You’ve got the perfect clip. Maybe it’s a slow-motion shot of the Pacific crashing against the rocks or just your golden retriever failing a jump, but something is missing. It feels empty. Dead. You need a soundtrack. Most people think they need to fire up a MacBook and open Final Cut Pro just to overlay a simple song, but honestly, that’s overkill. Learning how to add background music to a video on iPhone has become significantly easier over the last few iOS updates, yet most people still struggle with the volume being too loud or the song cutting off awkwardly.
It's annoying. You try to use the Photos app, but realize it only lets you add music to "Memories," not individual clips. So you go to the App Store and get bombarded by "free" apps that watermark your face or charge $12.99 a week. Stop doing that. Your iPhone already has the tools—specifically iMovie and Clips—that handle this natively and for free.
The iMovie Method: Most Control for Zero Dollars
iMovie is the "old reliable" here. It’s been on the iPhone since the iPhone 4 days, and while the interface can feel a bit clunky at first, it offers the best granular control over audio levels. If you don’t have it, just grab it from the App Store; it’s a literal Apple product.
First, open iMovie and start a new "Movie" project. Don't pick "Magic Movie" or "Storyboards" unless you want Apple to make all the creative decisions for you. Choose your video from the library. Once it’s on the timeline, you’ll see a large plus (+) button. This is where the magic happens. Tap that, then select "Audio." You have three choices here: Soundtracks, My Music, or Sound Effects.
Apple’s built-in "Soundtracks" are actually pretty decent. They’re royalty-free, which matters if you’re planning to post this on YouTube or Instagram without getting a copyright strike. They also automatically adjust to the length of your video. If you choose "My Music," you’re pulling from your Apple Music library. Just a heads-up: if you use a Taylor Swift track from your library, you might find that you can't export it to social media because of DRM (Digital Rights Management) restrictions. It sucks, but that’s the record industry for you.
Once the audio track is under your video, tap the green or blue bar. This is where most people mess up. You have to balance the audio. Tap the volume icon at the bottom. If you have someone talking in the video, drop the background music to about 20% or 30%. If it’s just a montage, crank it. You can also use "Fade" to ensure the music doesn't just stop like it hit a brick wall.
Using the Clips App for Social Media Vibes
If iMovie feels too much like "work," use Clips. It’s another free Apple app that’s often overlooked. It’s designed for vertical video and quick edits.
Open Clips, start a new project, and import your video. In the top right corner, there’s a small music note icon. Tap it. You can choose "Soundtracks" and it’ll give you a list sorted by mood—Action, Chill, Sentimental. The coolest part about Clips is that the music is "smart." It dynamically adjusts the arrangement of the song so the "big finish" of the track happens exactly when your video ends.
This is way better than iMovie if you’re just trying to get something onto a group chat or a TikTok story quickly. You don’t have to manually trim the audio; the app does the math for you.
How to Add Background Music to a Video on iPhone via Instagram or TikTok
Let's be real. Most of us are editing these videos specifically for social media. If that’s the case, adding the music inside the iPhone’s native apps might actually be a bad move. Why? Because the algorithms on Instagram and TikTok prioritize videos that use "Trending Audio" from within their own libraries.
If you bake the music into the file using iMovie, the app won't recognize the song. It’ll just see it as "Original Audio."
🔗 Read more: How to change your ringtone to a song without losing your mind
Instead, upload your silent or raw video to Instagram Reels. Tap the music icon. Search for the track. Now, you get the best of both worlds: high-quality audio and better reach. The downside is that these tools are a bit more restrictive with editing. You can’t easily "duck" the audio (lowering the music when someone speaks) as precisely as you can in iMovie.
The Files App Workaround (For the Pros)
Sometimes you have a specific MP3 or a voiceover file saved in your iCloud Drive or Downloads folder. You might be wondering how to get that onto your timeline. In iMovie, when you hit that plus button, go to "Files" instead of "Audio." This lets you browse your entire iPhone file system.
This is incredibly useful for podcasters or people doing "faceless" YouTube channels on their phones. You can record a high-quality voiceover in a separate app like Ferrite or Voice Memos, save it to Files, and then layer it right under your b-roll.
Common Pitfalls and Why Your Audio Sounds Bad
One word: Clipping.
When you layer a song over a video that already has loud wind noise or talking, the digital audio levels hit a ceiling. It sounds crunchy and distorted. Always, always tap your original video clip and lower its volume to about 50% if you’re adding a loud song.
Also, watch out for "Audio Ducking." This is a feature where the music automatically gets quieter when the phone detects someone talking. While iMovie for Mac has a one-click button for this, the iPhone version requires you to use "Keyframes." You have to manually place dots on the audio line and drag them down during the speech sections. It's tedious. But it makes the difference between a video that looks like a kid made it and one that looks professional.
Dealing with Copyright Frustrations
You found the perfect song. You spent an hour syncing the beat drops to your vacation footage. You upload it to Facebook, and... muted. Immediately.
Copyright bots are ruthless. If you are serious about how to add background music to a video on iPhone for public consumption, use the YouTube Audio Library (via Safari) or a service like Epidemic Sound. You can download these tracks directly to your "Files" app and then import them into iMovie. It bypasses the Apple Music DRM issues and ensures your video stays live.
Apple’s "Soundtracks" in the iMovie library are actually licensed for use, so they are generally safe. Just don't expect to find the latest Billboard hits in there.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Edit
Don't just wing it. If you want the best results, follow this flow:
- Clean the original audio first. If your video has a lot of background hiss, use the "Voice Isolation" feature if you’re on a newer iPhone (iOS 15+) or just mute the clip entirely if the sound isn't needed.
- Use iMovie for "Long-Form" content. If your video is over a minute, iMovie's timeline is much easier to manage than the cramped editors inside social apps.
- The 20% Rule. Keep background music at 20% volume if there is any dialogue. It feels too quiet while you're editing, but once you export it, it’ll be perfect.
- Fade in, Fade out. Never let a song just start. A 0.5-second fade-in makes the transition much less jarring for the viewer's ears.
- Check the "mono" vs "stereo" settings. If you’re using a voiceover, make sure it’s centered.
Adding music isn't just about filling silence; it's about setting a pace. A fast-tempo track can make a boring 10-second clip of a train feel like an action movie. A slow acoustic guitar can make a video of a sandwich look like a high-end commercial. You have the hardware in your pocket to do all of this—no subscription required. Just remember to check your volume sliders before you hit export.
Go into your iMovie app right now. Take a random 5-second clip of your desk or the view out your window. Add a "Chilled" soundtrack from the built-in library. Play with the "Keyframes" to make the music swell at the end. Once you do it once, the mystery disappears.