How To Add Music To Your Instagram Story (Step-By-Step Guide)

If you’re looking to bring a boost of energy to your Instagram feed, you may be wondering how to add music to your Instagram story. This is a relatively new feature for the app, but the social media world is already loving it. 

Music is just one of several great Instagram tools that creators can use to engage their audience and immediately connect with their followers. Ready to see how to add music to your Instagram story in a way that brings great audio to your feed? Let’s get started!

How To Add Music To Your Instagram Story

How to add music to your Instagram story can be answered in two basic ways—directly from the app or from a streaming music app. 

How To Use The Instagram Music Library

The most direct way to add music to your Instagram story or post is to use the platform’s built-in music library. They have a wide selection of music, and you’re sure to find a song that fits your mood.

Start your Insta story by tapping the Plus icon or swiping right from your home feed. At the camera screen, you can take a new photo or video, or use one you already have.  

Once you have your image or video ready, you’ll be able to add special effects, text, and stickers. To add music, tap the Sticker icon. You’ll see several sticker options like the date, hashtags, gifs, and others. The Music sticker is there too—tap on that.

Now you’ll see Instagram’s music library. There, you can scroll through a list of songs recommended for you. You can also search for a certain song or browse the library by genre. Not sure if you’ll like a song? Click the Play icon next to it to hear a preview before posting it to your Insta story.

Once you have the song you want for your Insta story, tap it. You’ll be brought back to your image or video where you can select which part of the song plays and the song image that’ll be displayed on your story. 

Simply drag the slider bar at the bottom of the screen to adjust which part of the song will play in your story. Remember, Instagram allows up to 15 seconds of music, but you can shorten the duration by clicking on the number-15 circle in the bottom-left of the screen.

To choose the song image that will appear in your Insta story, scroll though the options right above the slider bar or tap on the image to go to the next option. There are four options that display the song’s lyrics and two options that display the artist and the song title. You can also use the Color icon in the top-right of the screen to adjust the color of the text for each option, an important detail when it comes to adding music to your Instagram story.

When you’re happy with the song and Music sticker you’ve chosen, tap Done. You’ll be brought back to your story to put the finishing touches on your Music sticker. Tap and hold the sticker to drag it anywhere in your story. Use two fingers to increase or decrease the size, or to tilt the sticker. If you change your mind, double-tap the sticker and you’ll go back to the previous screen to change the image of the sticker.

When your Insta story is complete, choose who you’d like to share it with. You can post it to your stories, choose to share it with only your Close Friends, or tap Send To to send it via DM to specific people.

How To Add Music To Your Story Using Spotify

If you can’t find the song you want in Instagram’s music library, go to Spotify to find it and add music to an Instagram story that way.

Start by opening the Spotify app. Find the song you want to share in your Insta story and tap on the Ellipses icon next to it. Next, tap Share and you’ll see an Instagram icon at the bottom of your screen.

Click on the Instagram icon. Your app will open with the song ready to share in your Insta story. The cover art will be your image, and you can customize the story with text and other stickers. When you’re finished, publish it to your stories or send it directly to friends, another simple method in easily helping you know exactly how to add music to your Instagram story.

How To Add Music To Your Story Using SoundCloud

SoundCloud makes it easy to add music to an Instagram Story, too. Open the app and find the song you’d like to put in your Story. Tap the Ellipses icon next to the song, and you’ll see an Instagram icon near the top of your screen.

Once you tap the Instagram Stories icon, you’ll go directly to customizing the Story in Instagram. You can add stickers and effects here. Then, post your Insta story for your friends to enjoy!

How To Add Music To Your Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels gives you the opportunity to create 15 or 30 second videos. So, how do you add music to your latest Instagram post? 

To get started creating a Reel, tap the Plus icon and select Reels. Tap the Music Note icon in the left-hand menu. From there, you’ll go to Instagram’s music library where you can browse through popular songs or search for a particular song. 

This is also where you can find the audio tracks you’ve saved from other Reels. To save a song, open the Reel and tap the audio at the bottom of the screen. That’ll take you to the song’s page where you can save it and see the other Reels that use the same song.

Once you know the song you want to use in your Reel, tap on it. On the next screen, you can use the slider bar at the bottom of the screen to select the part of the song you’d like playing in your Reel. Once you have that set, tap Done.

At this point, you can film your 15 or 30 second video and add other effects. When you’re finished, write a caption and tag people. Then, share your Reel and post it to your stories. Knowing how to add music to your Instagram story is a simple, yet powerful tool to reach your audience and connect with them on an emotional level.

How To Add Music To Your Instagram Post

Instagram stories and Reels have music features, but Instagram posts don’t have that capability. However, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. You can use another app to blend music with your Instagram post. Here are a few ways to learn how to add music to your Instagram post.

How To Use TikTok To Add Music To An Instagram Post

One of the most popular recent Instagram trends, and an easy way to get music on your Instagram Post, is to use a TikTok video. 

