Instagram Audio: Find, Use and Fix Sounds in Reels
Instagram audio comes in three kinds: your own original audio, another creator’s original audio, and licensed music from Instagram’s library. Tap the audio name on any reel to open its audio page, then Use Audio to make a reel with that sound. Licensed tracks can be muted if rights agreements change, and certain business accounts can’t use the library at all.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: What audio you can use in your reel on Instagram.
This guide covers Instagram’s own tools for finding, using and fixing sound, with licensed audio only. New to the format? Start with what Reels are. Sound is one feature among many: our main Instagram guide walks through the rest.
Table of Contents
- What audio can you use on Instagram?
- How to find the audio from a reel and use it
- How to find trending audio on Instagram
- Why can’t business accounts use popular music on Instagram?
- How to add music, voiceover or sound effects to a reel
- Why is my Instagram audio muted or unavailable?
- Can Outfeed add music to an Instagram post?
- Instagram audio FAQ
What audio can you use on Instagram?
Sound you made, sound another creator made, or a licensed track, each with its own rules. Licensed audio must be attributed or linked to the artist and include the track name, and if Instagram detects licensed music in a reel, it re-attributes the reel to that song’s audio page.
| Kind of audio | Where it comes from | Who else can use it | What can change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your original audio | Sound you record or add yourself | Anyone, if your account is public; making it private stops reuse | Re-attributed to a song if Instagram detects licensed music in it |
| Another creator’s original audio | Their reel’s audio page | Anyone, while their account is public | Original audio from a feed video can’t be used unless you remix the video |
| Licensed music | Instagram’s music library | Personal, non-commercial use; certain business accounts and post types have no access | Can be muted if rights agreements change; replaceable once |
Checked against Instagram Help Center: What audio you can use in your reel on Instagram (+ Add your own audio).
How to find the audio from a reel and use it
Tap the audio name at the bottom of the reel. That opens a page of other reels using the same sound, where Use Audio starts a reel of your own with it. If you recorded the original audio, your reel appears first. The steps are the same on iPhone and Android:
On iPhone:
- Tap the audio name at the bottom of the reel to see a page with other reels that use the same audio.
- Tap Use Audio on a reels audio page to record a reel with the same audio.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Find reels to watch on Instagram (Find reels that use a certain audio or hashtag).
Instagram’s May 2023 ranking explainer counts how likely you are to “go to the audio page” among its most important Reels predictions. Checked against About Instagram: Instagram Ranking Explained (31 May 2023) For the caption side of a reel, see hashtags for Instagram Reels.
No current Help Center article documents saving audio or where saved audio appears. Checked against Instagram Help Center: audio articles (no save-audio steps found)Not verified
How to find trending audio on Instagram
Instagram doesn’t currently document where to find trending audio inside the Instagram app. On 14 April 2023, Meta announced a Reels trends destination showing the top trending songs and how many times each audio has been used, with options to use or save it. The post gave no location in the app, and no current Help Center article gives one. Checked against About Meta newsroom: New Features on Instagram Reels: Trends, Editing and Gifts (14 April 2023)
The one documented route is in Edits, Meta’s separate video-editing app: tap the play icon at the bottom to see reels trending on Instagram, then Use audio to reuse a reel’s sound in an Edits project. Checked against Instagram Help Center: View trending reels on Edits
For what Instagram documents about browsing popular content, see the Instagram Explore page.
Why can’t business accounts use popular music on Instagram?
Instagram’s licensed music library is for personal, non-commercial use, so certain business accounts and certain types of posts don’t have access to it. Licensed music may also be unavailable in some countries or regions.
The option meant for commercial use is Meta’s Sound Collection: over 14,000 royalty-free songs and sounds that can be used commercially, found through the Music sticker in Stories or Audio in the Reels camera.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Access to the licensed music library on Instagram.
A reel you want to boost can’t use licensed music either. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Boost an Instagram Reel
How to add music, voiceover or sound effects to a reel
After recording, tap Next, then Audio, where you can add Music, a Voiceover or Sound Effects and set each one’s volume. Instagram’s steps, the same on iPhone and Android:
On iPhone:
- After recording your reel, tap Next at the bottom.
- To add audio, tap Audio at the bottom. Tap Music and select a song, tap Voiceover to record a voiceover, or tap Sound Effects to add a sound effect, then tap Done.
- Tap and drag the bars below each type of audio to adjust the volume. You can also tap Edit below each type of audio to add effects, edit or remove the audio.
- Tap Done at the top, then tap Next at the bottom and share your reel.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Add your own audio or someone else's original audio in your Instagram reel.
If you download your reel with Instagram’s own Download option and it uses licensed audio or another creator’s original audio, all the audio is removed from the download; a reel with only your original audio keeps it. Going the other way, from your own channel into a Reel, is covered in how to post YouTube clips to Instagram.
Why is my Instagram audio muted or unavailable?
A licensed track can be muted when rights agreements change, and Instagram lets you replace it with another licensed track once:
In the Instagram app:
- Open the Instagram app and find the post with the muted audio.
- Tap Audio unavailable.
- Tap Replace audio, then tap Replace audio again.
- Choose the part of the track you want for your post.
- Tap Done in the top right.
- Tap Done (or the check mark on Android).
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Replace muted audio on your Instagram post.
If Instagram attached your reel to the wrong audio page, take it off that page (Android uses the same step):
On iPhone: remove your reel from a wrong audio page:
- Tap Options at the bottom of the reel, then tap Remove From Audio Page.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: What audio you can use in your reel on Instagram.
Sound that isn’t yours is the other risk. Instagram says to post only content you created yourself, and that someone else’s content can infringe even if you give credit or don’t profit from it. Checked against Instagram Help Center: How to make sure content you post to Instagram or Threads doesn't violate copyright law
Can Outfeed add music to an Instagram post?
Music is one of the things a scheduling tool may not pass to Instagram. Since we make Outfeed AI, here is its answer:
Instagram’s own route is the one in how to add music, voiceover or sound effects to a reel, above.
Plan your next Instagram feed post in Outfeed AI
Instagram audio FAQ
How do I find the audio from an Instagram reel?
Tap the audio name at the bottom of the reel. Instagram opens a page of other reels that use the same audio, and Use Audio on that page starts recording a reel of your own with it. If you made the original audio, your reel appears first.
How do I save audio on Instagram?
Instagram’s Help Center doesn’t document saving audio or where saved audio appears. Meta’s April 2023 announcement of a Reels trends destination said you’d be able to save audio from it, without saying where it is in the app.
Can a business account use popular songs on Reels?
Not always. Instagram’s licensed music library is for personal, non-commercial use, so certain business accounts and certain types of posts don’t have access to it. They can use Meta’s Sound Collection of over 14,000 royalty-free songs and sounds, which can be used commercially.
Can I add more than one sound to a reel?
Yes. After recording, tap Next, then Audio: you can add music, a voiceover and sound effects, then drag the bar below each type of audio to set its volume.
How do I fix muted audio on Instagram?
Open the post, tap Audio unavailable, then tap Replace audio twice. Choose the part of the new licensed track you want and tap Done. Instagram lets you replace a muted track only one time.