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How to get the music icon on instagram


How to Add Music to Your Instagram Story

  • To add music to your Instagram Story, tap the sticker icon and select the music option.
  • You can also add music to your Instagram Story from apps like Spotify, SoundCloud, or Shazam.
  • If you can't add music to an Instagram Story, you may need to update the app first. 

Most Instagram users take advantage of the Stories feature, which allows you to post short disappearing photos and videos with gifs, emojis, and even music added in. 

Adding music to your Instagram Story is a simple process once you know where to look. You can even add music directly from other apps like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Shazam.

Here's how to do it all, or troubleshoot if you don't have the option to add music. 

How to add music to your Instagram Story 

To add music to an Instagram Story, tap the square smiley face icon in the top-right, and select the Music sticker in the pop-up menu. Choose a song by searching in the list and customize it using the buttons that appear at the bottom of your Story. 

Here's a full step-by-step breakdown.

1. Open the Instagram app on your iOS or Android device. 

2. Swipe left from your feed's home screen to open the Stories feature. Alternatively, tap the plus "+" sign on your profile picture in the top-left corner to create a new Story. 

To create a new Story, tap "Your Story" in the top-left corner, or swipe left. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. Take or select the photo or video you want to post to your Instagram Story. 

4. In the menu bar along the top of your screen, tap the square smiley face icon, which looks like a Post-It being peeled away. 

Tap the smiley face icon at the top of your Story draft. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. In the pop-up, tap the "Music" option. Then, in the search box that appears, type in a song or scroll through the listed options. 

Select the "Music" sticker to find a song. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

6. Tap on the song you want to include when it appears on the list. 

7. Drag the small bar at the bottom of the screen to the segment of the song you want on your Story.

You can also adjust the length of the music segment from five to 15 seconds by tapping the circle on the left side of the music clip that reads "15" by default. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

8. Hit "Done" when finished. You can then drag the song icon to a different location, or pinch the icon outward or inward with your fingers to make it larger or smaller. Then post your Story as you normally would.

Quick tip: You can select how you want the music to visually appear on your Story — as lyrics in different fonts, the cover art of the album, or a small text box announcing the name of the song.  

In addition, if you're listening to music on another app, you can add it to your Instagram story directly from Spotify, SoundCloud, or Shazam. Here's how to do it on each app: 

Add music to Instagram Story from Spotify

1. Open the Spotify app on your iOS or Android device, and find the music you want to add to your Instagram Story. 

2. Tap the ellipsis icon on a song, album, or playlist. 

In the Spotify app, tap the ellipsis icon. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. In the pop-up menu, scroll down and tap "Share."

Select "Share" in the menu. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. In the "Share" menu, select "Instagram Stories." A pop-up may ask your permission to open the Instagram app. 

Tap "Instagram Stories." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. Spotify will open the Instagram app and automatically upload the cover art of the song, album, or playlist to a new Instagram Story. However, if you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, described in the steps above.  

Spotify will add the cover art of the song to a new Instagram Story. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

6. Once you post your Story, a link will appear at the top of the Story that says "Play on Spotify." Anyone who views your Story can click this link to be taken directly to that song, album, or playlist on Spotify. 

When someone views your Story, they can tap "Play on Spotify" at the top to be taken to the Spotify app. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

Add music to Instagram Story from SoundCloud

1. Open the SoundCloud app on your iOS or Android device. 

2. Find the song, album, or playlist you want to add to your Instagram Story and tap the ellipsis icon. 

Tap the ellipsis icon next to a song, album, or playlist. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. In the pop-up, select "Stories," beneath the Instagram logo. A pop-up may ask your permission to open the Instagram app. 

Choose "Stories" from the list of options. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. SoundCloud will open the Instagram app and automatically upload the cover art of the song, album, or playlist to a new Instagram Story. However, if you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, described above. 

SoundCloud will add your selected music to a new Instagram Story draft. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. Once you post your Story, a link will appear at the top of the Story that says "Play on SoundCloud." Anyone who views your Story can click this link to be taken directly to that song, album, or playlist on SoundCloud. 

A "Play on SoundCloud" link will appear at the top of your published Story. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

Add music to Instagram Story from Shazam

1. Open the Shazam app on your iOS or Android device. 

2. You can either "Tap to Shazam" to identify a new song, or choose a song from your list of previous Shazams. Once you've identified a song, tap on it so it becomes full-screen. 

