Can you upload audio to Instagram?
Not as an audio file on its own. Put the audio in a video and post the video; on a Reel, its sound becomes your original audio.
Guide · free tool included
How to add your own audio to an Instagram Story or Reel
Instagram’s music tools only offer its own library. To post a song, podcast or voice memo of your own, the sound has to arrive inside a video. Here’s how.
Instagram doesn’t let you upload an audio file by itself: the Music options in Stories, Reels and posts search Instagram’s licensed library, not your phone. To use your own music, podcast or voice memo, put it inside a video and post that video. Its sound then plays in your Story or Reel, and on a Reel it becomes your “original audio”.
There are two built-in ways to get your own sound in without leaving Instagram: record it live with your camera, or record over a Reel with the Voiceover tool. For a file you already have, such as a finished song or an episode clip, turn it into a video first. You can do that with any editor, or turn the audio into a captioned vertical video in your browser here.
Post your own audio as a Story or Reel
Start with your sound inside a video file saved to your phone (see the options below).
Make the audio into a vertical video
Combine the audio with a picture, captions or a moving wave in a 9:16 video. Instagram plays Reels between 1.91:1 and 9:16, and vertical fills the whole screen in Stories and Reels.
Start a Story or a Reel
In the Instagram app, tap the create button and choose Story or Reel, then pick the video from your camera roll instead of recording.
Don’t add Instagram music on top
Skip Music and Audio, or your video’s sound will be mixed with or replaced by a library track. Add stickers or text if you like.
Share it
Post the Story or Reel. On a Reel, your sound now shows as original audio with your username, and on a public account other people can use it in their own Reels.
What Instagram’s own tools can do
Music from the library
In Stories you can add a song with Music or the music sticker; in Reels, tap Music while recording or Audio after Next; on photo posts, Add audio after the second Next. These search Instagram’s library of licensed songs. Instagram notes that the music sticker isn’t available to everyone.
Voiceover on Reels
To talk over a Reel, open Edit Video, choose Voiceover and tap or hold Record. It is ideal for narrating a clip, but it records you live; it can’t bring in a file you made elsewhere.
Original audio
Any sound in a video you post as a Reel becomes “original audio” with your username on it. On a public account, other people can tap it and use it in their own Reels, which is how sounds spread. If Instagram detects licensed music in it, it relabels the audio with that artist and song instead.
Turning your audio file into a video
Any video editor can put a picture over your audio. For audio, though, a still picture is easy to scroll past, and most people watch with the sound off, so captions and a bit of movement help a lot. On this site:
- Choose Vertical on the start card and open the song, episode or voice memo.
- Drag the window on the timeline to the part you want. Best 30 s in Audio finds the liveliest stretch of talking.
- In Captions, press Make captions to put the words on screen. This sends the clip’s sound to our speech provider to write it out; the rest stays on your phone.
- Add a photo or cover in Text, press Export, then Share to save it to your camera roll.
For a song, pick a music visualizer template instead and leave captions off. For a voice memo from your iPhone, the M4A to MP4 page shows how to get the file out of Voice Memos first.
Length and size limits
- Reels: up to 20 minutes, but Instagram says Reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences. For reach, keep it under that; for discovery, 15 to 60 seconds usually works best.
- Stories: a video up to 60 seconds shows as one story; longer ones are split into several. A short clip reads better than one cut into pieces.
- Shape: 9:16 for Stories and Reels, which at 1080p is 1080×1920. Feed posts can be as tall as 3:4; 4:5 (Portrait) sits safely inside that.
- Safe areas: Instagram covers the bottom and right edges with your caption and buttons. Keep words in the middle; in the studio, press G to see the zones.
Podcasts and your own songs
Sharing a podcast on Instagram
Post one strong moment a week as a captioned Reel, with the episode title on screen and the link in your bio or a Story link sticker. A square audiogram works in the feed, and the same clip in 9:16 works in Reels and Stories. The guide to making audiograms covers choosing the moment.
Getting your song into Instagram’s music library
Instagram doesn’t offer a way to submit songs yourself. Independent musicians usually get there through their music distributor, many of which deliver releases to Meta’s platforms as part of distribution. Once it is in the library, anyone can add it to a Story with Music. Until then, posting it inside your own video is the way.
Your own audio on Instagram: FAQs
How do I add my own music to an Instagram Story?
Make a short video with your music as its sound, then post that video as a Story without adding a track from Music. Instagram’s music sticker only offers its own library.
How do I post a voice memo on Instagram?
Save the memo to Files, turn it into a video with a picture or captions, and post the video as a Story or Reel. The M4A to MP4 page walks through the iPhone part.
Why is my original audio not available for others to use?
Original audio can be reused only from public accounts. If Instagram detects licensed music in it, the audio is relabelled with that song instead.
Can I add a voiceover to a Reel?
Yes. In the Reels editor, open Edit Video, choose Voiceover and tap or hold Record. That records live; for a file you already have, use the video method above.
Why does my music get muted on Instagram?
If your video contains a commercial song you don’t have rights to, Instagram may mute it or limit where it plays. Use Instagram’s own music for famous songs, and your own recordings for everything else.