How to Add Music to a Video

Here's how to add music to a video:


  1. Download and launch Movavi Video Editor.

  2. Add media files to the program.

  3. Adjust the audio file.

  4. Save the result.

By clicking the download button, you're downloading a free version of the program.*

Edited by Ben Jacklin
13 472

Music can have a dramatic effect on our perception of a video – no matter whether it’s a movie, a commercial, or a video presentation. Silent footage or a video with just a few snippets of voice commentary might really need some good music to make it interesting. Here, you'll learn about different ways to add background music for your video.

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How to add music to a video with Movavi Video Editor

Download Movavi Video Editor to add music to videos. With this easy-to-use music video editing software, you'll combine audio and video in a couple of minutes! Movavi’s software for Windows and Mac OS allows you to add sound to a video in MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format to your MP4, AVI, or any other format video and save it as a new file.

Adding a song to a video with Movavi Video Editor is quite easy. Read our instructions below and learn how to put music over a video clip in four simple steps.

Step 1. Install Movavi Video Editor

Open the file you’ve downloaded and follow the on-screen instructions to install the app on your PC or Mac.

Step 2. Add media files to the program

Launch the music video editor. To add audio to the video, click Add Files and upload the video and audio files you want to merge. All the files will be added on the Timeline board below: the video files will be placed on the Video Track and the audio files on the Audio Track marked with the musical note icon.

Choose media files to put music over a video

Step 3. Adjust the audio file

If the video and the soundtrack lengths do not match, you can edit the audio in your video in numerous ways. For example, if the music file is longer than your video, you can move the red marker to the end of the video and click the Split button as shown in the picture, then delete the unnecessary part. If the video is longer than the music track, you can double the audio and place the copied files side by side on the same track.

Add sound to the video the way you want

Step 4. Save the result

Click Export and choose how you would like to save your video from the tabs in the left part of the pop-up window. Select the desired format or the ready-made preset for your mobile device or prepare your video for uploading to the web. Finally, choose the destination folder in the Save to field and click Start.

Save your video

Now you know how to put music over a video! Apart from adding sound to a video, Movavi Video Editor also lets you undertake many other tasks: merging multiple videos into one, inserting transitions between video segments, applying filters and special effects, adding titles, and much more!

How to add music to a video online

The biggest advantage of online video editors is the ability to edit videos without downloading any program on your Windows or Mac computer - all you need to add music to a video online is a decent network connection to the internet.

However, using online tools may be risky since a single network error is enough to nullify all the efforts you’ve put into editing a video. Online tools also require a high-speed internet connection, so they are most suitable only for editing short video clips. Besides, online video-editing solutions may not be the best choice if you need more advanced editing options.

If you still want to add audio to a video online, we recommend Clipchamp. This music video maker has an intuitive interface and provides its basic functions for free. However, the cheapest paid plan conveniently gives access to free audio stock. To learn how to add MP3 to video with Clipchamp, go to the website and follow the instructions below.

Go to Clipchamp’s website

Create a new account or sign in with your Google account. After that, click the Create a video button in the upper left corner. In the window that opens, choose a format for your project. Drag and drop the video file to the app’s working area and then drag the uploaded asset to the timeline. Repeat the process for the desired audio file. Now you can adjust the length of the audio track to the video. If the music track is longer than the video, move the white marker to the end of the video and click the Split button. If the video is longer than the music file, you can double the audio by clicking the Duplicate button. When you are satisfied with the result, click the Export button in the upper right corner of the interface, select the resolution and click Continue to download the output video.

How to add music to a video on an iPhone

Another option is to use iOS video-editing apps to add music to a video. Mobile video editors allow you to create videos on the fly and are perfectly suited for making basic edits. However, such apps might have problems with processing a large video, so the best way to use them is to create short videos for Instagram or Facebook stories. But what music video editing software should you use? It’s hard to choose the best app to add music to video, but we recommend using Quik. It’s free, easy-to-use, and has its own music library, so you can effortlessly put music over videos with the app. Follow the instructions below to learn how to add music to a video on an iPhone.

Download Quik from the App Store

Launch the app. Tap the Plus icon to create a new project. On the next screen, select a video for adding the music and tap the Add button to move to the next screen. In the lower part of the interface, tap the Note icon and then tap the Music Library button to select the music from your iTunes library or the in-app music library. Select the desired audio file and tap the Checkmark icon to confirm your choice. Finally, tap the Save button and choose the appropriate sharing option from the list or simply save the file to your photo library.

