How to pick music on instagram


How To Add Music to Your Instagram Stories: Step-by-step Guide

With the Instagram music sticker, you can add music and lyrics to your Instagram Stories — creating a fun soundtrack for your community.

However, the Instagram Stories music sticker has proved to be quite elusive — with many users having a limited music library or no access at all.

In this blog post, we’re sharing how to add music in your Instagram Stories, and why some accounts don’t have access:

How to Add Music in Instagram Stories

Ready to add a soundtrack to your Instagram Stories? Follow the steps below and you’ll be posting stories with your favorite beat in no time.

First, download the latest version of the Instagram app on iOS or Android. Next, open the Instagram Stories camera and take or upload a photo or video.

Once that’s done, tap the stickers button at the top of the screen and choose the music sticker.

This will open the Instagram music library where you’ll find thousands of songs to choose from.

You can scroll through a “For You” tab of suggested songs, browse by categories, or search for a specific song.

Instagram’s music library is filled with popular songs and artists like Beyoncé, Guns N’ Roses, and Ariana Grande — all thanks to Facebook’s partnership with record labels.

NOTE: If you have a business account, you may only have a limited selection of music due to Instagram’s licensing agreements.

When you’re happy with your song choice, you can fast-forward and rewind through the track to choose the exact part that fits your story.

You can also choose how long you want the music clip to play for (the maximum is 15 seconds).

If lyrics are available for the song you select, they should pop up on your screen.

You can then choose different fonts and designs for them, and edit which part of the song you want to play.

When someone watches your story, they can tap the lyrics to learn more about the artist or listen to the song.

Finally, you can customize what the sticker looks by tapping it before publishing:

Now you’re ready to post to Instagram Stories. As usual, you can add GIFs, polls, or even hashtags.

Then tap the “Your Story” button at the bottom of your screen, and you’re all set.

Want to manage your Instagram feed like a pro? Easily plan, organize, and schedule your content with Later's Instagram Scheduler.

Why Can’t I Add Music to My Instagram Stories?

When the music sticker was first introduced, it was only available in “select countries”, including Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

The feature has since been rolled out even further, with Canada being added to the list in 2020.

If you’re not in one of the countries with access to the music sticker, unfortunately, there’s not much you can do other than sit tight right now.

If you live in a country where the feature is available but doesn’t appear to be working as you’d expect, it may be due to one of these reasons:

  • You need to update your app. Instagram frequently rolls out new updates, so you may be simply using an older version!

  • You’re using a business account. Due to licensing restrictions, business accounts may have a selection of royalty-free songs instead of more popular options. You could switch to an Instagram creator profile instead. 

  • You’re sharing a branded content ad. Instagram’s rules state that branded content ads should avoid GIFs, emojis, music, and more than one sticker.

It’s unknown when other countries will have access to the music sticker, and if Instagram’s licensing restrictions will change for business accounts, but we’ll keep you updated.

Are you looking to gain new followers and boost your reach? Checkout our instagram social listening tool today!

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.

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Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made. 

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

  • Technologies

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 nine0019

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. nine0005

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; nine0008
  • 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. In addition, Facebook users will be able to add their favorite track to the Hobbies / Interests section and pin it to the profile header - it will be played every time someone decides to visit this user's profile. nine0005

“Reinventing TikTok is unlikely to succeed”: what’s wrong with YouTube and Facebook’s short video services

Instagram began to roll out the Reels feature around the world in an attempt to attract an audience of TikTok. In Russia, the short video format is gaining popularity - VKontakte is already developing its own clone of TikTok - the service is called Clips. In addition, in the fall of 2020, the head of the Ministry of Education, Sergey Kravtsov, announced joint plans with Mail.ru Group to develop an educational network for Russian schoolchildren, similar to TikTok. nine0005

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And how to find and choose music for stories on Instagram

Musical accompaniment for Instagram Stories is added using the Music sticker. When adding, you can change the display of the song being played, for example, the lyrics of the song or the sticker with the cover of the released album. There is a detailed step-by-step instruction about this - how to add music to Instagram stories .

Instagram music search

This is a material about finding music for Instagram stories if you have a problem finding the right song or track. And also consider the main music search and the next tab - review. nine0005

How to find a sticker on Instagram , you should already know if there is no link above to the instructions for adding music to stories. When the sticker is added , you will see in the story, search for tracks and music , which is added to the Instagram application.

example of searching for music in the application and the social network instagram

The list of tracks immediately opens, I don’t know what it is based on. Perhaps this is a recommendation of the most popular songs and compositions on Instagram, but this is inaccurate! In the search box, you can start typing the name of the song or artist, it can be the name, pseudonym, name of the group or track. nine0005

For example, let's enter the pseudonym of the performer Klava Koki - Klava. And the search immediately shows us her tracks, as well as duets and joint compositions with this performer.

an example of searching for a Klava Koki track in the instagram application

The more accurate and specific the query is in the search line, the more accurate you will receive an answer in the form of the song or track you need. You can listen to a track and add it to stories by touching the track or clicking the play icon " play ". nine0005

Overview tab in instagram music search are categories

What is the overview tab next to For you, located under the music search? This name emphasizes the essence - a separate search by category or genre. Instagram developers have added the ability to search by genre, mood and topic. All individual categories have additional links, for more - see additional genres.

application example: tab, overview in instagram music search

If you click on such a link located in the upper right corner of each category, you can see additional topics with music genres. For example, as in the category genres, additionally - will be, pop music , hip-hop , rock , country , electronic , Latin American, jazz , reggae Narodnaya and regenton .

Is it possible to find out the name of the song from the video on Instagram?

If you know the name of the track or song, of course you can find it through the search bar, in the main music. But now, you can’t see how in tik tok, the artist or author of the track on Instagram is impossible. The only thing that can be done is the simple and old way of finding music. nine0005

For example , use Shazam music recognition application. To do this, you will need someone with a phone, you can turn on shazam on yours, and on the other phone, the video with the music that you want to find. After that, right by the track name, you will find it in the instagram music search.


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