How to Add Music to Instagram Posts, Reels and Stories

To add music to an Instagram post, pick your photo, tap Next twice, then tap Add audio and choose a song before you share. Reels have Music in the tool menu on the left while you record, and stories have Music in the editor, also found among the stickers. Add the music before you post: the only change after posting that Instagram documents is replacing a track that was muted.

Below are the exact steps for each format, what to do when music is missing, and how musicians get their own songs into the library.

This works the same on iPhone and Android:

Tap Create, then tap POST.
Take a photo or choose one from your phone's library.
Tap Next, then tap Next again in the bottom right.
Tap Add audio. Pick a song from the list or search the music library.
Use the sliding bar at the bottom to choose which part of the song plays with your photo.
Tap Done, then tap Share.

One thing to know before you post: if your account is public, anyone can reuse your original audio in their own post. Making your account private stops that.

Add music to a carousel of photos

A carousel is a post with several photos, and it can have one song across all of them.

Tap Create at the top, or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
Tap POST at the bottom, then tap Select multiple.
Select your images and tap Next in the top right.
Tap Filters if you want them, then tap Done in the bottom right.
Tap Next in the bottom right.
Tap Add music. Choose a suggestion in For you, look in Browse, or type in the search bar.
Edit which segment of the song you want, then tap Done in the top right.
Finish your post and tap Share.

Music can't be added to a carousel that includes a video. If the Add music option is missing, check whether one of your slides is a clip; posting it as photos only, or as a reel, solves it.

Add music to a reel while you record or edit

Reels give you two places to add a song.

While recording:

From your Feed, tap Create, then tap REEL.
Tap Camera to record, or pick a video from your camera roll.
In the tool menu on the left, tap Music and search for a song.
Choose which part of the song you want to play.

After recording:

Tap Next.
Tap Audio to add a song.
To change it later in the editor, tap Edit video, then tap the music on the timeline to replace it.

If lyrics are available for the song, you can choose a font style and use the slider to pick which lines show on your reel.

Reels can run up to 20 minutes, but Instagram won't recommend reels over 3 minutes to new audiences. If you upload a video that already has a licensed song in it, Instagram may detect it and change the credit from Original Audio to the artist and song title, adding your reel to that song's audio page. If it picked the wrong song, tap Options on the reel, then Remove From Audio Page.

Add music to your story with the Music sticker

Stories are the most forgiving place for music: Instagram's music guidelines say there are no limits on using music in Stories.

Tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed, then scroll to Story.
Take a photo or video, or swipe up to choose one from your camera roll.
Tap Music in the editor, or tap Stickers at the top and choose Music.
Select a song or search for one at the top.
Choose which part of the song plays. If lyrics are available, pick a font and design for them.
Tap Your Story in the bottom left to share.

If you want people to go from your story to the full song, add a link sticker next to the music. Our guide to adding a link to an Instagram story has the steps.

Put a song on your profile

You can also add a 30 second clip of a song to your bio, where it stays until you remove it.

Go to your profile and tap Edit profile.
Tap Music below Add to profile.
Search for a song or browse For you.
Tap the song, choose your 30 seconds, and tap Done.

To take it off, tap the song on your profile and tap Remove profile song.

Why music is missing or muted

When a song or the music option doesn't show up, Instagram points to a short list of causes.

Problem	Why it happens	What to do
No Music sticker or option	It isn't available to everyone, or your app is out of date	Update Instagram from the App Store or Google Play Store
Song isn't in search	The licensed library isn't available for your account type or in your country or region	Use Meta's Sound Collection
No library on a business account	Certain business accounts and certain post types don't get the licensed library	Use Sound Collection, or check your account type
Track muted after posting	Licensing changed, or the rights holder blocked it	Replace the audio once
Stickers missing entirely	Stickers may be unavailable in Japan and Europe, and not every sticker reaches every account	Update the app and check again

The licensed library is meant for personal, non-commercial use, which is why some business accounts don't see it. Meta's Sound Collection is the fallback: over 14,000 royalty free songs and sounds you can use in Reels and Stories, including for commercial purposes like ads. Find it through the Music sticker in Stories or Audio in the Reels camera. Instagram's licensed music library page has the full rules.

If a post's audio gets muted, the post stays up and you can swap the track one time:

Open the post and tap Audio unavailable.
Tap Replace audio, then Replace audio again.
Choose the part of the track you want and tap Done.

For videos, shorter clips are safer. Instagram says the more full-length recorded tracks a video includes, the more likely it is to be muted or blocked, and that recorded audio shouldn't be the main point of the video.

Get your own song on Instagram as a musician

Your song gets into Instagram's music through your distributor. TuneCore, one distributor that delivers to Facebook and Instagram, says putting three releases on Meta's platforms is free, approval takes about one day after upload, and songs reach Facebook and Instagram after about five business days. It asks that you follow its Style Guide for release information and upload in its preferred format. TuneCore's Meta page has the current terms; if you use another distributor, check whether it lists Facebook and Instagram as a destination.

Once your song is in, use it everywhere: add it to your own reels and stories, set it as your profile song, and encourage fans to use it so their reels land on your song's audio page. For release week, pair it with a Spotify pre-save, and see our full guide on promoting your music on Instagram for the rest of the plan.

Send listeners from Instagram to the full track

A 30 second clip gets attention, but the full song lives on Spotify, Apple Music or SoundCloud. Olaa is a link in bio tool that gives you one short link, olaa.im/yourname, to put in your Instagram bio. On the free plan, your page can hold unlimited links and music and video players that play right on the page, from Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok, so a fan who hears your song in a reel can play the whole thing in one tap.

Olaa Pro ($8 a month or $72 a year) adds countdowns for release day, scheduled links, and email signups sent to Mailchimp. See how it works for musicians.

FAQ

Why can't I add music to my Instagram post?

The licensed library may not be available for your account type or in your country or region, or the Music option may not have reached your app yet. Update Instagram first. If you're on a business account, certain business accounts don't get licensed music, so use Meta's Sound Collection instead.

Can I add music to an Instagram post after posting?

Instagram documents only one case: if the audio on your post was muted, you can tap Audio unavailable and replace it, one time. Otherwise, add the song before you tap Share.

Can I add music to a carousel with videos?

No. Instagram doesn't allow music on carousels that include a video. Use photos only, or turn the clips into a reel and add music there.

How do I show lyrics on my Instagram story or reel?

Add a song with the Music option, and if lyrics are available for it, Instagram lets you choose a font and design. In reels, a slider lets you pick which lyrics appear. Not every song has lyrics.

How do I get my song in Instagram's music library?

Release it through a distributor that delivers to Facebook and Instagram. TuneCore says three releases on Meta's platforms are free and songs arrive about five business days after its one day approval.

How long can music be on an Instagram profile?

A profile song is a 30 second clip that you choose from the track. It stays on your profile until you tap it and choose Remove profile song.