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

You can do a basic version right in the Photos app. Open the video, tap Edit, and use the audio tools to lower or mute the original sound; for layering a separate song over it, iPhone users typically use iMovie or a third-party phone editor, where you import the video, add the video to the timeline, tap the audio/plus button to add a music track, trim it to match the clip, and export. The mechanics are the same in any editor: video on one track, music on another, trim, balance, export. The one thing the app can't do is clear the rights to the song — for that you need a track you own or a royalty-free/CC0 track.

How do I add music to a video on Android?

Many Android phones can add audio inside Google Photos or the built-in Gallery editor, and free phone video editors do it too. The flow is consistent: open the editor, import your video, add a music or audio track, drag to trim it to the part of the song you want, adjust the volume so the music sits under any dialogue, then export or save. As on iPhone, the editor handles the mechanics but not the licensing — use a track you're cleared to use so the finished video doesn't get claimed when you upload it.

How do I add music to a video on a computer?

On a desktop you have the most control. Use a desktop video editor (free options ship with both major operating systems) or a browser-based online editor: import the video, drop it on the timeline, add a separate audio track, trim and fade the music, set levels, and export an MP4. Online editors run entirely in the browser with nothing to install, which is handy on a work computer. Whichever you pick, the export bakes the music into the video file, so once it's cleared audio it travels with the video to any platform.

How do I add music to a video without copyright issues?

Use music you're licensed to use. The three safe sources are: a track you created or own outright; a royalty-free track whose license explicitly allows your use; or a CC0 track, where the creator has waived their rights entirely. Avoid chart songs and tracks ripped from other videos — those are what Content ID is built to catch. The simplest path is CC0: under the Creative Commons CC0 deed you can use the track commercially with no permission and no attribution. CC0 covers the music's copyright, so it won't be claimed for the song itself — though it isn't a blanket legal shield for everything else in your video.

Will I get a copyright strike for adding music to my video?

Only if you use music you don't have the rights to and a rights holder files a removal request. There are two different things people conflate. A Content ID claim is automatic: the system matches copyrighted audio and the rights holder can block, monetize, or track the video — and per YouTube, tracked or monetized content stays viewable. A copyright strike is more serious: it's applied when content is removed after a copyright takedown, and three active strikes within 90 days can terminate the channel. Cleared or CC0 music avoids both, because there's no rights holder to claim or strike the track.

What's the best free music to add to a video?

"Best" depends on the edit, not the source. Match the vibe: high-energy phonk for action, sports, and gym edits; lo-fi for vlogs and talking-head videos where music sits under a voiceover; ambient for cinematic b-roll and slow, premium-feeling footage. For free music that's also cleared for commercial use, CC0 libraries are the lowest-friction option — no attribution, no fee, and no Content ID baggage. The HowWorks library is CC0 across the board and lets you generate an original track in any track's style with one tap if nothing fits exactly.

How to Add Music to a Video (Without Copyright Strikes)

To add music to a video, open a video editor, put your clip on the timeline, add a separate audio track with your song, trim it to length, balance the levels so the music sits under any dialogue, and export. That five-step flow is identical on every device — the only thing that changes is which app you tap: the Photos app or iMovie on iPhone, Google Photos or the Gallery editor on Android, and a desktop or online editor on a computer.

The editing is the easy 20%. The other 80% — the part that actually gets people in trouble — is the music itself. Drop a popular song onto a video you post publicly and you can trigger a Content ID claim within minutes: muted audio, a region block, or your ad revenue redirected to a rights holder. This guide covers the exact steps on each device, then the fix almost every "how to add music" article skips — how to use music you're actually cleared to use, so the upload sails through.

How to Add Music to a Video (the Universal 5 Steps)

Before the device-specific taps, here's the model that every editor — phone, desktop, or browser — follows. Learn this once and the specific app barely matters.

