How to Add Music to Instagram Stories Like a Pro

Wondering how to take your Instagram stories to the next level? Adding music is one of the best ways to make them pop!

When that perfect lyric or beat drops in, your stories go from everyday to extraordinary. Music has this magical ability to capture emotions and energy that photos and videos alone often lack.

But if you‘re not a tech whiz, navigating Instagram‘s music features can be confusing. How do you find the right songs? Get the audio to sync properly? Avoid copyright issues?

Not to worry, friend. I‘ve got you covered.

After testing ALL the music tools Instagram has to offer, I‘m breaking it all down step-by-step in this guide. I‘ll share handy tips from my years as a social media manager to help you master audio and become an Instagram rockstar!

Here‘s what we‘ll cover:

Using Instagram‘s Music Sticker like a pro
Adding music from Spotify, Apple Music, and more
Recording audio and voiceovers
Syncing issues and troubleshooting
Music for businesses and creators
Copyright rules to know

Let‘s get started with the basics…

Accessing Instagram‘s Music Library

The easiest way to add music is right within the Instagram app itself. They have an entire music library built in with thousands of popular songs!

Here‘s how to find it:

Open Instagram and tap the + icon to start a new Story.
Take or select a photo/video for your Story.
Tap the sticker icon at the top right (it looks like a smiley face).
Scroll down and select the Music icon.

This will open Instagram‘s music library. From here you can browse by:

Search: Look up a specific song title or artist.
Trending: See currently popular songs.
Genres: Browse music by genre like pop, hip-hop, rock etc.
Moods: Pick songs based on moods like happy, sad, energetic.

Once you‘ve found a song, simply tap on it to add it as a sticker to your Story!

Pro Tip: Take advantage of previews

Not sure if a song fits your Story? Tap the play icon to preview it before adding it.

This ensures you get music that perfectly matches the vibe you‘re going for. Don‘t be afraid to sample a few options first!

Customizing Your Music

Got your song picked out? Now let‘s dive into customizing it.

Tap on the music sticker to open editing options:

Here you can:

Trim the start/end points: Choose what section of the song you want to use. You can highlight 15-30 seconds rather than the whole thing.
Adjust volume: Make the music louder or quieter as needed.
Switch between lyrics and album art: Display either lyrics or album cover artwork.
Change visuals: Select a different color gradient and sticker style.
Move sticker: Drag it anywhere on the Story. Center, sides, top, bottom – put it where you want!

Take your time playing around with these options. Finding the right layout that complements your Story is important.

Pro tip: You can tap the music sticker at any time to adjust these. So feel free to tweak them even after sharing your Story!

Adding Music from Other Apps

Instagram‘s music library is robust, with thousands of mainstream hits. But once in a while you‘ll want a song it doesn‘t have.

When that happens, you can add music through other apps:

Use Spotify

Spotify has a massive catalog of music, so it can often fill in the gaps.

To share a song to your Story:

Open Spotify and play the song.
Tap the three dot menu.
Choose Share > Instagram Stories.

This creates a clip with the song‘s artwork that you can upload as a Story!

Use Apple Music

Similarly, Apple Music lets you share music:

Tap the three dots next to any song.
Choose Share Story > Instagram Stories.
Post the clip to your Story as usual.

Identify Songs with Shazam

Hear an awesome song playing somewhere? Shazam lets you identify and share it:

Open Shazam and let it listen to the mystery track.
Once tagged, tap Share and choose Instagram.
It will create a 15-second clip to post. Amazing for discovering new music!

Screen Record Audio

You can also screen record videos with music playing in the background:

Start playing the song in a music app alongside Instagram.
Screen record your Instagram video with the audio.
The music will be captured in the background!

This takes a bit more work but gives you total flexible with the music selection.

Upload Audio Files

If you want to use your own audio files:

Convert them to MP3 format if needed.
In Instagram, select the mic icon to record something.
Choose the music note icon to upload your file instead.

