Learn How to Upload Music to Instagram

Understanding Instagram's Music Features and Policies

Instagram offers several ways to incorporate music into your posts, stories, and reels. The platform has built-in music libraries that contain millions of licensed songs from major and independent record labels. When you use Instagram's native music tools, the platform handles licensing agreements on your behalf, which means you're using music legally within the Instagram ecosystem.

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As of 2024, Instagram's music library includes tracks from major labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, as well as independent artists and smaller labels. The music available varies by country due to different licensing agreements and copyright laws. For example, a song available in the United States might not be available in India or Brazil due to regional licensing restrictions.

It's important to understand that uploading your own music files directly to Instagram—meaning music you own the rights to or have created yourself—differs from using Instagram's licensed music library. If you're an independent musician or producer wanting to share your original work, you'll need to follow different procedures than someone selecting from Instagram's existing catalog.

Instagram's terms of service prohibit uploading copyrighted music that you don't own or have permission to use. The platform uses automated systems to detect copyrighted material. If you upload copyrighted music without authorization, Instagram may mute the audio, restrict who can view the content, or remove the post entirely. Some users have reported their accounts being flagged or temporarily restricted after repeated violations.

Practical Takeaway: Before uploading music, determine whether you're using Instagram's built-in music library (which handles licensing) or uploading original/authorized music. Verify what music is available in your geographic region, as libraries differ by country.

Uploading Music to Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is the most music-friendly feature on the platform. Reels are short-form videos, typically 15 to 90 seconds long, and they're designed to be set to music. When you create a Reel, Instagram makes it straightforward to add music from its licensed library at any point in the creation process.

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To add music to a Reel, start by opening Instagram and tapping the "Create" button (the plus icon) at the bottom of your screen. Select "Reel" from the options. You can either record new video clips or upload existing video from your phone's camera roll. Once you have your video content, tap the "Audio" button—usually represented by a musical note icon. This opens Instagram's music library where you can search for songs by title, artist, genre, or mood.

Instagram's music library includes filtered categories like "Trending," "Pop," "Hip-Hop," "Electronic," "Classical," and many others. You can also search for specific moods like "upbeat," "chill," or "energetic." As you scroll through options, you'll see how many times each song has been used on Instagram Reels—this can help you choose between popular tracks and more unique selections. Instagram displays the song title and artist name, allowing you to preview songs before deciding.

Once you've selected a song, you can choose where in the track your Reel begins. If you pick a 3-minute song but your Reel is only 15 seconds, you can start at the 30-second mark or the 2-minute mark—whatever works best for your content. You can also adjust the volume of your original audio (like voiceovers or background noise) relative to the song's volume using the "Volume" slider.

According to Instagram's internal data from 2023, approximately 45% of Reels viewed include music from Instagram's library. Reels with music tend to receive more engagement—likes, comments, and shares—than Reels without music. This higher engagement is partly because music-backed content is more discoverable through Instagram's recommendation algorithm.

Practical Takeaway: When creating Reels, use Instagram's audio library by tapping the Audio button after recording or uploading your video. Search by mood or genre, preview songs, and adjust where your music starts to match your content's pacing.

Adding Music to Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories allow you to add music as a sticker overlay that plays while your story displays. Stories disappear after 24 hours, and adding music can make them more engaging and entertaining. The process for adding music to stories is slightly different than adding it to Reels, though the music library itself is the same.

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To add music to a Story, open Instagram and tap your profile picture at the top left to create a new story. Take a photo or video, or select existing content from your camera roll. Once you have your story content, look at the stickers menu at the top of the editing screen. Tap the sticker icon (usually represented by a smiley face or square with a curl). Scroll through the sticker options until you find "Music." Tap it, and Instagram will open a search interface for its music library.

The music sticker works differently than Reel audio because it displays a small graphic showing the song title and artist name on your story. When people view your story, they can tap that graphic to see which song you're using, and they can listen to a preview. Spotify integration also allows users to listen to the full song on Spotify if they have the app installed, though this varies by region.

One limitation with story music stickers is that you cannot control the exact moment the music starts or stops. The music plays for a set duration determined by the sticker design. However, you can place multiple music stickers on the same story if you want different songs, and you can layer the music sticker with other stickers like text, emoji, or location tags.

Instagram's story music feature expanded in 2022 to include over 450,000 additional songs, bringing the total library for stories to millions of tracks. However, not all songs available in the Reel library are available for the story music sticker. Songs may be available in one format but not another due to different licensing agreements.

Practical Takeaway: Add music to Stories by using the Music sticker from the sticker menu. Remember that story music appears as a clickable graphic that viewers can interact with, and the music duration is preset rather than customizable.

Uploading Original Music and Copyright Considerations

If you've created your own music or you own the rights to a song (such as music you've licensed from a producer), you may want to upload it directly to Instagram rather than relying on the platform's library. This is common for independent musicians, producers, and content creators who want to feature their own work or exclusive music.

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To upload original music to a Reel, you'll include the audio file when you upload your video. Start by creating a Reel as normal. When you reach the audio editing stage, instead of selecting from Instagram's library, look for an option to use your original audio or upload audio from your device. On most devices, this appears as a button labeled "Your Audio" or similar. Select an audio file from your phone's storage. Instagram accepts audio in formats like MP3, WAV, and AAC.

For Stories, the process is more limited. Stories don't have a direct feature to upload custom audio files. Your best option is to create a video with the audio already recorded or mixed in, then upload that video directly to your story. The audio becomes part of the video file itself rather than a separate layer.

Important considerations apply when uploading original audio. First, you must own or have rights to all copyrighted material in the file. This includes background music, samples, and any voice recordings of recognizable copyrighted content. Instagram's automated detection systems scan uploaded content for copyrighted material. If the system detects copyrighted content you don't have rights to, Instagram may mute your audio, demonetize your content if you're a partner, or remove the post.

If you're an independent musician wanting to share your music on Instagram, consider registering your music with a digital distribution service like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. These services register your music with rights organizations and help ensure you receive royalties if your music is used elsewhere. Registering your music also makes it eligible to appear in Instagram's music library in some cases, which increases its discoverability.

If you've created instrumental music or royalty-free music for your content, document this ownership. Keep records of when you created the music, any registration information, and any licenses you've obtained. This documentation protects you if Instagram's detection