The key to building a loyal audience on Instagram is creating content they love engaging with, and one of the not-so-secret weapons to creating highly engaging content is music. Music is one of the best ways to take a social media post from good to great because music is a core part of the human experience. Think about how you feel when your favorite songs come on; when you incorporate music into your content, you can create the same feeling for your audience. 

Music is a powerful storytelling tool because it evokes emotions and energy, which helps us connect the dots between ideas and makes us invested in what we're listening to or watching. That's why music is often a key component of storytelling in many forms of multimedia, from ads on television to movies and television shows -- and why it should be a pivotal component of your social media storytelling on Instagram, too. In this guide, we'll be breaking down how to use music to set the tone for your content and, as a result, increase your Instagram engagement.

How Instagram's Music Features Work

You can add music to your reels, feed posts, and stories on Instagram. However, due to licensing rights, your music options may be limited based on your account type (personal, business, or creator).

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How to add music to your Instagram reels

• Step 1: Open Instagram and Create a Reel: Tap the "+" button at the bottom center of the home screen and select "Reel."
• Step 2: Capture or Upload Content: Record a new video, upload your edited video, or upload clips from your gallery to edit directly on Instagram.
• Add Music: Tap the music icon on the left side of the screen to search Instagram's music library. With Instagram's latest update, you can add up to 20 tracks to a single reel, so search for and select the song(s) you want to use.
• Edit your music selection: Adjust the section of the song you want to use, or, if you're using multiple songs, visually align audio with elements like text, stickers, and clips while you're editing.

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How to add music to your Instagram feed posts

• Step 1: Open Instagram and Create a Post: Tap the "+" button at the bottom center of the home screen and select "Post."
• Step 2: Upload Content: Select the content you want to include in your post from your gallery.
• Step 3: Add Music: Tap the "Add Music" button on the editing screen. Search for and select a song.
• Step 4: Edit your music selection: Adjust the section of the song you want to use.

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How to add music to your Instagram feed posts

• Step 1: Open Instagram and Create a New Story: Swipe right from your home feed or tap the camera icon in the top left corner to open the Story creation interface.
• Step 2: Capture or Upload Content: Take a photo or video, or swipe up to access your gallery and select an existing image or video.
• Step 3: Add Music: Tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen (it looks like a square smiley face). In the sticker menu, select the "Music" sticker.
• Step 4: Choose a Song: Use the search bar to find a specific song, or browse through the categories such as "For You," "Browse," or "Trending" to discover popular tracks. When you find the song you want to use, tap it to add it to your Story.
• Step 5: Customize Your Music Selection: Select the portion of the song you want to use by using the slider.
• Step 6: Choose Your Display Option: You can select from different display styles, such as lyric overlays, album covers, or song titles in various formats.
• Step 7: Position the Music Sticker: Drag the music sticker to position it anywhere on the screen. You can also resize it by pinching it with two fingers.
  
  

How to Leverage Music To Make Your Instagram Content More Engaging

Here are some ideas of ways to creatively incorporate music into your content with examples:

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Use music to convey energy or emotion

Music sets the mood and the tone; what energy do you want to convey in your content? Wisdom Kaye often uses music to complement his videos' dramatic, editorial energy.

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This video for Brand Blackwood's campaign conveys a dreamy, blissful feeling, and the music used in this video evokes this emotion perfectly:

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To accomplish a similar effect in your social media content, you must answer the question, "How do I want my audience to feel when they engage with this content?" From there, try testing different music options until you find the one that best compliments your visuals and story.

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Synchronize music with the visual elements of your content

Music can be a great anchor for your content by determining the pacing of your video. For example, @siranda_manchez edited this video to follow the music's beat, making her video more attention-grabbing.

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Music can also be a signal for when transitions or visual effects happen in your video content, like these examples by @yasminhero and @helifechurchmemphis.

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Align the messaging of the music to the messaging of your content

When you can find a song that perfectly matches the theme or message of your post, it's a match made in heaven! This video by @whishfullooks, where she uses the metaphor of a lemonade stand to promote her summer clothing items, is the perfect example. The song she uses, which references lemons, is the perfect final touch to bring the concept of this campaign video together.

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Music is an integral part of the human experience, which is why it is such an effective storytelling tool. By using music in your content, you communicate your brand's personality while expressing the emotion and energy you want your audience to feel when interacting with it. Use this guide to leverage music strategically to make your content more engaging for your audience.