How To Add Music to Instagram Story: The Complete Guide

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Karen Lin

Instagram Tools | Feb 15, 2024

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

When you know how to add music to Instagram Story posts, you’ll open the door to more creative content. This IG Story feature will also create a more immersive and enjoyable experience for your viewers.

Have you tried out this feature yet? It’s a simple way to create more appealing and engaging content, which can help you earn more followers. Instagram Stories are among the best features on the platform that blend well with a great organic growth strategy. Keep reading to learn how you can create Instagram Stories that are aesthetically pleasing to both the eyes and ears!  

3D graphic of a white screen with a pink play button in the center.

Make Your Story More Engaging With the Right Music

Nothing evokes stronger emotions and sentiments than striking sights and sounds. When you already have a great visual, adding music to Instagram Story can help create the perfect mood. Let’s explore how you can add music to your Instagram Stories.

Screenshot of a step of how to add music to Instagram Story featuring a music sticker.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story With Stickers

If you’re wondering how to add music to Instagram Story, you’re in luck. The Instagram app gives you free access to a music library with thousands of songs. 

You’ll be able to find the right tune for whatever type of content you create for your Stories. The typical way to use IG Stories’ music feature is by using the Music Sticker:

  1. Open the Instagram app and start building a Story. 
  2. To add music to your Instagram Story, tap the sticker icon on the top of the screen. Then select the music sticker. 
  3. You’ll see the music pop-up menu. You can search for a specific song by title, artist, or album. Alternatively, you can choose a song from various categories or genres, such as Popular, Jazz, Rock, etc. You’ll be able to hear a short clip of the song before adding music to Instagram Story. 
  4. When you’ve decided on a tune, tap the add option. If you’re adding music to a picture Story, you can play it anywhere between 5 and 15 seconds.
  5. Select which portion of the song you want to play using the slider bar, which appears after selecting the tune. 
  6. You can change the album or song artwork with some songs or replace the thumbnail with lyrics. Tap the sticker to toggle through the album artwork options.
  7. The selected tune will appear as a sticker on your picture Story. You can move it around to position it where it best fits into your content. You can also resize the sticker to make it more or less prominent. 
  8. When satisfied with your Story’s visuals and audio, press “Done” and publish your Story. Congratulations, you created Instagram Stories with a song playing for everyone’s enjoyment.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story Without a Sticker

Curious to know how to add music to Instagram Story slides without a Music Sticker? Drag the sticker outside the Story frame. The sticker shows up in the Story preview, but it will still play after you publish the Story. However, the song title and artist will still appear on the screen.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story on an Android

Adding music to an Instagram Story on an Android device resembles the steps described above. You’ll still do so inside the Instagram app and still use Instagram’s music library. Here are the six simple steps for you to follow:

  1. Open the Instagram app and tap your Story icon in the top left corner.
  2. Take a photo, video, or upload content from your own library.
  3. Once you’ve selected your image, tap the sticker icon in the top right corner.
  4. Then, tap the music button (aka, sticker). Choose a song and pick out what part of the song you want to play. You can still decide whether to display song lyrics or the album art.
  5. Once you’re set to add music to your Instagram Stories, click the “Your Story” icon in the bottom left corner.

Two people sitting on a beige couch with headphones in looking at a phone to add music to Instagram Story.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story on an iPhone

Do you want to add music to your Instagram Stories, but you have an Apple Device? No worries, you can still access the Instagram music library and follow nearly identical steps to those above. Here’s how to add music to Instagram Story posts:

  1. Open the Instagram app. Click your Story icon in the top left corner or swipe your screen to the right.
  2. Tap the photos or videos you want to share with your entire following.
  3. Hit the sticker icon at the top of the page and follow the same music sticker steps listed above. Decide when you want music playing in your Story and for how long.
  4. Once you’ve found the perfect song lyrics or sound for your content, tap the “Your Story” button at the bottom. If you want only your close friends to see how your Stories feature your favorite songs, tap “Close Friends” instead.

Close-up of iPhone and headphones on a wooden surface.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story Video

Adding music to your Instagram Story video involves the same steps as above but with some differences. 

  1. With a Story video, the song plays for the entire video.   
  2. You can pin the music sticker to an object/person in the video so that the sticker moves with them.

Facebook Sound Collection library logo and title graphic.

