How to not show music on instagram story

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:

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

Follow the instructions in the previous section to add the music sticker to your Story.
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.
Press the color wheel at the top-center of the screen to change the color of the music sticker or the lyrics.
Press Done.
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:

Open the Instagram app.
Press your Story icon at the top-left of your screen.
Upload your Story by swiping up to access your Camera Roll or shoot it with the Story camera.
Press the sticker button at the top of the screen or swipe up.
Press the Music button.
Find the song you’d like to use.
Press the song to add it to your Story.
Press the letter button directly above the music player and swipe left to see more font options.
Select the font you wish to use.
Press Done.
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:

Open Apple Music.
Navigate to the song you wish to share.
Press the three horizontal dots at the center-right of the screen.
Select Share.
Swipe on the apps until you find Instagram (if you don’t see it, press More).
Allow Instagram to open automatically.
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:

Open the Spotify app.
Navigate to the song you wish to share.
Press the three horizontal dots at the top-right of the screen.
Scroll down and select Share.
Select Instagram Stories.
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:

Open the SoundCloud App.
Navigate to the song you wish to share.
Press the three horizontal dots at the bottom-right of the screen.
Select Share to Instagram Stories.
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.

How to Add Music to Instagram Stories

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 music.

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 corner, and select the Music sticker in the pop-up menu. Choose a song by scrolling through the list and customize it by 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 right on 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.

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.

Use the Sticker icon to add Music, gifs, emojis, and more to your post. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

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

There are a variety of sticker options for customizing Story posts. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

6. Tap on the song you want to include when it appears on the list. You can tap the play button to preview a song before selecting it.

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

Quick tip: Tap the number icon to adjust the clip duration. Music snippets can be as short as 5 seconds and as long as 15 seconds.

8. Tap Done when finished. You can drag the lyrics or song icon to a different location, or pinch the icon outward or inward with your fingers to make it a different size. 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.

How to add lyrics to your Instagram Story

Once you select a song, you can choose to display the lyrics on your Story as the song plays in the background.

1. Select a song following the steps outlined in the previous section.

2. Tap through the text icons above the song slider to preview the different options.

Some lyric styles show all the lyrics at once, while others reveal them one word at a time.

Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

3. When you've found the one you like, tap Done.

Quick tip: Adding in song lyrics can make your Story more accessible, and help users who aren't watching Stories with volume on.

How to add music to your Instagram Story via streaming apps

You can add music 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.

You can also share an entire album or a playlist. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

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

In this menu, you can also like a song or add it to your queue or playlist. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

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

You can also share Spotify content via Messages or other social media apps. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/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.

Quick tip: If you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, as described in the steps above.

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 Spotify page.

Quick tip: This is a great way to share your custom playlists with friends who also have the Spotify app.

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.

Like Spotify, you can share entire albums and playlists, not just songs. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

3. In the pop-up, select Stories, beneath the Instagram logo.

Quick tip: A pop-up may ask your permission to open the Instagram app; click "Yes" or "Okay".

If you want to share a song via text, copy the link and paste it into a new message. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/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.

Quick tip: Like Spotify, if you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, as described above.

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 SoundCloud page.

Add music to Instagram Story from Shazam

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

2. You can 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 share icon in the top-right corner. Select Instagram from the list of options. A pop-up may ask your permission to open the Instagram app.

The process for sharing a Shazam song on stories is very similar to Spotify and SoundCloud. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

4. Shazam will open the Instagram app and automatically upload the cover art of the song to a new Instagram Story.

Quick tip: Like Spotify and SoundCloud, if you want the music to play over the cover art image, you'll need to add music using the square smiley face icon, as described above.

5. 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.

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. However, you won't be able to add a dynamic album cover or live lyrics.

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

There may be a few reasons why you don't have the music sticker:

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.

Music in Stories and Reels: fresh Instagram updates

Now there is no “music is not available in your region” mark. This time. The second is the Reels section, with which you can shoot and edit videos up to 30 seconds, similar to TikTok. Add to this list the ability to publish photos and videos from the web version of the application. It's three. Let's discuss the main points and start using the update. Especially in the summer heat, the only thing to do is to create content.

