How to Add Music to a Video on iPhone

To add music to a video on iPhone, open Apple’s free iMovie app, tap Start New Project > Movie, select your video, and tap Create Movie. Then tap Add Media (+) > Audio > Soundtracks, pick a track, and tap Add Audio (+). When you’re done, tap Done > Share > Share Video > Save Video to save the finished video with music to your Photos library.

The Photos app can trim and filter videos, but it can’t add a music track, so iMovie is the tool for this. These steps are for a Movie project in iMovie 3.x on iOS 26 and iOS 27, based on Apple’s iMovie guide to adding music and soundtracks. iMovie is a free download from the App Store. The same steps work in iMovie on iPad, where the Add Media button sits at the upper right.

Before You Start

• Pick your music source. iMovie’s built-in soundtracks are free to use and always work. Songs from your music library and audio files also work, with some limits explained below.
• Your original video isn’t changed. iMovie saves the finished movie as a new video. The clip you started with stays in Photos.

Add a Soundtrack to Your Video in iMovie

1. Open iMovie. If a project is already open, tap Projects to go back.
2. Tap Start New Project, then tap Movie. Your photos and videos appear.
3. Tap the video you want so it shows a checkmark. You can select more than one clip.
4. Tap Create Movie. The editor opens with your video in the timeline, the strip of clips across the bottom half of the screen.
5. Tap Add Media (the + button), then tap Audio.
6. Tap Soundtracks. Tracks that aren’t on your iPhone yet show a download button. Tap a track to download it, then tap it again to hear a preview.

7. Tap the Add Audio button (+) next to the track you want. A green bar appears under your video in the timeline. That green bar is your background music.

8. Tap Play to watch the video with its new music.

Soundtracks automatically adjust to fit the length of your project, so you don’t need to trim them. If you add more than one song, iMovie plays them one after another.

Use a Song From Your Music Library

1. With your project open, tap Add Media (+) > Audio > My Music.
2. Browse by playlist, album, artist, or song, and tap a song to preview it.
3. Tap the song again, then tap Add Audio (+). It’s added as background music starting at the beginning of the video.

Why some songs are dimmed or unavailable: a song has to be downloaded to your iPhone before iMovie can use it. Apple also says songs protected by digital rights management can’t be used in iMovie. That includes songs you stream or download through an Apple Music subscription, which is why many tracks in your library won’t work even after downloading. Songs you own without DRM, like those you bought from the iTunes Store or added from your own CDs, can be added.

Being able to add a song doesn’t give you the right to publish it. Apple notes that you need to hold the copyright or have the copyright holder’s permission to use an iTunes Store song in your project. If you plan to post the video publicly, iMovie’s built-in soundtracks are the safe choice.

Add an MP3 or Other Audio File

iMovie can import audio files such as MP3, M4A, WAV, and AIFF saved in the Files app, including iCloud Drive.

1. In the timeline, move the white vertical line (the playhead) to where you want the audio to start.
2. Tap Add Media (+), then Audio, then iCloud Drive or Files, depending on your iMovie version.
3. Open the folder that holds the file, tap it, and tap Add Audio.

Files longer than one minute are added as background music. Files shorter than one minute act like sound effects. They start at the playhead and show up blue instead of green.

Balance the Music With the Video’s Own Sound

Set the music and the video’s recorded sound, such as people talking, separately.

1. Tap the green music bar in the timeline, then tap Audio at the bottom. Drag the volume slider left to make the music quieter.
2. Tap the video clip, tap Audio, and adjust its volume. Tap the Mute button next to the slider if you want only music and no original sound.
3. Tap outside the controls and play the video again to check the mix.

iMovie also lowers background music automatically while a video clip’s sound plays. Apple calls this ducking. It turns off for a clip if you mute that clip. Apple’s audio adjustment guide covers these controls.

Fade, Trim, or Remove the Music

• Fade in or out: tap the music clip, tap Audio, then tap Fade. Drag the fade handles at each end of the clip to set how long the fade lasts.
• Shorten the music: tap the music clip and drag the yellow handle at either end.
• Start the music later: background music always starts at the beginning. To move it, tap the green clip, tap Actions, then Foreground. You can then touch and hold the clip and drag it to a new spot.
• Remove the music: tap the music clip and tap Delete. Pick a different track from Add Media if you like.

Save the Video With Music to Your iPhone

Editing a project doesn’t create a video in Photos until you share it.

1. Tap Done in the upper-left corner. The project details screen opens.
2. Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen, then tap Share Video.
3. Tap Options if you want to change the resolution, frame rate, or HDR setting, then tap Back or Done.
4. Tap Save Video to save it to Photos, or tap Save to Files, choose a folder, and tap Save.

5. Open the new video in Photos and play it with the sound up to check the music.

Apple describes these steps in its guide to sharing a movie as a video file. Keep the iMovie project if you think you’ll want to change the music later. You can reopen it, swap the track, and save a new copy.

If Music Won’t Add or Play

• The song is grayed out. It’s either not downloaded or protected. Try a built-in soundtrack to confirm the project works, then use a DRM-free song or audio file.
• You can’t find the Audio option. Make sure you started a Movie project. Magic Movie and Storyboard projects use different music controls.
• There’s no sound in the saved video. Check that neither clip is muted and the volume sliders aren’t all the way left, then save again. Also check that your iPhone isn’t on silent when you play it back.
• Your video doesn’t appear in iMovie. Open the album that holds it under Media. If it shows a download icon, tap it to download it from iCloud first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add music to a video in the Photos app?

No. The Photos editor can trim, crop, filter, and mute a video, but it has no option to add a music track. Use iMovie or another video editor from the App Store. If you only want to silence the music in a Photos slideshow, see how to turn off music in an iPhone photo slideshow.

Can I use Apple Music songs in my video?

Not in iMovie. Apple Music songs are DRM-protected, so they appear unavailable. Use iMovie’s soundtracks or a song or audio file you have the rights to.

Can I add more than one song?

Yes. Add a second song from Add Media, and iMovie plays it after the first. Trim the first song with its yellow handle if you want the second to start sooner.

Does adding music lower my video quality?

No. Picture quality depends on how the video was recorded and the resolution you choose in Options when you save. To record in higher quality next time, see how to record 4K video on iPhone.

What’s the difference between Share Video and Export Project?

Share Video makes a finished video you can watch, post, or send. Export Project saves an editable iMovie project to move to another device. Use Share Video to get a video with music in your Photos library.