How to Add Music to a Video

Adding music transforms a video — turns silent clips into engaging content, replaces poor audio, sets the mood. Every modern phone and OS can layer audio onto video.

On iPhone (iMovie)

Free Apple app:

1. Open iMovie, create new project
2. Add your video to timeline
3. Tap the + button → Audio
4. Browse:
   • My Music: tracks from your music library
   • Soundtracks: built-in iMovie music (royalty-free, free to use)
   • Sound Effects: built-in SFX
   • Files: imported audio (MP3 from anywhere)
5. Tap a track → tap Use
6. Adjust position/volume on timeline
7. Export → choose quality

iMovie’s built-in soundtracks are free to use even commercially — convenient for casual creators.

On Android (CapCut)

CapCut (free):

1. Import video
2. Tap Audio in bottom toolbar
3. Choose:
   • Sounds: CapCut’s library (free, mostly royalty-free)
   • Extracted: extract audio from another video
   • From Device: your phone’s music files
4. Position on timeline
5. Adjust volume, fade in/out
6. Export

On Mac (iMovie)

Same as iPhone iMovie:

1. New project, add video
2. Browser → Music (audio sources)
3. Drag music to timeline
4. Adjust
5. Export

On Windows (Clipchamp)

Built-in to Windows 11:

1. Drag in video
2. Click Audio library in sidebar
3. Drag track to timeline above/below video
4. Adjust
5. Export

Cross-platform: CapCut desktop

Same as mobile but with more screen real estate and easier audio editing.

Adjusting audio mix

When you have video audio + new music, you typically want to balance:

Original video audio: lower volume (e.g., 20%) so it’s background ambiance.

New music: full volume (100%).

For voice-over content: original audio at 0% (removed), music at 30% (background); narration at 100%.

For pure music videos: original audio at 0%, music at 100%.

Most editors let you set per-track volume.

Music sources

Royalty-free / Creative Commons:

• YouTube Audio Library (free, attribution sometimes required) - youtube.com/audiolibrary
• Free Music Archive - freemusicarchive.org
• Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod, free with attribution) - incompetech.com
• Bensound - bensound.com (free with attribution; paid for clean)
• Pixabay Music - pixabay.com/music

Built-in editor libraries: iMovie, CapCut, Clipchamp all include music. Free for use.

Subscription services for creators:

• Epidemic Sound ($15/month) - high-quality, license includes monetization
• Artlist - similar
• Soundstripe - similar

Your own music: original recordings, music you composed.

Copyright considerations

⚠ Using copyrighted music in videos has consequences:

On YouTube / TikTok / Instagram:

• Platforms scan uploaded videos for copyrighted music
• Detection results in: muted audio, video removed, monetization claimed by rights holder
• Some platforms allow use but redirect ad revenue to the rights holder
• For YouTube specifically: copyright strikes can lead to channel termination

For commercial use: licensing is required. Using copyrighted music without permission for paid work creates legal liability.

For personal use (private videos, family content): typically not pursued, but legally still infringement.

Safe approach: use royalty-free music from the sources above. Most have clear license terms (“free for any use” or “free with attribution”).

Adding voice over

To narrate over video:

1. Record voice with phone’s voice memo or computer’s audio recorder
2. Import to video editor
3. Place on timeline below or above the original video
4. Adjust levels: lower original audio, full voice
5. Trim to match video timing

For tutorials: voice over usually replaces original audio entirely.

Trimming music to video length

Most editors offer:

Auto-fit: music trims/loops to match video duration.

Manual trim: drag music ends to specific time points.

Fade in/out: smooth start and end so music doesn’t begin/cut abruptly.

For most casual videos: enable auto-fit; fine-tune with fades.

Common scenarios

Social media reels: trending music + your visuals.

Travel videos: ambient music over scenic clips.

Product demos: light background music; narration on top.

Tutorials: music removed, replaced with clear narration.

Slideshows: emotional/cinematic music carries the visuals.

Wedding videos: carefully chosen music; check licensing for paid work.

TikTok / Instagram Reels: in-app music libraries are typically free for the platform.

Quality considerations

Audio quality matters:

• Use lossless or high-bitrate source music (FLAC, WAV, or high-bitrate MP3)
• Final video export at 256+ kbps audio bitrate
• Lossy → lossy chains degrade quickly; minimize re-encoding

Sync timing:

• Music drops on cuts → makes edits feel intentional
• Music doesn’t pre-emptively start → unprofessional

Avoid clipping: combined audio levels exceeding maximum cause distortion. Watch the audio meter; reduce if peaks hit red.

Audio extraction (the source)

To use music FROM another video:

1. Extract audio: MP4 to MP3
2. Trim to length: Audio Trimmer
3. Add to new video

Same copyright caveats apply.

After adding music

• Add subtitles: see Add Subtitles to a Video
• Add text/captions: see Add Text to a Video
• Compress for sharing: see Compress Video
• Trim: see Trim or Cut Video

TL;DR

• iPhone/Mac: iMovie (built-in, free)
• Android: CapCut
• Windows: Clipchamp (Win 11) or CapCut desktop
• Free music sources: YouTube Audio Library, Free Music Archive, Incompetech, Bensound, Pixabay Music
• Built-in editor libraries: iMovie, CapCut, Clipchamp all include royalty-free music
• Watch copyright: using protected music can mute videos, remove them, or claim monetization
• For commercial work: license through Epidemic Sound, Artlist, etc.
• Mix levels: original audio 20% or muted, music 100%, narration 100%
• For audio extraction from existing video: MP4 to MP3 + Audio Trimmer