Music in Instagram Stories

The process of adding is comparable to the usual choice of a sticker.

Let's start by adding a story: we shoot or take previously captured frames. The long-awaited “music” icon appeared in the panel. This functionality has been working since 2018 in the world. But in the Russian Federation, it was previously impossible to add and play music from accounts from other countries.

"For you" are popular tracks in the region. In the "Overview" you can search for music by genre, mood and theme. "Saved" are audio tracks that you have previously saved.

After a long agony of choosing a song, we check the rest of the settings. This is a selection of a fragment from a song with a duration of up to 15 seconds and the appearance of a future story.

How to add music to stories

Number one setting: song fragment. Press the central element with your finger and move the dotted slider to the right or left. The line above it is the whole song. Next to the sliders you see the number 15, this is the default duration of the music, it can be reduced. It doesn't work for stories with videos. The duration of the music = the duration of the video itself. By the way, TikTok is inferior in this functionality. There you can not select any fragment, but only the one that is added to the social network by default.

Plus, there is a text display functionality, which will help you quickly select the relevant section of the song for your story, or just your favorite song fragment. This functionality is available if the lyrics of the song are in the Instagram database.

Number two setting: decoration. Select the font, its color and the appearance of the animated lines, let's call them "karaoke". If there is no text or you do not want to display it, there are 2 stickers. This is the album cover and the name of the artist and the title of the song.

Filters and other stickers can be added at any time, before or after adding music.

Another of the non-obvious goodies, you can answer the question asked in the stories with music, and thereby show your creativity. You can also put the track in the profile description and highlights. And the level of account creativity immediately skyrockets.

Reels

Reels is a new stylish Instagram section for Russian users, we have already announced it before. You can shoot, edit, apply AR masks and various effects. Post to stories or post. The section is located in the central part of the bottom panel. Videos do not automatically scroll, you need to swipe up or down.

How to add video to Reels

The process of adding is simple: choose either in the Reels section itself or in the profile, click "create". You can record a video or add it to your galleries, or upload multiple photos to make a video.

The menu on the left side allows you to:

Add music. You can choose from the library or create your own unique audio track. The process is similar to adding music to stories. The original audio track is marked in the video collection where it is used.
Select the required video timing: 30 or 15 seconds.
Select the speed at which the video will be played. Z Values: 3x and 5x slow down, 2x, 3x and 4x speed up. 1x is considered normal speed.
Effects.
Stick. Automatic retouch.
Timer. Clock icon. This is an option in case you do not have a personal operator. Set the timer for how long you need to get away from your phone and get ready to record. The screen will count down before shooting starts.
Alignment. Icon in the form of two squares. This feature is required if you want to assemble a video from multiple videos. The most obvious example is a video with a change of image. You record the first video, and then use this function to align the camera and objects in the frame.

"Preview" - look at the result. If you don't like it, use the panel at the top. We change the music, record our voice and edit in every possible way. Done, you can add a description up to 2108 characters.

Choose a cover, it can be a fragment from a video or a pre-captured photo. We take it from the gallery of your device.

In the privacy settings, specify where the video will be placed and who will be able to view it. You can also specify which accounts took part in the shooting or acted as sponsors.

What to do if none of the above work for you:

Updating the application will most likely solve all problems. And if you combine the update of the application with a trip to a psychotherapist, then in general life will sparkle with new colors.
Delete the application and reinstall it. Relogin, reboot the phone.
For fans of Twitter - disable VPN.

A few words about the web version and the social network development vector

Just downloading and installing the application on a PC will not work if you do not have Windows 10. But you can get confused and use emulators. Naturally, the web version is not very convenient and with truncated functionality. Now, however, an interesting opportunity has arisen. Now you can upload photos and videos from a PC, both to the feed and to other sections of the social network. And this means that the quality of the uploaded files will be an order of magnitude higher.

