How to add music to Instagram Videos & Stories

According to Brandwatch, 60% of Instagram stories are played with the sound on. If we keep this in mind, we would be able to deduce that adding music to a story can be a differential factor for your followers. It is possible that you have thought of using your favorite songs for this type of video.

However, whether for a personal or business account, using the perfect song for your Instagram videos is not as easy as you think. For copyright reasons, this social network could remove your content or ban your account if you use protected music. In fact, the consequences can be more serious if you use copyrighted music for Instagram Ads. To prevent these problems, I will introduce you to two methods for using music on Instagram securely.

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC

If you are looking for a professional look to your Instagram, this is your best option. You will obtain great quality music and you will avoid present and future licensing problems. On the Internet, there are quite a few websites dedicated to the sale of free music licenses. The most distinguished are Envato Elements and Epidemic Sound.

Envato Elements

It is possibly one of the simplest and cheapest services that exist. This marketplace offers a multitude of musical genres and sound effects, which can be purchased under a single license. For just $16.50 that cost the monthly subscription, you will obtain:

With Envato, the copyright and royalty claims are about to finish. Also, if it does not suit your needs, you can cancel the subscription whenever you want to.

Epidemic Sound

This is another service that is well known by Instagramers and YouToubers. Through your monthly subscription, you will have access to more than 350,000 royalty-free songs. From my own experience, I know that with Epidemic Sound you will be able to monetize your videos without problems of any kind. 

 

FREE MUSIC WITHOUT COPYRIGHT

This is another different option of paid music for Instagram. At first glance, it seems obvious to opt for this option because the expenses are zero. However, purchasing free music distributed under Creative Commons licenses does not mean that there are no problems associated with this option. Some of them are:

These problems may not be an impediment to your goal of adding music into your Instagram videos. However, it is advisable that to avoid inflicting the terms of use of the social network, you should download free music from the following portals:

In all these platforms you will be able to access several music libraries with all kinds of songs, genres and sound effects. It is important to make sure that you can easily use their licenses in personal videos.

Adding music to the Instagram stories through the stickers

Another alternative to adding music to your Instagram using the “Music” sticker, which was added to the application in June 2018. Since then, stories can have their own musical thread. To do this, the first thing you will need to do is to select the “Music” option at the bottom of the screen, where the other stickers and GIFs are located. It will appear when you open your ‘Insta Story’. If for some reason this function does not appear, probably it is because you did not update the application to its last version. You can update the app directly without removing it. However, it would be best to delete it completely and download it again. Once it is updated, make sure that this option appears. If it still does not appear, this option may not yet be available for your country. Stay tuned for upcoming updates. If, on the other hand, you already have this option, it is time to search for a song. As shown in the image, a whole library of songs will appear that you can use. When it comes to selecting the one that best suits you, you will be able to:

Instagram usually chooses the chorus of the selected topic, something that its users usually do. However, you can choose another part of the song that you want to play in your story. To do that:

That is great! You already have selected the exact moment of the song. Now you need to take a picture or record a video that will be associated with the music. You know already how to do it:

• To record a video, hold down the central icon
• To take a photo, click it once

Then, you will have to select the style of the music sticker. Currently, there are only three different styles:

• Normal
• Transparent
• Square

To choose a style, click on the sticker. You can also drag it anywhere on the screen, as well as make it bigger or smaller. Finally, you can customize your ‘Insta Story’ with GIFs, text or drawings, to give it your personal touch. Share and Go!

Share music from Spotify to Instagram Stories

In addition to the “Music” label, there is another way to add music to your ‘Insta stories’: through Spotify.

Not a long time ago, the application developers added the feature of sharing your favorite tracks directly into Instagram stories. This will avoid the widespread practice of taking screenshots to show your followers what you are listening to. With this new feature, your followers will be able to open that song directly in Spotify by clicking on the link. In order to do this, you need to log in to your Spotify account and select the song. Once you have chosen it, click on the three-point icon to the right of the track title. Among the options that come up, click on “Share”. A number of options for sharing the song will follow. You will have to select the one that says “Instagram Stories”. Your Instagram application will open automatically so you can edit your story with stickers, text, etcetera. Once finished, publish it as you usually do and…voilá! You will have your Instagram Story with Spotify music!

The best apps for adding music to your Instagram videos

As you have seen, adding music to your Instagram stories is quite easy. However, adding music to regular videos that are posted outside the stories area is somewhat more complex. To do it properly, you need to have a video editor installed on your mobile that offers you a minimum of guarantees. Or download several applications that add music to Instagram. In the following lines, I will show you the most used apps within the instagramer community.

Lomotif

With more than 20 million users, Lomotif is one of the most famous in the market. It allows you, among other things, adding songs by a multitude of artists, as well as to add visual effects such as slow-motion or rewind. You can download it for free from both iTunes and Google Play.

Quik

This free app from the creators of GoPro will allow you to make creative edits with a few touches on the screen. With Quik, you will be able to add music from your library, add filters and several other tasks that can be very useful.

Vigo Video

You may not know the name because it used to be called Flipgram, which allowed -and allows- using its particular music library to add your favorite songs into your Instagram videos. This app gives you the ability to create musical slideshows, as well as function as a community on your own.

Background Music for Video

This application is not characterized by offering many functionalities. It gets straight: you choose the audio track, where you want it to start in your video, just put them together and you are done. There is only one problem: it is only available on iTunes, but at least it is free.

Conclusion

As you have seen throughout the article, you have plenty of options when it comes to putting music to your Instagram stories and videos. You can choose music from your own application with its own sticker, select your favorite theme from your Spotify account or create your own video using one of the apps mentioned above.

However, if you want to add a professional and corporate touch to your profile, it is best to use royalty-free music. I have already mentioned the dangers you face if you use illegally downloaded music. To prevent them, you can pay the small monthly fee that platforms such as Envato Elements charge for providing you with the best quality tracks. However, if you prefer to do it for free, do it legally through Creative Commons licenses.

To do this, we have created an article with the best royalty-free music subscription services that will surely save you more than one future headache. Either way, choose the method that best suits you and gives your followers the music videos they are waiting for.