How to Add Music to a Video on iPhone With iMovie

To add music to an iPhone video, open iMovie, start a Movie project, choose your video, and tap Create Movie. In the editor, tap Add Media (+) > Audio > Soundtracks, choose a track, and tap Add Audio (+). Adjust the sound, then use Share > Share Video > Save Video from the project’s details screen to save the finished clip to Photos.

The steps below cover a Movie project in iMovie 3.x on iPhone. Magic Movie and Storyboard projects have different controls. Apple’s online guide is labeled 3.0.4; its iMovie App Store listing shows version 3.0.5, a free download requiring iOS 17.6 or later. Older installed versions can look different.

Before You Start

Have your video available on the iPhone and choose where the music will come from. For a first attempt, a built-in iMovie soundtrack avoids problems with unavailable library songs. You can also use eligible music-library tracks or compatible audio files, as explained below. Download media stored in iCloud before relying on it offline. If you only want to silence the song that Photos adds to a slideshow, see how to turn off the music during an iPhone picture slideshow.

If you still need to shoot the footage, see how to record video and choose 4K or HD on iPhone. Choose the recording quality before shooting; adding music does not improve the original picture detail. The sound the camera captures is also set before you shoot; see how to record stereo sound on an iPhone 11.

Create a Movie and Add a Soundtrack

1. Open iMovie. If another project is open, return to Projects. Tap Start New Project > Movie.
2. Tap the video you want to use so it has a blue checkmark. Use Media near the top if you need to browse your albums. Select additional clips or photos if needed, then tap Create Movie.
3. In the editing screen, tap Add Media (+) > Audio > Soundtracks. This opens iMovie’s built-in music choices.
4. Tap a soundtrack to download it if needed, then tap to preview it. Tap its Add Audio (+) button to put it in the project.
5. Press Play in the editor. Listen to both the music and any sound already in the recording. Adjust them before saving the video.

The strip of clips is the timeline, which shows the order of your movie. A green audio strip below it represents background music. iMovie’s dynamic soundtracks adapt to the project’s length. Apple explains the selection screen in adding music and soundtracks, and the initial video selection in creating a Movie project.

Use a Song From Your Music Library

1. With the project open in the timeline, tap Add Media (+) > Audio > My Music.
2. Choose a category and tap a song to hear a preview. If an eligible song is dimmed because it is not downloaded, find it in the Music app and download it first.
3. Tap Add Audio (+) beside the song. iMovie places it at the beginning and fits it to the project’s length. Play the result before making further edits.

Downloading a song does not make every song usable. Protected music files cannot be added to iMovie, even if they are available for listening in the Music app. If a track remains unavailable, try a built-in soundtrack or a compatible unprotected file instead. Apple’s song and audio-file instructions explain this restriction.

Owning a purchased song is also separate from permission to use it in a video. Apple says an iTunes Store song requires copyright ownership or express permission for use in a project. For a video you intend to share, choose music with appropriate permission for that use.

Add an MP3 or Another Audio File

Apple lists M4A, MP4, MP3, WAV and AIFF among the audio files iMovie can import from the device, iCloud Drive or another location. A recognizable filename extension alone does not remove file protection or establish permission to use the recording.

1. Open the project’s timeline. For an audio file under one minute, move the white vertical playhead to the point where you want it to begin.
2. Tap Add Media (+) > Files. Browse to the saved file and tap it to add it.
3. Play the relevant section to confirm the file imported and starts where you expect.

Files shorter than a minute are inserted at the playhead. Files longer than a minute behave as background songs. Some older iMovie screens offer Audio > iCloud Drive instead of the Files route. Use the control available in your installed version.

Balance the Music and Original Video Sound

1. Tap the music clip in the timeline, then tap Audio. Move the volume slider to make it quieter or louder.
2. Tap the video clip and open Audio to adjust its recorded sound separately. Use Mute if you want music without the original sound.
3. Tap outside the clip and play a section with speech or other important sound. Listen again after every change.

For a clip with someone talking, keep their voice understandable and lower the music as needed. iMovie automatically lowers background music while video sound plays; this is called ducking. Muting a video clip removes that clip’s ducking effect. Apple’s audio adjustment guide documents these controls.

Trim, Move, Fade or Remove Music

To shorten an audio clip, tap it and drag its yellow edge handles. Extending a handle is limited by the available source audio. To split a track, position the playhead, select the audio clip, then choose Actions > Split.

To start background music later, select its green clip and choose Actions > Foreground. It becomes a blue or purple clip that you can touch and hold, then drag to another timeline position. A background track must be converted before moving it this way. See Apple’s audio-clip editing instructions for the different clip types.

For a fade, select the audio clip, tap Audio > Fade, and drag the fade handles to set how gradually it starts or ends. These are different from the yellow trim handles. To fade sound recorded inside a video, first select the video and use Actions > Detach; then adjust the detached audio clip.

To remove an unwanted music track, select that audio clip and tap Delete, opening Actions first if needed. This removes the clip from the project. You can choose another track from Add Media afterward.

Save the Finished Video to Photos or Files

1. Play the complete movie and check the beginning, ending and any spoken audio. Tap Done to return to the project’s details screen.
2. Tap Share > Share Video. Open Options if you want to change the available resolution, frame rate or HDR setting.
3. Tap Back or Done to return to the sharing choices, then tap Save Video for Photos. Alternatively, choose Save to Files, pick a folder and tap Save.
4. Open the saved file in Photos or Files and play it with sound on. Confirm that it contains the music and the full expected video.

The choices in Options depend on your footage. If HDR is offered, turning it off improves compatibility with devices that do not display HDR properly. Apple documents the choices in sharing a movie as a video file. Keep the iMovie project if you want to change the soundtrack later and export another copy.

Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Why Is My Song Missing or Unavailable?

Check whether an eligible library song is downloaded in Music. A protected file will still be unavailable after downloading. For your own audio, verify the file’s location through Files and try importing it there. A built-in soundtrack is a useful way to check that the project itself can accept music.

Why Can’t I Find My Video?

Return to the project’s media browser and check the album containing the clip. If an item stored in iCloud has a download button, tap it to retrieve the video. Apple covers this in importing clips and photos. Select a Movie project for the timeline instructions in this guide.

Can I Use More Than One Song?

Yes. For a change of mood, shorten the first song and place a different song after it. Play the join to check for a gap or an abrupt change. Sequential background songs are usually easier to manage than overlapping music.

Why Did I Save a Project Instead of a Playable Video?

Export Project creates an editable package containing the project and its media. Share Video creates the finished movie file. Use Share Video to get a clip for Photos or ordinary playback; use Export Project when you need to transfer the editable work.