You may already know how to add music to your videos and stories, but did you know that you can now add music to your Instagram posts? Instagram recently announced this feature, which gives brands and creators another way to engage their followers.
Whether you want to share your favorite songs, complete your memes, or create a special vibe for your photo, adding music will make your Instagram feed posts so much better.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to add music to your Instagram posts and share a few ideas on when you should use this feature.
How to Add Music to Your Instagram Posts in 4 Steps
Adding music to feed posts takes just a few simple steps and is done as part of the normal post creation process.
Note. Currently, you can only add music to single photo posts, not to carousel posts.
Step 1. Upload a photo
The first step is to create a feed post as usual. Select your photo, make the necessary changes, then click Next.
Step 2: On the subtitle screen, click Add Music.
Once you get to the subtitle screen, you can add geotagged music. Click “Add Music”or one of the suggested tracks to get started.
Step 3: Choose a song
Now the fun part: track selection!
Instagram will show some recommended popular tracks in the For You section. If you have a specific artist or song in mind, you can search for it in the search bar at the top.
Or, if you’ve saved tracks from Reels or other Instagram posts, you can find them by clicking Saved.
If you click Browse, you’ll see a list of moods, themes, and genres that will inspire you. If you click on one of these categories, you will see a list of tracks.
Interestingly, these subpages also show the number of reels each song has played, which can indicate if the song is popular or trending.
Step 4: Choose a part of the song
Because a photo doesn’t have a specific length (like a video clip), it’s up to you how long the clip you want to add to your photo is. You can choose from 5 to 90 seconds. As soon as the clip ends, the song loops.
After you select a specific track, you will see a screen with a song and a color bar. First, tap the circle labeled 30 to select the length of the clip.
Once you’ve selected the duration, tap Done and you’ll be returned to the color bar screen. On this screen, you can drag the bar to the part of the song you want to play. The pink dots on the gray timeline represent parts of the song where new verses or strong beats begin, so these are good places to place the bar.
When you’re happy with the placement of the clip, click Done. Then it’s ready to be published!
As soon as your post appears in the feed, your followers will see the name of the music track and artist under the geotag and the volume icon in the lower right corner. Users can tap the volume to mute or unmute the music.
If you run into any issues with the above process, check out the full Instagram article.
Why add music to Instagram posts?
Like my husband, when I showed him the new feature, you may be wondering, “What’s the point of adding music to photos?”
(Of course, all he does on Instagram is watch Reels on his Dogs and Sports Overview page, so he might not be the target audience for this feature.)
However, if you’re interested in creating good content and engaging your audience, I have some strategic examples of why you should include music in your Instagram feed posts.
Note. At the moment, music added to posts doesn’t appear on posts you view outside of the Instagram app. If you want to experience the examples below in all their glory, you will have to open Messages in the app.
You can benefit from popular audio
As with Instagram Reels, using trending audio in a feed post can help you gain favor with the algorithm, thereby increasing your post’s viral potential.
It can also help your post get more reach if it appears on the search page for that audio track.
In this example, @val_thorens used a popular track from the Interstellar soundtrack. If you click on a track title in a photo, you’ll see the number of videos and photos using the same sound (over 300,000 posts in this case).
It’s more exciting and exciting
Instagram provides brands and creators with a variety of ways to express themselves through photos and videos.
However, adding music to your Instagram posts can take your content to the next level, allowing you to create a more immersive and engaging experience for your audience.
This post is a great example from photographer @mathiasdecoensel. The music and the subject (the girl) make you feel like you can step into the photo. I could imagine listening to this song while driving down the road shown here.
Benefits of video at no cost
For sole proprietors and small businesses, producing video content can be costly in terms of both time and money. However, by adding music to your photos, you can combine the benefits of a video’s touch interaction with the beauty of a high-quality image. After all, sometimes a photo is just a better way to show something than a video.
Consider this photo post from @candlelight.concerts. This is a beautiful image that shows the complete setting of their concerts. Imagine if they paired it with one of the live tracks – I would be ready to buy a ticket!
The way to build your brand
In the same way that companies carefully choose music that reflects their brand when creating ads, adding music to your Instagram photos is a way to express your brand’s voice and communicate it multidimensionally.
Tip: If you plan on constantly adding music to your photos, consider choosing a theme to help you choose a track and tie them all together. For example, only instrumental songs or songs that mention lyrics related to your brand or products.
@the_brigadoon_dispatch is an artist creating artificial intelligence in the style of vintage photographs. Given the fantastic nature of the photographs, their combination with music enhances the feeling that the artist is trying to convey to viewers.
Add another dimension to memes
What could be better than the perfect meme? Adding an extra music track to make it even funnier.
In this example from @theguthealthmd, he paired the poop meme with Andy Grammer’s “Joy”. I think it’s pretty obvious.
How about adding music to Reels and Stories?
Yes, you can do it too. Here’s how.
Instagram videos
When creating Instagram Reels, you can add your own audio (such as a voice-over) or choose from the Instagram music library. Read our Instagram Reels guide to learn how to add music to Instagram Reels.
instagram stories
The easiest way to add music to your Instagram Stories is to use the Music sticker. By clicking on the sticker, you will be able to select a track from the Instagram music library. Learn more about how to add music to your Instagram stories.
Frequently Asked Questions About Posting Music on Instagram
How to add music to an Instagram post?
To add music to a feed post, simply upload a photo and go to the caption screen. Below the geotag, you’ll see an option to add music.
Why can’t I add music to my Instagram post?
Make sure you have updated the Instagram app to the latest version. If this does not help, you may need to be patient until the feature is fully rolled out to all users. The latest news can be found in the official Instagram article.
How to add music to a photo on Instagram?
You can add music to an image through the Instagram app. Create a photo post as usual, then tap Add Music below the caption and geotagging areas.
Can I upload my music to Instagram?
No, you cannot download tracks from your own library. You can only select songs from the Instagram music library.