The quickest way to add music to a video on iPhone
Open the Photos app, find the video you want to edit, tap Edit, then tap the music icon (it looks like a note) at the bottom of the screen. Choose a song from your library or from Apple's free music collection, adjust the volume so you can still hear the original video sound if you want, and tap Done. The music saves to your video automatically.
This method works on any iPhone running iOS 13 or later. The music starts playing from the beginning of your video and loops if the song is shorter than the video. You can trim the video at the same time if you need to make it fit the song length better.
Key Takeaways
- The Photos app's built-in editor is the fastest way to add music — no separate app needed, and it takes about 30 seconds.
- You can use songs from your Music library, Apple Music, or Apple's free royalty-free music collection that comes with every iPhone.
- The music volume slider lets you keep the original video sound (like someone talking) and blend it with the music, or mute the video entirely.
- iMovie gives you more control over when the music starts and stops, and lets you add multiple songs to the same video.
Using songs from your Music library
If you have songs saved in the Music app on your iPhone, they appear automatically when you tap the music icon in the Photos editor. Scroll through the list and tap the song you want. The song title and artist name appear at the top of the screen so you can confirm you picked the right one.
Songs you purchased from iTunes or added from a CD show up here. Songs you only stream (like Spotify or YouTube Music) do not appear in this list — you would need to download them first or use a different app. If you subscribe to Apple Music, your saved songs and playlists appear in the Music library section.
Adding Apple's free royalty-free music
Below your personal music library, the Photos editor shows a section called Apple Music or Curated Playlists (the name changes depending on your iOS version). This collection includes hundreds of free songs you can use without worrying about copyright strikes or licensing fees. Tap any song to preview it before adding it to your video.
These songs are designed for videos — they tend to be shorter and loop smoothly. They cover many moods: upbeat, calm, dramatic, funny. You own the rights to use them in your videos once you add them, so you can post the finished video on social media or share it however you want.
Controlling the music volume and original sound
After you choose a song, a volume slider appears showing two bars: one for the music and one for the original video sound. Drag the music bar to the right to make the song louder, or to the left to make it quieter. Drag the video sound bar the same way. If you want only music and no original sound (like if someone was talking in the video), drag the video sound all the way to the left.
The slider stays in place when you save, so if you edit the video again later, the volume levels you set are still there. You can change them anytime by tapping Edit again and adjusting the bars.
When to use iMovie instead of Photos
The Photos app works for most videos, but iMovie (Apple's free video editing app) gives you more control. Use iMovie if you want the music to start partway through the video instead of at the beginning, if you want to fade the music in or out, or if you want to add multiple different songs to different parts of the same video.
Open iMovie, tap the plus icon to create a new project, choose your video, then tap the plus icon again to add music. iMovie shows you a timeline where you can see exactly where the music starts and ends, and you can drag it to a different spot. The learning curve is steeper than Photos, but you have much more precision.
Troubleshooting music that won't add
If the music icon does not appear when you tap Edit, make sure you are editing a video, not a photo. The music feature only works on videos. Also check that you have at least iOS 13 installed — go to Settings > General > Software Update to see your version.
If songs from your Music library do not show up, they may not be downloaded to your phone. Open the Music app, find the song, and look for a download icon (usually a cloud with a down arrow). Tap it to download the song to your iPhone, then go back to Photos and try again. Songs that are only streamed from a service like Spotify will never appear in the Photos editor.
Saving and sharing your video with music
When you tap Done after adding music, iPhone saves the edited video to your Photos library. The original video stays there too — iPhone keeps both versions. The edited version with music is marked with a small "Edited" label so you can tell them apart.
To share the video, open Photos, tap the video with music, tap the share icon (a box with an arrow pointing up), and choose where you want to send it: Messages, Mail, social media, or AirDrop to another device. The music stays in the video when you share it. The file size may be slightly larger because of the added audio, but most platforms handle it without trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add music to a video I recorded a long time ago?
Yes. Open Photos, find any video in your library no matter when you recorded it, tap Edit, and add music the same way. The original video file is not changed — iPhone creates a new edited version with the music added.
What happens if the song is shorter than the video?
The song loops and plays again from the beginning until the video ends. If this sounds awkward, you can trim the video to match the song length by dragging the trim handles at the bottom of the Edit screen, or use iMovie to add a different song for the second half.
Can I remove music from a video after I add it?
Yes. Open the edited video in Photos, tap Edit, tap the music icon, and tap the song name at the top to remove it. Tap Done to save. If you want to keep the original version without music, tap Revert instead to go back to the unedited video.
Will the music stay if I send the video to someone else?
Yes. When you share a video with music added, the music is part of the file. The person who receives it will hear the music when they play the video, whether you send it through Messages, email, or social media.
Can I use copyrighted music from Spotify or Apple Music?
Songs you stream from Spotify do not appear in the Photos editor at all. Apple Music songs that you have saved to your library do appear, but using them in videos you share publicly may create copyright issues depending on where you post. Apple's free royalty-free collection is the safest choice for videos you plan to share.