Just make sure you own the rights before re-sharing other audio. We‘ll cover more on copyrights later!

Recording Voiceovers and Audio

Along with background music, you can customize Stories with your own vocals:

Voiceovers: Record a voice clip to explain your Story and caption the action.
Sound effects: Insert funny sounds or audio clips for a unique vibe.
Original songs: Upload your own musical creations!

It‘s super simple to add original audio:

Tap the mic icon when creating a Story.
Record your voice or upload a file.
Add it as a sticker and voila!

Pro tip: You can combine voiceovers with music stickers for even cooler effects. Get creative!

Syncing Issues and Troubleshooting

With all this audio, sometimes things can get glitchy. Here are some common music issues and how to fix them:

Problem: Song plays too fast or slow

Solution: Delete and re-add the music sticker. Close and re-open Instagram. Or, trim the clip to better fit the Story length.

Problem: Can‘t find the music sticker

Solution: Update Instagram to the latest version. Also try re-installing the app.

Problem: Music starts halfway through the Story

Solution: Make sure to drag the music sticker to the very beginning of the Story.

Problem: Followers can‘t hear the music

Solution: They likely have sound turned off. Ask them to unmute your Story.

Problem: Audio doesn‘t upload

Solution: Verify the file format is MP3. Re-install Instagram and try uploading again.

Problem: Music sticker unavailable

Solution: Log out and log back into your Instagram account. Or re-install the app to fix glitches.

If other issues persist, reach out to Instagram‘s support team. They can provide personalized troubleshooting assistance.

Music Recommendations for Businesses

Do you use Instagram for business? To legally share music, there are some guidelines to follow.

The key rules according to Instagram‘s branded content policies:

Only use music from Instagram‘s official library – uploading your own files is not permitted.
Follow all attribution guidelines, like crediting the artist in your caption.
Avoid using popular songs from major record labels. Stick to lesser-known, indie artists when possible.
Don‘t use music in paid partnerships or sponsored content without permission.
Keep song clips short, under 15 seconds. Anything longer can violate copyrights.

For business accounts, I recommend using original audio like:

Brand jingles
Background instrumental music
Voiceovers that educate viewers

This helps avoid any copyright issues for commercial use. Be sure to also review Instagram‘s Community Guidelines around sharing music properly.

Picking Songs that Won‘t Get You into Copyright Trouble

Wondering what exactly you can and can‘t post? Let‘s cover some key copyright principles:

You can share short clips of songs, but not the full track.
Adding proper artist credit does not equal legal permission to use a song commercially.
Popular Top 40 hits are almost always off-limits without permission and licensing.
Lesser-known indie music has more flexible rules, but credit the artist.
Be extra cautious with monetized or sponsored content. Stricter rules apply.
When possible, reach out to the artist directly to request usage rights.

Following general best practices will help avoid takedown notices:

Keep song clips under 15 seconds.
Don‘t use the most popular sections that people would recognize.
Credit the artist name and song title visibly.
Don‘t upload full tracks or significant portions.
If unsure, don‘t use it or confirm permission first.

At the end of the day, avoid music with clearly active copyrights and you should steer clear of issues!

For more guidance, see Instagram‘s Community Guidelines around sharing music properly.

Let the Music Play: Key Takeaways

We just covered a ton of information! Here are the key tips to remember:

Use Instagram‘s built-in music library for easy, legal songs.
Customize stickers to get the perfect music/lyric display.
Pull from Spotify, Apple Music, or Shazam to expand your options.
Record voiceovers and original audio for unique personalization.
Mind the rules around copyrights and commercial usage.
Fix sync issues by reloading the music sticker or reinstalling the app.
Have fun and get creative with audio! Music brings Stories to life.

Now you have all the tools to make musical masterpieces on Instagram.

So what are you waiting for? Go add some tunes to your Story and let your followers hear your talents!

Want more Instagram tips? Follow me @InstaExpert for my latest social media tutorials.