How to Add Music to Instagram Stories

Audiodrome   |   Last Updated: January 6th, 2026   |   21 min read   |   Blog

This guide covers Instagram Stories only. Start by choosing your lane, as Instagram’s licensed music library is intended for personal, non-commercial use. Promotional Stories require a safer source, such as Meta Sound Collection or a properly licensed royalty-free track.

NOTE: This guide covers Instagram Stories only. For Reels, ads, and feed posts, use the dedicated guides, since the steps and audio options differ by format.

Is this Story personal or promotional?

Use the personal lane when you share everyday moments, hobbies, travel clips, or quick updates for friends and followers, for your own account and audience. In this lane, Instagram’s music sticker usually gives you a simple way to add a song from the licensed music library. Meta explains that this library targets personal, non-commercial sharing.

Your Story turns promotional when you feature a brand, client work, a partnership, a product, or a discount code. This lane includes posts that push bookings, sign-ups, or sales, and it also includes Boosted Stories and ads. Meta’s Music Guidelines prohibit commercial or non-personal use unless you hold appropriate licenses, including on Facebook and Instagram.

Safest music sources for Stories (personal vs promotional)

Choose your music source at the start, so you avoid surprises later when your Story reaches more people.

Personal / non-commercial Stories

The music in Instagram’s licensed library serves personal, non-commercial use. Add a song inside the Story editor with the Music sticker or the Audio tool, then trim the clip to fit your scene and set volume balance. This option works best for everyday Stories that share moments, reactions, and updates with friends and followers.

Promotional / commercial Stories

Meta Sound Collection offers rights-cleared music and sound effects for videos you create and share on Facebook and Instagram. Download a track from the collection, add it to your video in a third-party editor, then upload the finished video to your Story. The Sound Collection terms keep this audio tied to Meta company products.

A third-party royalty-free library sells licenses that fit promotional Stories, client work, and paid campaigns. Pick a track with terms that list Instagram and Facebook, then add the audio file in your video editor before you upload. Save the invoice and the license terms so you can show proof fast if review teams ask.

Add music with the Music sticker

Step 1: Open the Story composer

From your Instagram home screen, tap the + on your Your story bubble at the top. This opens the Story creation flow and puts you one tap away from your camera roll.

Step 2: Choose the photo or video for your Story

On the Add to story screen, tap the clip or photo you want to post. Instagram drops it into the Story editor so you can add music before you publish.

Step 3: Tap the Audio option in the Story editor

In the editor, look at the tools on the right side and tap Audio with the music note icon. Instagram opens the music picker where you can search or browse songs.

Step 4: Use the music picker to browse or search

At the top, tap the search bar if you already know the song name or artist. If you want ideas, swipe through the tabs like For you, Trending, Saved, and Royalty-free to narrow the list.

Step 5: Pick a song from the results list

Scroll until you find the track you want, then tap it to select it. If you plan to reuse it later, tap the bookmark icon to save it for quick access next time.

Pro tip: Save your favorite tracks inside Instagram and keep a backup list in Notes with artist and song names, so searches stay fast.

Step 6: Choose the exact part of the song you want people to hear

Use the waveform timeline at the bottom to set the segment that plays in your Story. Drag the selector until it lands on the lyric or beat you want, then tap Done to lock it in.

Step 7: Share your Story

Review the preview, then choose where it goes. Tap Share to post to Your story, or switch to Close Friends if you want a smaller audience.

Use the Add Yours Templates sticker to add your music

Step 1: Start a new Story

From your Instagram home screen, tap the + on your Your story bubble. This opens the Story composer so you can build your template from a photo or video.

Step 2: Pick the photo or video you want to turn into a template

On the Add to story screen, tap the clip or photo from your camera roll. Instagram loads it into the editor.

Step 3: Open the Stickers menu

In the editor, tap Stickers on the right side. This opens the sticker tray, where you can find interactive Story features.

Step 4: Tap “Add yours templates”

Scroll in the sticker tray until you see Add yours templates, then tap it. Instagram switches you into template creation mode.

Step 5: Choose Multiple media

On the Create a template screen, tap Multiple media. Pick this option when you want a template that plays like a short video made from several clips.

Step 6: Add audio inside the template editor

In the template editor, tap Audio, then tap Tap to add audio. This takes you to the audio picker so you can choose what plays with the template.

Step 7: Import audio

In the audio screen, tap Import in the top-right corner. Use this when you want audio from a video on your phone instead of a track from the library.

Step 8: Select a video to pull audio from

On the Import screen, choose a video from Recents. Instagram pulls the audio from that video and drops it into your template.

Step 9: Replace the audio if you want a different sound

Tap the Imported audio section on the timeline, then tap Replace. This lets you pick a different audio source fast if the first one does not fit the vibe.

Step 10: Share your template

When everything looks right, go to Share your template, pick Your story or Close Friends, then tap Share. Instagram publishes the template so other people can respond with their own clips.

Use a third-party video editor

Use this route when your Story supports a brand, client work, a partnership, or paid promotion, or when Instagram limits the Music sticker on your account. This is important because if you use the in-app music library for commercial purposes, Instagram can mute your audio, remove your Story, and impact your monetization eligibility.

Step 1: Download the track you plan to use
Start with a source that matches your goal. If you use Meta Sound Collection, download the audio from there. If you use a third-party royalty-free library, download the track file and keep the invoice and license terms in the same folder.

