How To Add Music to Instagram Story

There has been a wave rolling through social media over the past couple of years. Many platforms have implemented ways for users to upload short videos with music and simple graphics. 

It has become an effective way to keep followers up to date on topics, share recipes, or tell simple jokes. Instagram has joined in, since they have added a new feature to their app called Instagram Stories. Even our Voices Instagram page uses Stories to help followers stay up to date.

In this article

1. Why Should You Add Music to Your Instagram Story?
2. How Do You Add Music to Your Instagram Story?
3. How Can You Edit the Music You Put On Your Story?
4. Edit the Song
5. Add Lyrics
6. Add Effects
7. Brands That Use Music in Their Instagram Stories
8. Conclusion

When you create a story on Instagram, your goal is to get as many views as possible. Adding some flair to your video is the best way to do that. Graphics and text are subtle ways to stand out from everyone else. But Instagram (Insta for short) has added features that make it easy to add music to your stories. That creates a whole new way to make your stories stand out.

Why Should You Add Music to Your Instagram Story?

Depending on what kind of content you create on Instagram, music can take it to the next level. Music adds depth to your Story, it gives a feeling to what you want to say, and it keeps your content from looking stale.

Here are a few reasons you might want to add music to an Instagram Story:

• In advertisements for your business, music can take it from a dull bulletin to an actual presentation.
• If you share a how-to video, such as a recipe or a craft, music can make it seem fun and lively instead of just a series of instructions.
• Storytime videos are much more dramatic or whimsical with music, depending on the vibe you are aiming for.

How Do You Add Music to Your Instagram Story?

Just as there are a few different ways to make a story, there are also different ways to add music to your Instagram story. You do not even have to have your music files to do it. All you need is the Instagram app on your device and a reliable internet connection.

1. Open the Instagram app and click on the Story icon at the top of the screen. It is your profile picture, so it is easy to find.
   
2. You can choose to upload a video you have already made or shoot one right in the app. Choose an option you prefer. Some people like to make the video first because they feel they have more control over the final product. Others recognize that filming it in the app will save you some space on your phone.

3. Once completed, click on the “sticker” button at the top of the screen. Then find “music” and click it as well.

4. You can search for a piece of music by name or browse for one. Instagram has a lot of songs available to use, so you can pick one according to what suits the post for your brand.
   
5. Press the song to add it to your sticker. Then move the sticker where you want it to be on the video.
   
6. Press the story button at the bottom of the screen to finish.

How Can You Edit the Music You Put On Your Story?

When you post your Instagram music story, it will automatically attach itself to the length of your video. So if your Story is 15 seconds long, then 15 seconds of the song will play. However, you can change what part of the song plays. And you can make some other edits that add to the effect.

Edit the Song

Once you select your music and add it to your Story, you can move it back and forth along the video. When it lines up it will change what part of the song is played. So if you want it to start with the chorus or a certain chord, you can make that change here before finalizing the video.

Add Lyrics

Instagram Story gives you the option to add the song’s lyrics to the video. If the song is the focus, it might not be a bad idea. A lot of people appreciate lyrics and closed captions for several reasons. If you’re only using the song as background music, you’ll want to skip this part.

Add Effects

Instagram Story has a lot of effects that you can pick from to add to the mood you’re trying to evoke with your video. There are lighting and animation effects that react to the beat of the song. Some of them can be fun with upbeat music or mellow the mood with something more somber.

Brands That Use Music in Their Instagram Stories

If you are a business, it is important to note that you should use non-copyrighted music in your Instagram Story. However, there are a lot of royalty-free clips that you can choose from on the app, and thousands more with other sites such as Free Music Archive and the Creative Commons resources.

Many brands have found a lot of customer engagement and success using Instagram Story music, even with these rules in place. Instagram can become more than just a place to put advertisements. It can become a full marketing tool once you take advantage of all the possibilities. 

• Starbucks uses the platform to highlight new drinks or to provide discount codes available only to their subscribers for a limited time.
• Abercrombie & Fitch advertise new products on Instagram Stories with high-quality photos and music. They provide a shop button on their page that leads directly to their website.
• NASA is active across all social media. On Instagram, they post videos with beautiful imagery from space along with equipment with text explaining what the viewer is seeing. It engages people, leading them to subscribe and come back looking for more.

Conclusion

There are many ways to create awareness of your brand online using social media. One of the most successful ways to reach people is with short Instagram music stories that grab their attention. Now that you know how to add music to your Instagram story, you can spruce up your videos to help set you apart from others. Looking for the right voice for your Instagram campaigns? Check out our social media voice over experts today.