How to add music to a video on Android

If you need an app to add music to video for free, you’ll have no trouble finding it on Android. However, searching for good software may be difficult due to the number of apps in Google Play. Our top pick is InShot. You can easily add music to a video with the app and make other complex edits with this full-scale video editor. Follow the instructions below to learn how to add music to a video on Android.

Download InShot from Google Play

Launch the app. On the main screen, tap the Video button. Then select the video footage and tap the Сheckmark icon to confirm the selection. On the next screen, tap the Music button and then the Tracks button. On the My music tab, select the desired song. Now you can adjust the audio. If the length of an audio track exceeds the length of a video, move the white marker to the end of the video, click the Split button and delete the unnecessary part of the song. Tap the Сheckmark icon to save the changes. Tap the Save button. Finally, select the resolution of the output video. The video will be saved on your device automatically.

How to add music to a video for free

If you want to learn how to add music to a video, check out some useful tips below.

First of all, you should decide whether the music will be in the foreground or the background. Foreground music can be used in videos or parts of a video that mostly show activity without voice commentary or dialogue. For narrated videos, the focus should be on the narration itself, so it’s better to place the music in the background. Keep in mind that if music is in the foreground of your video, you want the volume to be higher so the melody will sound more prominently. If the music is in the background, you want people to be able to hear whatever else is happening in the video.

Experiment with volume before you publish your video to make sure that the music is exactly as loud as you want it to be. Music that’s too loud or too soft can be distracting to viewers, and that’s what you want to avoid.

After you decide which role music will play you can start thinking about its tone. Before browsing the internet for music, watch your video to figure out what sort of atmosphere you want to create. Obviously, you’ll want to use an upbeat tune to create a positive atmosphere and a more somber melody for the video on a more serious topic. If your video is long enough, you may even need multiple tracks to evoke different emotions.

Then you’ll need to find the music itself. Unfortunately, most of the songs you own are copyrighted and, if you use them, you’ll have to pay the copyright owner every time someone views your video. To avoid it, we recommend using royalty-free music. Some of the websites that provide such music are truly free but usually have a limited choice and sometimes provide songs only for non-commercial purposes. For any type of commercial video, we recommend using royalty-free songs from paid websites. Although such music isn’t free, it’s usually inexpensive and can provide you with a wide range of high-quality songs.

Below you can find the list of free and paid services that provide royalty-free music.

Free

Paid

Finally, you need to choose the appropriate video editor for adding music. There are different apps to add music to a video for free. You can use a desktop program, an online service, or a smartphone app.

Movavi Video Editor

Сreate awesome videos easily

*The free version of Movavi Video Editor may have the following restrictions depending on the build: watermark on exported clips, 60-second video or 1/2 audio length limit, and/or some advanced features unavailable when exporting videos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add music to a video for free?

You can use any free video editor to add music to a video. Keep in mind that free video editors usually put a watermark on the output video, so you might want to consider paid options.

How do I add music to a video on an iPhone?

There are many video-editing apps, but we recommend using Quik. It’s free, easy-to-use, and has its own music library. Follow the instructions below to learn how to add music to a video on an iPhone.

  1. Download and install the app.

    Download Quik from the App Store

  2. Launch the app. On the main screen, tap the Video button. Then select the video footage and tap the Checkmark icon to confirm the selection.

  3. On the next screen, tap the Music button and then the Tracks button. On the My music tab, select the desired song. Tap the Checkmark icon to save the changes.

  4. Tap the Save button. Finally, select the resolution of the output video. The video will be saved on your device automatically.

Is there an app that lets you add music to videos?

There are plenty of smartphone apps for both Android and iOS. We recommend using Quik for iOS and InShot for Android. Both apps allow you to add music to videos and have a built-in music library.

Download Quik from the App Store

Download InShot from Google Play

Where can I find music to add to my video?

Unfortunately, most of the songs you own are copyrighted and, if you use them, you’ll have to pay royalties to the copyright owner. To avoid it, we recommend using royalty-free music. Services that provide such music can be free and paid. Free services usually have a limited choice and sometimes provide songs only for non-commercial purposes. Paid services can provide you with a wide range of high-quality songs that are usually inexpensive.

Below you can find the list of free and paid services that provide royalty-free music.

Why should I add music to my video?

Whether your video is made to deliver information, evoke emotions, or promote a product, music can emphasize the message you are trying to deliver and set the right mood. Music can also be extremely memorable: intro and outro music and jingles used in advertisements may become even more popular than the video itself. Music is an important part of your video, so make sure to pay it the attention it deserves.

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