3. On the song's full-screen page, tap the icon of three vertical dots in the top-right corner.

Select the icon of three vertical dots. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. Tap "Share" in the pop-up menu.

Select "Share" in the list of options. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. Select "Instagram Stories." A pop-up may ask your permission to open the Instagram app. 

Choose "Instagram Stories" in the list of sharing options. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

6. Shazam will open the Instagram app and automatically upload the cover art of the song to a new Instagram Story. However, if you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, described above.

Your Shazam song will be loaded into a new Instagram Story draft. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

7. Once you post your Story, a link will appear at the top of the Story that says "More on Shazam." Anyone who views your Story can click this link to be taken directly to that song on Shazam. 

Once you post your Story, a "More on Shazam" link will appear at the top. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

How to add music to an Instagram Story if you don't have the music sticker

1. Open a music streaming app, like Spotify or Apple Music, on your device.

2. Start playing the song you want to use. 

3. With the song still playing, go back to Instagram and record your Story; the music playing on your phone will be integrated. You won't be able to add a dynamic album cover or live lyrics, however.

Note: If you add music this way, Instagram will check your Story for copyright infringement, and if detected, will remove the sound from your video.  

If you don't have the music sticker on Instagram, it may be because: 

  • You live in a country where the feature isn't available. Music is enabled on the app in over 90 countries, but due to Instagram's strict adherence to copyright law, it's disabled in some countries.
  • Your app is out of date. You may need to simply update Instagram.
  • You're trying to share a branded content campaign. Due to copyright laws and Instagram's advertising policies, music and some other features like stickers and emojis aren't allowed in branded content ads.

Jennifer Still

Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV. She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.

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How to add music to an Instagram Story, with and without stickers

In 2018, Instagram introduced the option to share music on Stories, allowing users to add their favorite songs to their photos and videos. This move allowed Instagrammers to access thousands of songs and gave them the ability to share their Stories in a new, musical way.

In this guide, we’ll go over exactly how to add music to an Instagram Story, and we’ll share how to troubleshoot issues that may be preventing you from doing so.

How to put music on an Instagram Story with a sticker

Multiple formats for adding music to Stories have been released since the launch of Instagram’s music feature. However, the most common (and quite frankly, the simplest) way to add music to your photos or videos is to use the Stories sticker.

How to add a music sticker to an Instagram Story

The process of adding a music sticker to your Instagram Story is straightforward:

  1. Open the Instagram app.
  2. Press your Story icon (which looks like your profile picture) at the top-left of your screen.
  3. Upload your Story by swiping up to access your Camera Roll or shoot it with the Story camera.
  4. Press the sticker button at the top of the screen or swipe up.
  5. Tap the Music button.
  6. Either type the song you want to use into the search bar or browse via your mood, genre preference, or what’s popular today.
  7. Press the song to add it to your Story.
  8. Then, press Done at the top-right corner of the page.
  9. Move your sticker to the placement you want on your Stories.
  10. Press the “Your Story” button at the bottom-left of the screen.

When selecting a song for your Story, you have the option to listen to a preview before adding it. All you have to do is press the play button to the right of the song.

Why can’t I add music to my Instagram Story?

Trying to add music to your Instagram Story but having trouble? There could be a few reasons why you’re experiencing that glitch:

  • Your app isn’t up to date. If you can’t find the music sticker in your Stories, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Instagram app first. Sometimes a quick update is all that’s needed to bring your music-adding capabilities back.
  • The music feature is not available in your country. If you reinstall the app and there’s still no sticker, it could be because your country isn’t on the list of those that can access music for Stories. Right now, the feature is available in only 60 countries, including the United States, New Zealand, France, Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, and Portugal. If your country is not on the list, you can use ClearVPN and its shortcut Unlock Instagram Music. Once you hit that shortcut, ClearVPN will connect your iPhone to the IP of a country where Instagram music stickers are available.

How to edit the music sticker in your Story

When adding a music sticker to your Story, you’ll probably notice that there are a few options to edit the song you chose. In addition to rewinding and fast-forwarding through the song to select the precise clip you want to use, you can also choose:

  • The length of the clip (up to 15 seconds)
  • The color of the music sticker
  • The size and type of sticker
  • Whether you want the lyrics displayed instead of the sticker
  • The color and font of the lyrics

Here’s how to edit your music sticker:

  1. Follow the instructions in the previous section to add the music sticker to your Story.
  2. Tap the music sticker itself to change the icon or switch to lyric mode. You can also do this by swiping left on the icons above the music player.
  3. Press the color wheel at the top-center of the screen to change the color of the music sticker or the lyrics.
  4. Press Done.
  5. Press the Your Story button at the bottom-left of the screen to post it.

