How to add music to your videos: Step by step guide

Girl use your mobile to put music to a video.

Videos are much more than a sequence of clips or images strung together, they create an immersive experience that serves a meaningful purpose: to educate, motivate, or entertain. To effectively connect with viewers and keep their interest, good background music goes a long way.

Fortunately, adding music to videos is not complicated and there are many tools that you can use to improve your videos and make them more attractive, without technical knowledge or editing experience. In this guide, we will talk about different ways to add music to your videos.

We'll also answer some questions you might have along the way, like what kind of music to use so you don't run into copyright issues. If you're ready to take your videos to the next level, let's get started!

Woman records and edits a video with music from her mobile

Add music to a video from Android with InShot

InShot is a powerful video editing app with free and paid plans. For add music to a video with InShot You only need to have it in a compatible format (MP3, M4A or WAV), although you can also use the music available from the app. This is the step by step:

  1. Open the InShot app and tap the « buttonADIEX» on the main screen.
  2. Select the video you want to add music to and touch it to edit it.
  3. Tap the button «Music» in the bottom toolbar.
  4. Select the music you want to add as the background in your InShot project. You can choose between the music available from the app, or import an audio file that is on the mobile.
  5. Tap the button «Use» to add the music to your InShot project.
  6. Edit the music as needed. You can adjust the volume of the music and trim the length of the track.
  7. Save the finished video to your Android device or share it on your favorite social networks or video platforms.

Ready! You now have a video with background music that you have added using InShot on your Android device.

Add music to a video from TikTok

TikTok is one of the most popular content platforms today, mainly due to the use of trending songs and music and dance challenges. so what add music to a video on TikTok It is a necessity to increase the reach and interaction of your posts.

  1. Open the TikTok app and click on the icon «+»At the bottom of the screen.
  2. Click on «Sound»At the top of the screen.
  3. Select a song of your choice and click the placeholder icon.
  4. Record a video within the app using effects or filters, or upload a video from your library, and the audio will sync automatically.

Remember that TikTok offers facilities to download the videos, so you can later use them on other platforms.

Most Popular Video Social Media Apps

Add music to a video using Instagram

Gone are the days when Instagram was a photo-focused social network, and video is now an essential part of content, both in the form of Stories and Reels. we teach you to put music to a video with Instagram:

How to Add Music to Instagram Stories

  1. Open the Instagram app and swipe to the right to see the options for stories, live and Reels. Click on «History«.
  2. Record your video or select the video you want to add from your gallery.
  3. Click on the stickers icon (third icon from the right at the top) and Select «Music«.
  4. Search for your favorite song or choose from Instagram's recommended songs, which are based on today's popular music.
  5. Using the slider select the part of the music you want to add to the video.
  6. Add any other stickers, text, or effects you want, then post your story with the added music.

How to put music to Instagram Reels

  1. Open the Instagram app and swipe to the right to see the options for stories, live and Reels. Click on «Reels«.
  2. Click on «Audio» in the side menu.
  3. Search for your favorite song or select from the songs suggested by Instagram.
  4. Adjust the music by selecting the duration and the segment you want to use.
  5. Record the video or select a video from your gallery.
  6. Preview the video, making sure the music has synced correctly.
  7. Add any other effects or stickers you want, and then post your Reel with the added music.

Boy edits a video to put background music

Add music to a video on an iPhone using iMovie

iMovie is an app that comes pre-installed on iPhones and iPads and is available for free on the App Store. We show you how you can add music to a video using iMovie on your iOS device.

  1. Open the iMovie app on your iPhone.
  2. Click on the «+» in the upper corner of the screen and select “Movie” to create a new project.
  3. Select video clips you want to add music to from your photo library and click on “Create Movie” at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Touch the «+» on the left side of the screen below the video and select the option «Audio".
  5. Choose "My music» from the list, which includes music tracks and sound effects as other options. Choose the music you prefer and click on the button «+«.
  6. Your video with the added music is ready. Click the export button and save it to your gallery to use as you like.

With iMovie you can customize the duration of the music and combine multiple video clips with different pieces of music to create a perfectly edited movie on your iPhone or iPad.

How important is music in a video?

Music can be extremely important in a video. The right music can set the tone and atmosphere of the video, enhance the viewing experience and keep the viewer engaged and interested.

In some cases, the music may even be more important than the visual content itself, as it can help create an emotional connection between the viewer and the video. This is the basis of some social networks, such as TikTok.

Girl records a video with music and dance.

What kind of music is best for a video?

The type of music that is best for a video depends on the tone and theme of the video. Music should complement the content of the video and help set the mood and emotion you want to convey.

For example, upbeat, energetic music might be appropriate for a funny video, while calmer, more melancholy music might be more appropriate for an emotional or sad video.

En general, the music must be coherent with the message that is being transmitted and it must be attractive to the target audience of the video.

Is music copyright important?

Having the right to use the music you put in a video is very important, especially if you upload it to social networks. Most of the songs are protected by copyright, which means they cannot be used without permission from the copyright owner.

If you use copyrighted music without permission, you risk being sued for copyright infringement, which can result in legal and financial penalties.

Social networks like Instagram or TikTok have agreements to use copyrighted music in videos. But these agreements allow you to use fragments of the music pieces, and only in certain types of publications.

To avoid any copyright issues, you can use music that is available under appropriate copyright licenses, such as the Creative Commons license.

Group of boys and girls creating content for social media


The content of the article adheres to our principles of editorial ethics. To report an error click here.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.