Import your video into the editor and drop it on the timeline.
Add a separate audio track — look for an "Audio," "Music," or + button. The music lives on its own layer so you can move it independently of the video.
Trim the music to the clip. Drag the ends of the audio so it starts and stops where you want. Most edits use 15–60 seconds of a track, not the whole thing.
Balance the levels. If your video has dialogue, drop the music to roughly 15–25% so it sits underneath. Add a short fade-in and fade-out (about 1 second each) so it doesn't start or cut abruptly.
Export. Save as an MP4. The music is now baked into the video file, so it travels with the clip to any platform.

The steps below are just this flow with the right buttons named for each device.

How to Add Music to a Video on iPhone

You have two routes on iOS, depending on how much control you want.

Quick route — the Photos app. Open the video, tap Edit, and use the audio controls to mute or lower the clip's original sound. The built-in editor is best for adjusting existing audio rather than layering a new song over the whole video.

Full route — iMovie or a phone editor. To actually lay a song under your footage:

Open iMovie (free from Apple) or another phone video editor and start a new project with your clip.
Tap the + (add media) button and choose Audio to add a music track.
Pick your track, then drag its edges to trim it to the part of the clip you want.
Tap the audio track and lower its volume so any talking stays clear.
Tap Done, then share or save the finished video.

iMovie and CapCut are the editors iPhone creators reach for most often; both follow the same timeline-and-trim mechanics described above. What no phone editor does is clear the rights to a commercial song — that part is on you, which is where the copyright section below comes in.

How to Add Music to a Video on Android

Android has no single default editor, but the flow is the same across the common options.

Open Google Photos, your phone's Gallery editor, or a free video editor app, and open (or import) your video.
Find the Music / Audio / + control and add an audio track.
Trim the track to the clip by dragging its handles.
Adjust the volume so the music sits under any dialogue, and add fades if the app supports them.
Export or Save — the music is baked into the exported file.

Because Android editors vary by manufacturer, the buttons move around, but "import video → add audio track → trim → balance → export" holds everywhere. As on iPhone, the editor handles mechanics, not licensing — bring a track you're cleared to use.

How to Add Music to a Video on a Computer

A desktop or laptop gives you the most precise control over timing and levels. You have two categories, and both work the same way once you're inside:

Editor type	Where it runs	Best for
Desktop editor	Installed app (free editors ship with both major operating systems)	Longer videos, precise multi-track audio, offline work
Online editor	Entirely in the browser, nothing to install	Quick edits, work/locked-down computers, cross-device

The steps:

Import the video and drop it onto the timeline.
Add a music track on a separate audio layer (drag the file in, or use the editor's Audio/Music panel).
Trim and fade the music to fit the clip.
Set the levels so the music supports rather than competes with any speech.
Export as an MP4 at the resolution you need.

iMovie and Clipchamp are first-party examples of free desktop editors; browser-based online editors do the identical job with no install. Whichever you use, the export step bakes the music in — so once your audio is cleared, the video is safe to post anywhere.

The Part Most Guides Skip: Copyright and Content ID

Here's what trips people up. The edit succeeds, the video looks great, you upload it — and the audio gets muted or the video gets claimed. That's almost always a music-licensing problem, not an editing one.

Content ID is the automated system platforms use to detect copyrighted audio. In YouTube's own words, "using a database of audio and visual files submitted by copyright owners, Content ID identifies matches of copyright-protected content," and "when a video is uploaded to YouTube, it's automatically scanned by Content ID" (How Content ID works). When it finds a match, the rights holder can do one of three things: block the video, monetize it by running ads (often keeping the revenue), or track its viewership.

The scale is the reason this matters: YouTube processed over 2.2 billion Content ID claims in 2024 per its Copyright Transparency Report, and while fewer than 1% were disputed, that's still roughly 22 million disputes from creators who thought their audio was fine. Most got caught using a song they didn't have the right to use.