If you want to have music on your Instagram Story but don’t want a sticker to be visible, you can drag the sticker off the screen. It will disappear from the Story preview display, but after it publishes, you’ll still hear the music and see the song title and artist at the top of the screen.

How to add music lyrics to your Story

If you’re struggling to figure out how to add a song’s lyrics to your Stories, don’t worry. Below are instructions for how to find and use that editing feature:

  1. Open the Instagram app.
  2. Press your Story icon at the top-left of your screen.
  3. Upload your Story by swiping up to access your Camera Roll or shoot it with the Story camera.
  4. Press the sticker button at the top of the screen or swipe up.
  5. Press the Music button.
  6. Find the song you’d like to use.
  7. Press the song to add it to your Story.
  8. Press the letter button directly above the music player and swipe left to see more font options.
  9. Select the font you wish to use.
  10. Press Done.
  11. Press the Your Story button at the bottom-left of the screen.

How to add music to Instagram Story without stickers

If you don’t want to use the music stickers, you’re in luck; there are a couple of other ways to add your favorite songs to your Instagram Stories.

How to put a song on your Instagram Story from Apple Music

Love using Apple Music to rock out? Well, there’s a simple way to share the song you’re jamming out to with your followers via Instagram Stories.

Here’s how: 

  1. Open Apple Music. 
  2. Navigate to the song you wish to share. 
  3. Press the three horizontal dots at the center-right of the screen.  
  4. Select Share. 
  5. Swipe on the apps until you find Instagram (if you don’t see it, press More). 
  6. Allow Instagram to open automatically.
  7. Press the Your Story button at the bottom-left of the screen.

It’s important to note that the song won’t play directly on your Stories, but if a user taps on that Story, it will take them to Apple Music, where they can play it.

How to share a Spotify song on your Instagram Story

If you’re more of a Spotify user, you’ll be happy to learn that sharing a song from that platform is just as straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the Spotify app. 
  2. Navigate to the song you wish to share. 
  3. Press the three horizontal dots at the top-right of the screen. 
  4. Scroll down and select Share. 
  5. Select Instagram Stories. 
  6. Press the “Your Story” button at the bottom-left of the screen.

Following these instructions will share your song choice to your Stories. Once again, it’s important to note that the song won’t play directly on your Stories, but if a user taps on that Story, it will redirect them to the song on Spotify.

How to play music from SoundCloud on your Story

Just like Apple Music and Spotify, the instructions for sharing SoundCloud songs on your Stories are easy to follow. And, like music shared from those platforms, songs from SoundCloud will not play on your Stories. Instead, followers who tap on the Story will be redirected to the song in SoundCloud.

Here’s how to share a song on your Stories through SoundCloud:

  1. Open the SoundCloud App. 
  2. Navigate to the song you wish to share. 
  3. Press the three horizontal dots at the bottom-right of the screen. 
  4. Select Share to Instagram Stories.
  5. Press the Your Story button at the bottom-left of the screen.

Adding music to an Instagram Story is a great way to elevate your content and make it unique. Whether you’re sharing your current favorite song or adding some background music to a video, we hope this guide helps you take your Stories to the next level. And if you want to make a video Story with your favorite track, check out the music video editors that help you do just that.

This was about:
  • Audio
  • Instagram
  • Stories
Emily Blackwood

Writer and editor, driven by curiosity and black coffee.

overlay on videos and photos, how to use music stickers

*Instagram and Facebook social networks belong to Meta, an organization whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the territory of the Russian Federation

Sultan Suleimanov

listens to music on Instagram*

Author profile

Instagram and Facebook* users from Russia since June 23 have access to music stickers, a feature that allows you to add song snippets to stories.

Music stickers on Instagram* appeared back in 2018, but before users from Russia they were not available: they could not be added to their stories and they could not listen to music in others. Now everything has changed, and now we will tell you how to use it.

Step 1

Go to Instagram* and select a photo or video

Before adding a music sticker, you need to create a post in your story. Go to the Instagram* app, swipe left and either take a photo or video in the app's camera or add it from the gallery. This also works with text stories created by the "Create" button in the side menu of the camera, but not with posts in the feed.

