Are you wondering how to find music for Instagram? Or seeking the best way to make your Stories or Reels stand out and make them more memorable? Add music. Whether you’re setting a mood, or just making your content more fun, music for Instagram is something you should be looking into.

If you’re looking to up your game, how do you get music for Instagram posts, stories and reels? We have the answers you need.

Music for Social Media

Adding video editing music to a Story can encourage viewers to keep watching or simply provide a little extra flair, but there’s a reason why ad campaigns choose their music so carefully: a study by Man Made Music suggests that music can improve brand recognition by 46%, with another by PHMG finding that 74% of young adults develop a better understanding of a company’s personality through music – showing the massive impact of music on brand identity.

So when you’re choosing music for Instagram ads or videos, it’s important to think about not only what story you’re trying to tell, but also who your audience is, and what they’ll respond to best.

What Music Can I Use on Instagram?

While Instagram’s built-in music library gives you access to a wide range of songs and soundtracks, your access to it depends on the status of your account (business, creator or personal) and your location.

When you record a reel, you'll see a tool menu on the left. You can tap:

• to search for a song in Instagram’s music library, and you can choose which part of the song you want to play. If lyrics are available for the song you select, you can customise how the lyrics appear on your reel by choosing the font style and using the slider to pick which lyrics you want to show on your reel.

Can I Use 30 Seconds of Copyrighted Music?

Lots of people ask, ‘How long can you legally play a song without copyright?’ It’s a common misconception that you can use up to ten or 30 seconds of copyrighted music for free. Actually? No, you can’t. No matter how much of it you use, if your music is under copyright, then you need a licence for it.

It can be tempting to use trendy music for Instagram – but beware of falling foul of copyright if you haven’t paid to license it. Get up to speed on music copyright by reading our guide, or check out self-styled ‘social media lawyer’ Ian Corzine’s tutorial on Instagram’s copyright rules for music:

Using Trending Music for Instagram

Trending sounds on Instagram Reels can boost your engagement - by jumping on something that tons of people are loving, you can make yourself part of that moment.

Follow the @Creators account for updates on the top Instagram Reels trends every Friday – @reelstips also have the lowdown on trending Reels transitions, timing and edits and how you can recreate them. It’s worth keeping an eye on TikTok’s Discover page to see what’s trending there too (or enter ‘Trending Sounds’ in the search bar on that page and filter to this week), as both platforms tend to influence each other.

Here are five ways to find trending sounds/music on Instagram Reels:

What Happens When You Use Music on Instagram without a Licence?

Meta uses AI tech to determine if your content has a licence to use music that’s under copyright. If you haven’t, then they can:

• Mute the music on your post
• Remove your post from the platform
• End your live, if you’re live-streaming

Want to avoid copyright infringement hassles and have unique music for Instagram videos? Audio Network has over 200,000 tracks to choose from, and they’re all fully licensed for global use.

Our platform is easy to use, with plenty of different search functions, so you can find your ideal track, fast. Firstly, our expert in-house team hand-pick hundreds of themed playlists – everything from sports to romance, drama to quirky comedy.

Whatever mood or genre you need, we have it! (Plus tons of special seasonal options.)

You can also search for specific instruments, by bpm, for vocal styles or lyrical content. You can filter to your heart’s content – just click on the drop-down menus under Search.

Music for Instagram Reels

When you’re deciding on music for an Instagram Story, Reel or Ad, think about what mood or emotion you’re trying to conjure up, and find the music to match. Uplifting, upbeat, catchy pop will create a positive mood. Rock or hip hop can provide a grittier edge, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, timeless classical compositions evoke everything from a feeling of calm to epic emotions. Want a truly blockbuster feel? Explore our collection of hybrid orchestral tracks chosen by Hollywood score supremo Lorne Balfe.

If you’re creating brand or business Insta content, we’ve got dedicated playlists to inspire and engage your customers. Lifestyle content? Got that covered too – with food and fashion,

beauty, travel, or home and interiors. So, use the power of music to make your brand and content stand out from the crowd on Instagram!