Can't add music to your Instagram Story? Here's 2 ways how to add music, whether you have the music sticker feature or not

Steven John

Jul 25, 2020, 02:28 IST

Can't add music to your Instagram Story? Here's 2 ways how to add music, whether you have the music sticker feature or not

There are several reasons why you might not be able to add music to an Instagram Story.Shutterstock/NARAPIROM

If you can't add music to an Instagram Story or video, it might mean you live in a country or region where the feature isn't available due to copyright issues.
Not being able to add music to an Instagram Story might also signal that you need to update your Instagram app.
If you're trying to share a branded content campaign, you can't put music in it, no matter where you are.

Adding music to an Instagram Story is an easy way to add humor, interest, and emotion to your videos. It's one of the many effects and filters available that makes the platform so popular.

But if you find yourself not able to add music to your Instagram Stories — say, if the music sticker isn't available — you may think you're out of luck.

There are a few reasons why you might not be able to add music to your Instagram Story, and they include:

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You live in a country where the feature isn't available. Music is enabled on the app in over 90 countries, but due to Instagram's strict adherence to copyright law, it's disabled in some countries.
Your app is out of date. You may need to simply update Instagram.
You're trying to share a branded content campaign. Due to copyright laws and Instagram's advertising policies, music and some other features like stickers and emojis aren't allowed in branded content ads.

Instagram's licensing agreements also limit the amount of music you can include in live videos, but there's no limits on adding music to Stories.

Here's how to tell if you can add music to your Instagram Story. This can be done using the Instagram app for both iPhone and Android devices.

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How to check if you can add music to an Instagram Story

Before adding music to any kind of Instagram post, you should read up on Instagram's music policies.

First, let's see if you can add music to your Instagram Story.

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the camera icon in the top left corner, or the blue plus icon on your profile image.

2. Record a video, then tap the sticker icon, which looks like a square smiley face with the corner bent.

3. On the pop-up screen, you should see a sticker that says "MUSIC," with little moving music bars next to it. You can also type "music" into the search bar to pull it up.

4. If you see the music option, you can continue adding music as you normally would.

If you don't see this option, you've fallen into one of the three categories explained above, and can't add music to your Instagram Stories normally.

However, even if you don't have this sticker, you're not out of luck. Playing music from a third-party app like Spotify or Amazon Music will work just fine.

How to add music to an Instagram Story if you don't have the music sticker

1. Open a music streaming app, like Spotify or Apple Music, on your device.

2. Start playing the song you want to use.

3. With the song still playing, go back to Instagram and record your Story; the music playing on your phone will be integrated. You won't be able to add a dynamic album cover or live lyrics, however.

Note that if you add music this way, Instagram will check your Story for copyright infringement, and if detected, will remove the sound from your video.