Two terms get conflated, and the difference is important:

	Content ID claim	Copyright strike
How it's triggered	Automatic audio/video match	A formal copyright removal request
Effect on the video	Can block, monetize, or track — tracked/monetized content stays viewable	The content is removed
Effect on the account	No strike by itself	A strike on your channel; 3 active strikes in 90 days can terminate it

That distinction is straight from YouTube's documentation: a Content ID claim is not a strike, and "when content is tracked or monetized, it stays viewable on YouTube." A copyright strike, by contrast, is applied when your content is removed after a takedown — and three of them in a 90-day window puts the whole channel at risk. The takeaway for anyone adding music: the editing won't get you struck. Unlicensed music will.

The Fix: Music You're Actually Cleared to Use

The clean way to avoid all of the above is to add music you have the right to add. Three sources qualify:

Music you made or own — full control, no question.
Royalty-free music — you pay once (or nothing) and owe no ongoing per-use royalties. Important: "royalty-free" does not automatically mean free of cost, and it doesn't always include commercial use. Read each library's license.
CC0 music — the cleanest of all. Under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 deed, the creator has "dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of his or her rights," so you "can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission." No attribution, no royalties, no license to read line by line.

One honest caveat on CC0, because precision matters: the dedication covers the music's copyright — it's why the track itself won't be claimed. It is not a blanket legal shield for everything else in your video (the CC0 deed itself notes it doesn't touch publicity, privacy, or trademark rights of other people). For the music, though, CC0 is about as low-friction as it gets.

For context, platforms even confirm this model from their own side: YouTube states that "copyright-safe music and sound effects downloaded from the Audio Library won't be claimed by a rights holder through the Content ID system" — proof that cleared audio is the thing that keeps an upload clean. We go deeper on the license terms in our CC0 music explainer for creators.

Where to Get Free, Cleared Music — Matched to Your Video

This is exactly what the HowWorks Music library is for: around 275 AI-made tracks, every one released under CC0 — no attribution, commercial use allowed, no subscription, and no third-party Content ID fingerprint to trigger a false claim on your video. You browse, find a track that fits, download, and drop it onto your timeline.

Match the music to what you're cutting:

Action, sports, gym, and fast montages → punchy, high-energy free phonk music, the sound dominating short-form edits right now.
Vlogs, talking-head videos, and tutorials → mellow lo-fi tracks that sit under a voiceover without fighting it.
Cinematic b-roll, intros, and slow, premium footage → spacious ambient music for an unhurried, high-end feel.
Calm content, study, and focus clips → relaxing tracks and focus music that hold a steady, non-distracting mood.
Acoustic and warm edits → piano and guitar instrumentals; smooth, vocal-free options live under instrumental and R&B.

Because the whole catalog is instrumental-friendly and CC0, you can layer any of it under dialogue without worrying about the song getting your video muted.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a chart song "just for a test." Content ID scans every public upload — there's no quiet test post. If you don't have the rights, don't put it on a video you'll publish.
Treating a Content ID claim like a strike (or vice versa). A claim can leave your video up; a strike removes it and threatens the channel. Know which one you're dealing with before you panic.
Trusting the word "free" without reading the license. "Free" can mean personal-use-only. Open the license and search for "commercial." CC0 is the version with essentially no conditions.
Forgetting to balance levels. Music at 100% drowns dialogue. Drop it to ~15–25% under speech and add ~1-second fades.
Re-using the same trending sound everyone else uses. Original or curated audio helps your video stand out instead of blending into the feed.

Create Your Own Track, Free

If the curated library doesn't have the exact mood your edit needs, you can make one. Every track in the HowWorks Music library has a Create with AI button: it takes that track's style and pre-fills the HowWorks composer so you can generate a new, original, royalty-free track in the same vibe — tuned to your video, yours to use commercially. It's the fastest way to get a one-of-a-kind sound no other creator is using.

Browse the HowWorks Music library → — free CC0 tracks you can add to any video, plus one-tap Create with AI to generate your own. No attribution, no subscription, commercial use included.

For more on soundtracking the right way, see our guides on the best free music for YouTube videos, adding music to an Instagram post, and free background music for podcasts.