How To Add Music to an Instagram Story for a Business Account: Licensing Restrictions

Are you having trouble figuring out how to add music to an Instagram Story via a business account? There may be some legal restrictions getting in your way. Due to Instagram’s advertising policies and copyright laws, you can’t use the music sticker on branded content ads or posts. Only personal and non-commercial accounts can use licensed music.

The Music Sticker feature is available to business accounts, but they can only access Facebook’s Sound Collection. This library offers more than 9,000 royalty-free songs and sounds. You can use these for both Reels and Stories — and even for commercial purposes. 

Person in a crowd at a concert taking an Instagram Story with music.

How To Add Music to an Instagram Post, Not Story: Know Instagram’s Music Guidelines

You can follow these same steps for a video post. Until recently, you could only figure out how to add music to Instagram Story, not photo grid posts. However, as of November 2022, you can now add audio in-feed. That means you can add a song even if you have a carousel of photos or a stand-alone grid post. Follow these simple steps:

  1. Launch the Instagram app. You’ll see an icon in the bottom toolbar that looks like a “+” inside a square. Click that icon.
  2. Select the photo(s) you want to add to your grid. Then, hit “Next” in the top left corner.
  3. Edit the photo(s) to your liking and tap “Next” again when you’re satisfied.
  4. You’ll see the usual field to write a caption and options for tagging people and adding a location. Under that, you should see the “Add Music” option. Tap that and explore the available songs or type your chosen tune in the search bar.
  5. Then, you can pick how long you want the song to play and which section. When finished, tap “Done” and then tap “Share.”

Or, you can record a video with the song playing in the background or use a video editing tool. Take note of Instagram’s Guidelines for Including Music in Videos to ensure they don’t violate any music copyright laws. 

How To Add Music to Instagram Story via Streaming Apps

Did you know the Instagram music catalog isn’t the only option for putting music in your IG Stories? You can also share music to your Stories from another music streaming app. This includes Apple Music, Spotify, the SoundCloud app or the Shazam app. As Apple Music and Spotify are the most popular options, we’ll walk you through those steps next.

Add Music to Insta Story Using Apple Music App

When considering how to add music to Instagram Story slides, try Apple Music. The streaming service offers over 90 million songs to its subscribers. This makes it an excellent way to find your perfect song to share. The process is simple:

  1. Open your Apple Music Library. Select and play the song you want, and select the section you wish to use in your Story. Press pause where you want the music to begin. 
  2. Launch Instagram and tap the camera icon in the top left corner. 
  3. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access your phone’s Control Center. 
  4. Swipe left to open music preferences and press play on the song. 
  5. Close the Control Center and hold the shutter button to record the song. 
  6. Go to Story creation mode and upload your recorded music. Edit your Story however you like, and then publish it. 

Want to share a song you’re listening to without it being in the background of your Story? Then add music to Insta Story by doing this:

  1. Open Apple Music.
  2. Navigate to the song you want to share with your Instagram followers. Press the three small dots to the right of that song.
  3. In the menu that pops up, tap “Share Song.”
  4. Click on the Instagram icon. This will open the Instagram app and create a Story. Here you’ll see the cover art image of the song. Edit the Story as you wish and add it to your Story.

How To Add Music to Instagram Story Using the Spotify App

Are you ready to learn how to add songs to Instagram Story with the Spotify app? The first thing you’ll have to do is have a Spotify Premium Account. From there, follow these steps:

  1. Open Spotify.
  2. Select the song that you want to share on your Instagram Stories.
  3. Tap the three small dots on the top right corner of the screen.
  4. Tap the “Share” icon and select Instagram. Spotify will launch IG and create a Story similar to Apple Music. Note that, like that method, this will not actually play music. It’ll simply share the cover art image and add a link to your IG Story.

Instagram Music Sticker with Instagram icon’s colors in the background.

Final Thoughts on How to Add Music to Instagram Story

Adding the right music to your Instagram Story creates an immersive experience for your viewers. If you’re in a country where adding music to an Instagram Story is available, use this feature to your advantage.

Creating an enticing audio-visual experience for your followers through your Instagram Stories is essential for brands, especially. Knowing how to add music to Instagram Story posts can pave the way for higher engagement. Plus, it’s sure to earn you a lot of new followers!

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