Start by opening TikTok and tapping the Plus icon near the bottom of the screen. Click the Add Sound button at the top of the screen. Find the song you want to use and tap the red checkbox next to it.

Record your video and add any effects you’d like. Tap the Next icon. On the next screen, you can write your caption, select your video options, and post your video to TikTok. Once your video is published, you can view it. You’ll see an ellipses icon in the lower-right hand corner. Tap it.

You’ll see that Instagram is one of the sharing options. Click the icon and your phone will prompt you to choose either your feed or your stories. Select Feed and you’ll be redirected to Instagram. From there, you can publish your Instagram post as usual. 

How To Use Tempo To Add Music To An Instagram Post

Tempo is a video editing app that has special effects and music features. It’s another easy way to help you learn how to add music to your Instagram post.

To get started, open the app and scroll through the themes. Tap the one you like and tap the orange Use button. You’ll select the images you’d like to use in your post. After selecting your images, you’ll see a preview of your video. 

You can swap out the music by tapping the Change Music icon and then tapping Change. You’ll see Tempo’s music library. Tap on the song you want to use and then tap the Checkmark to save the song to your video. 

When you’re finished, tap Save to Phone, choose your export size, and wait for it to download. A Share box will automatically pop up. Tap on the Instagram icon and choose to post it on your Feed.

How To Use Inshot To Add Music To An Instagram Post

Inshot is another option for creating an Instagram post with music. 

Start by opening the app and selecting Video. Choose the video or images you’d like to feature in your video. You’ll see an editing menu across the bottom of your screen and this is where you can select music for your video.

Tap the Music icon and you’ll have three options: add a music track, add a sound effect, or record your own audio. By sliding your video bar, you can insert pieces of audio at multiple points in one video. You can also customize each piece of audio that you add by tapping on Edit. 

When you’re finished adding sound, click the Checkmark. Add any other stickers, filters, or text you’d like and tap Save. When your video is finished saving, you’ll see a menu of sharing options. Tap on the Instagram icon and your phone will prompt you to select Feed or stories. Select Feed and post as usual.

How To Use GoPro Quik To Add Music To An Instagram Post

If you’d like another answer for how to add music to an Instagram post, check out GoPro’s Quik app. It has some great editing and music features.

Start by opening the app and tap the blue Gallery icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Then, tap the Arrow icon on the bottom menu. This will allow you to select the images or video you’d like to use in your Instagram post. When you’re done, tap the Clapboard icon. 

The app will automatically edit your images together or edit down your video. In the bottom editing menu, you’ll see a Music icon. Tap it to scroll through audio options. You can also tap the blue Plus icon to see music options.

When you’re done editing your video, tap the blue Save button. On the next screen, tap the Share arrow and then Share Media. In the bottom-left corner of your screen, there will be an Instagram icon. Tap that and you’ll be redirected to posting your video on Instagram.

How To Use BackgroundMusic To Add Music To An Instagram Post

If you want catchy music that adds a little bit of spice to your videos, you should check out BackgroundMusic. This video-editor app has all sorts of features that make adding background music to any post seamless and quick.

From the ability to trim frame by frame to recording your very own voiceover to fading in-and-out effects, this video maker will transform you a pro video editor with little to no effort.

To get started, download the app on your device and click the purple Start button. Make sure you allow access to your photos and videos, then select which one you want to add some background music to and name your new project. You’ll have the option to start a free 7-day trial, or continue for $2.99 per week. You’ll have the option to choose Portrait, Square, or Landscape, depending on which format best suits your video.

Once you press Continue, select the Music icon, which will take you to a Categories section with all sorts of music genres: classical, energetic, happy, romantic, sad, etc.

Select a mood that suits your video, then preview the video with music before tapping the Share icon to post onto your Instagram. Make sure to tweak any features like speed and volume to your liking before you post. It’ll add that extra flair your video needs to shine and stand out among the rest.

Having Trouble Adding Music To Your Instagram Story?

If you don’t see the Music sticker as an option on your Instagram app, there are a few reasons why this may be happening. 

The most simple reason why people can’t add music to an Instagram Story is that their app isn’t updated. Make sure you have the most recent version of Instagram on iOS or Android.

Another reason why you may not be able to figure out how to add music to your Instagram story is that the feature is not currently offered in your country. The feature is available in more than 90 countries, but due to copyright laws, it’s not available everywhere.

If you have an Instagram business account, you may have a limited selection of music on the app due to the potential for copyright infringement. But, you can still add original audio tracks or utilize Facebook’s Sound Collection with the Music sticker. This offers 9,000 royalty-free songs that you can use for commercial purposes.

Now Start Adding Music To Your Posts!

Now you know several ways to add music to your Instagram story. So grab your phone and start posting! Mix up your moods, inspire your followers, and engage with other creators. What songs will be on your Instagram soundtrack?