Process your post - add filters and other stickers - you can at this stage, or you can after adding music.

The button with the image of a note allows you to quickly add a music sticker, but you may not have it on the screen. It's safer to click on the add stickers button and find a sticker there that says "Music"

Step 2

Add a music sticker

Click on the add stickers button and find the item "Music" there. A list of recommended tracks will appear, but there is a search bar at the top of the screen - you can use it to find the song you are interested in. Click on the track you want to add to your story.

The Facebook* company, which owns Instagram*, does not disclose the size of the music database, but there are definitely popular performers there. For example, Artur Pirozhkov, Elka and the King and the Jester group.

/guide/youtube/

How to make money on YouTube

Judging by the list, Instagram* forms the “For You” tab based on the user’s subscriptions: I see in the list of musicians that

subscribes to

Step 3

Select song snippet

After you select a song, you will be prompted to set up a sticker. Globally, there are two settings: which fragment will sound in stories and how the sticker itself will look.

First, select a fragment - it can be up to 15 seconds long. To do this, move one of the two sliders at the bottom of the screen left or right. Next to the sliders there is a button for changing the duration: if 15 seconds is too long, you can trim a fragment of the song.

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Is it possible to make money on Tiktok without songs and dances

The button adjusts the duration of the fragment over time. It does not work for stories with videos: the fragment will last as long as your video. The dotted slider allows you to precisely select a section of the song, and the slider above it is useful for quickly moving through the track

Step 4

Customize the appearance of the sticker

If the Instagram* database contains the lyrics of the song you have chosen, then animated lines will appear on the screen, just like in karaoke. By switching between the buttons at the bottom of the screen, you can customize the font and animation associated with it. The colored round icon at the top of the screen is needed to change the color of the text.

If there is no text in the Instagram* database or you don't want to display karaoke in stories, you can choose one of two static sticker options: they show the album cover, artist name and song title.

/guide/insta-maska/

How to make a simple mask for Instagram*

When you're done with the settings, click the Done button.

Click on the rainbow button to change the color of the text. If Instagram* doesn't know the lyrics of your song, only static stickers

will be available to you

Step 5

Place the sticker on the screen

You finally got a music sticker! Now you can move it around the screen, tilt and resize it, just like with regular stickers. Pick the perfect location and post what you've got.

This is how the story will look after posting

What if I don't have a music sticker?

As explained by T-F, a representative of the Facebook* company, music stickers will appear gradually for Russian users. This means that you will probably have to wait a few days or weeks - the exact timing is unknown.

To brighten up the wait, you can:

  1. Update the Instagram* app to the latest version. It is never redundant.
  2. Make sure you are in Russia, both physically and virtually. If you always have a VPN enabled on your phone, Instagram* may think you're in a different country and not turn on music stickers because of this.
  3. Log out and log in again, delete the application and reinstall it, turn off and on the phone. Everything is advised on the Internet, but most likely it will not be much more effective than dancing with a tambourine around the phone.

Music in Stories, short videos and responses with songs: Instagram will launch new features in Russia

  • Technology

Instagram has announced the launch of new features in Russia. Users will have access to a TikTok-like Reels video service and a music sticker in Stories. With it, you can add music to your stories and answer questions with songs. Russian Facebook users will be able to pin it in the profile header so that it plays when the page is opened

Starting June 23, Russian Instagram users will begin accessing Reels, a platform for short videos, the company said.

With Reels, you can shoot and edit videos up to 30 seconds long, apply AR effects to them, and use the green screen effect to change the background. In Reels, you can add music from the app's library or choose from trends or recommendations. Users will also be able to create their own original audio, and if their account is public, other users will be able to use this audio in their videos.

Videos created using the new feature can be published in Stories or Post format, optionally limiting the audience. In addition, Facebook and Instagram are also launching a new music sticker in Stories. To add music to your Stories, you will need to follow these steps:

  • open the camera in the application, select a photo or video from the gallery, click on the sticker icon and select the Music sticker;
  • find any song from the library, select a fragment, add the name of the artist and the name of the song. If the composition has lyrics, it will automatically appear on the screen;
  • click on a sticker to change the text style and animation. The sticker can be moved, rotated and resized.

With the release of the music sticker, Instagram and Facebook users will be able to answer questions in Stories with songs.

Learn more