s Audio Library. This approach is always the safest for brand compliance.
• Lean into Trending Original Audio: Even with a business account, you can often use "Original Audio" sounds made by other users, which includes many popular voiceovers and audio memes. This is a great way to participate in trends without touching the commercial music library.

Final Thoughts

With so many ways to add audio, there's no reason your Instagram content should be silent. Whether you're using the built-in Music sticker in Stories, finding a trending sound for a Reel, or adding a musical backdrop to a photo, sound makes your posts more dynamic and engaging. Don't be afraid to experiment with different tracks, customize the look of your stickers, and use audio to tell a better story.

As creators and social media managers, we understand how much work goes into planning, creating, and publishing all that great content. We actually built Postbase because we wanted a modern tool that helps with today’s social media reality - a world driven by short-form video in formats like Reels and Shorts. Our visual calendar lets you plan all your video content at a glance, and our reliable cross-platform scheduling means what you create actually gets published, every time. It’s built to make your creative workflow smoother so you can spend less time fighting with clunky software and more time making content people love.