Another interesting thing is the development vector of the application. Obviously, Instagram wants to take away the audience from YouTube and TikTok. At the same time, with the functionality of a patron and an online store. So recently, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said that the social network is no longer an application for sharing square photos. Instagram will start showing videos in full-screen mode right in the user's feed, and it will not be a story.

From this we can draw the following conclusion: the usual format of “image to attract attention and large text” will become irrelevant for Instagram algorithms and modern realities. Video blogging skills will come in handy more than ever. Train for now on Stories and Reels.

UPD. Function of joint posts.

One post for multiple accounts. Single likes, comments and views. This collaboration allows you to increase engagement and exchange audiences. At the moment, the functionality works only for the elite, and not in Russia. Waiting for it to become public.

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How to Fix "Instagram Music is Not Available in Your Region"

In addition, Instagram is always coming up with new features to increase user engagement. One such example is Instagram Music. But what if you post or view a story that says this feature is not available in your region?

Why is this happening?

Instagram is an endless source of content. It features influencers, music artists and athletes. Yes, and your friends, of course. Imagine watching a series of Insta Stories that you completely immerse yourself in, only to realize that you are not hearing the song playing in the story.

Or when you yourself feel like you want to share some thoughts and feelings and wrap them in a song that embodies them perfectly. But you can't because this feature is not available where you live.

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Most likely, these songs are protected by copyright, and Instagram will have to buy licenses for each country separately. So at the moment, only those places where there are a lot of Instagram users can use this fun option.

If you live in a small country or are just visiting, this means that you will feel a little left out. And until Instagram makes this feature available to everyone, what can you do?

Workaround

If you're set to have Instagram Music available in your region, the solution is to use a VPN. Usually, all your Internet activity goes through your Internet Service Provider, who knows your IP address.

And when you use Instagram, the platform sees it too. However, when you go to a VPN, you use a different IP address to make it look like you're in a different location. Here's what you need to do to get Instagram Music:

Delete Instagram from your phone.
Download the VPN app to your mobile device.
Reinstall Instagram on your mobile device.
Enjoy Instagram Music in your region.

Sounds simple enough, and it really is. But there are a few things to keep in mind here. First, the best VPN service will cost you a monthly or yearly subscription.

If you want to go down this path, just choose one of the best VPNs and keep going.

However, if you only need a VPN for the Instagram Music feature, the free version might come in handy. You can download the TURBO VPN app.

Free VPN has both advantages and disadvantages. It can help with some minor requirements, but it contains in-app purchases. If you're looking for more, you should probably subscribe.

What if you are in the wrong region?

It's one thing to face the problem of not having Instagram Music if you're actually in a region where it's not available. But what if you're in the US, Germany, France, the UK, or any other place where it's available? Well, then you must have had some kind of glitch. Here's what you can do if this happens.

Check for updates

If the apps on your mobile device don't update automatically, chances are you're missing something important. Instagram tends to provide regular updates.

Often they include some fun and interesting features. And sometimes an update fixes whatever is causing problems on Instagram.

Logging in/out of the app

It may seem odd, but logging in and out of Instagram can help. This process gives the application a chance to fully boot and reload. Nobody really logs out of Instagram every time they use it, but sometimes it can be useful.

The only potential problem you might run into is if you clear your username or password, but that probably won't happen.

Uninstall and then reinstall Instagram

If you keep seeing Instagram Music not available in your area, which it shouldn't be, it might be time to take drastic action. You don't like doing it, but delete Instagram from your mobile device. And then quickly download it again and see if the issue is resolved.

How to add Instagram music to your story

You may be one of the lucky ones living in a country where Instagram Music is available. Or have you managed to find a way to make it accessible regardless of location. In any case, you may not understand how to use this fun feature. Try this:

Take a beautiful nature photo or choose a selfie that you really enjoy.
See menu bar at the top of the screen. This is a square with a smiley face that has one corner peeled off.
Select the Music option.
Learn more