Step 2: Add your video and your music to an editor like CapCut
Open your editor, import your video, then import the audio file as a separate layer. Line the music up with the moment you want, then trim the start so the beat or hook lands on the first second people watch.

Step 3: Set the length and volume for Story viewing
Stories move fast, so keep the music segment short and purposeful. Lower the music if you talk on camera, or raise it if the Story relies on mood and visuals. Export the final video to your phone at a standard vertical format so Instagram does not crop it in a weird way.

Step 4: Upload the finished video to your Story
Back in Instagram, tap Your story, pick the exported video, then share. This approach keeps your audio locked into the file, so Instagram does not need to attach a separate song label or sticker.

Step 5: Save proof for anything commercial
When a Story promotes a business, you want receipts ready. Save the license page link, the invoice, and the track name you used, so you can answer questions fast if Instagram flags the audio later.

Troubleshooting

When Instagram removes a song option or hides the sticker, a few predictable rules usually explain what you see.

Unable to access certain music for your content

Instagram limits song access based on your account type and where you live, so the same search can show different results across personal, creator, and business profiles. Licensed Music Library access can also change as Instagram updates licensing deals with rights holders, which can remove tracks you used before. Instagram outlines these access limits in its help pages.

When Licensed Music Library access does not line up with your account or region, Instagram points you to Meta Sound Collection as a safer source. Grab a track or sound effect from Sound Collection, add it in a video editor, then upload the finished video to your Story. Instagram and Meta describe Sound Collection as royalty-free audio for videos you create and share on Facebook and Instagram.

Heads-up: Crosspost carefully! Audio availability changes between Instagram and Facebook. If sound disappears, replace it with a Sound Collection track instead.

Audio on your content is muted

Instagram mutes audio when it flags a rights issue on the song you used, or when your account lacks access to the Licensed Music Library for that track. Licensing deals can shift, and Instagram can pull audio that played earlier on the same content. Rights holders can also block content that uses music they own, which triggers muting.

Open the content with muted audio, tap the Audio unavailable label, then choose Replace audio to pick a new track from the options Instagram offers. Pick the exact segment you want, then save so Instagram updates the post with the new audio. If you own the rights to the original track and you have proof, use the dispute or appeal option in the same screen to challenge the muting.

FAQs

These are the questions people ask right after they try the music feature once and something looks different from what they expected.

How do I show the song title and album cover on my Story?

Open the Story editor, add your photo or video, then pick the Music option so Instagram attaches a track from its Licensed Music Library. Instagram then shows a song label that includes the track and artist, and you can tap the on-screen music element to switch its display style before you share. Music access can vary by account type and region, so the same song label may look different across accounts.

How do I play Story music with a clean screen and no sticker or lyrics?

Add music first, then tap the on-screen music element to cycle through simpler display styles, since Instagram offers multiple looks for the same track. Shrink the element with a pinch gesture and park it near an edge so it stays out of the way while the audio plays. Some users report dragging the element fully off-canvas, and I cannot confirm that method works across every app version.

Why do songs disappear from the Music sticker search?

Instagram ties the Licensed Music Library to your account type and your country or region, so searches can return fewer tracks depending on those settings. Rights holders and platforms also update licensing deals, which can remove songs that showed up earlier. When you lose access to a track, Meta points you toward alternatives like using audio from Sound Collection for content you create and share on Facebook and Instagram. Instagram

Why does my Story music clip stay at 5 seconds?

Instagram story music clips often run from 5 to 15 seconds, and some users report that the editor stays locked at 5 seconds on certain accounts or builds. Try changing the base media you start with, reselect the song, then adjust the segment again on the waveform to see if the longer range returns. I cannot confirm a single cause because Instagram does not document a specific rule for every 5-second case, and reports vary by device and update.

Publish with fewer music surprises

You now have three reliable paths. Use Instagram’s Music sticker for personal Stories, Add Yours Templates for remix-style posts, and a video editor for promotional work. Keep your audio source and proof organized, then you can publish faster and recover quickly when Instagram changes what it shows.

Author: Dragan Plushkovski

Hey there! I’m the founder of Audiodrome and a longtime creative in the digital product space. I’ve worked on over 60 product launches, managed video and music production workflows, and now help creators find the perfect royalty-free tracks for their content.

I understand how the law works behind the content we create, because I’ve spent years dealing with it firsthand. Alongside building Audiodrome, I’ve worked as a licensed forensic accountant and run a trademark protection agency, so I know what it takes to stay compliant, protect your content, and avoid the traps that catch so many creators off guard.

You can also find my work at mojbrend.mk (trademark protection, Macedonian) and plushkovski.com (forensic accounting, Macedonian). Read More

Audiodrome was created by professionals with deep roots in video marketing, product launches, and music production. After years of dealing with confusing licenses, inconsistent music quality, and copyright issues, we set out to build a platform that creators could actually trust.

Every piece of content we publish is based on real-world experience, industry insights, and a commitment to helping creators make smart, confident decisions about music licensing.

Resources

Meta – Music Guidelines (commercial or non-personal use needs appropriate licenses) Instagram Help Center – Access to the licensed music library (availability varies by account and region) Meta Sound Collection – Terms (rules for Sound Collection audio) Instagram Help Center – Replace muted audio (Audio unavailable → Replace audio) U.S. Copyright Office – Circular 30 (Works Made for Hire and why written terms matter)

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