How to Add Music to a YouTube Short (Before and After Recording)

The right track can make a ten-second clip feel finished. The wrong one can get your Short muted, or flagged. If you make Shorts for a business, a side project or just for fun, it helps to know which route YouTube wants you to use for sound.

Everything here comes from YouTube's help pages for Shorts. Where the menus differ by phone or app version, I'll say so rather than guess.

Adding music to a YouTube Short before you record

1. Open the YouTube app and sign in.
2. Tap Create, then choose Short.
3. Tap Add sound to open YouTube's audio library.
4. Pick a track, then use the Adjust tool to choose which part of the song plays in your Short.
5. Hold the capture button to record, or tap it to start and tap again to stop.

Choosing the sound first suits dance clips, timed transitions or anything where the footage should follow the beat. You can pick a sound that fits the mood, such as something upbeat for movement or calmer audio for a gentle walkthrough.

Adding music to a YouTube Short after you record

If you'd rather film first, YouTube's help page says you can add a song or other sound bite once you've recorded.

1. Finish recording your clip or clips.
2. Tap Sound.
3. Make your selection from the audio library.
4. Use Volume to balance the music, your original audio and any voiceover.
5. Continue to the next screen and finish your upload.

Volume is the setting people skip. If you've spoken on camera, turn the music down so your voice stays clear. If the clip is just visuals, you can let the track lead.

How long a song can be in a YouTube Short

YouTube's help says that, depending on the song, you may be able to add up to 90 seconds of music to a Short of up to three minutes. After you select audio, the app shows how many seconds it will cover. One remix page I came across lists a different length for music video remixes, so check the number shown in your app rather than relying on a number from any article, mine included.

Syncing a YouTube Short to the beat

If you're building a Short from photos or video clips, the Sync to beat option helps. According to the help page, you select at least two photos or videos and the app previews them automatically synced to music. You can pick different music or skip the feature. It's a quick way to make a product slideshow feel edited.

Using the same sound as another YouTube Short

Spotted a sound you like on someone else's Short? Tap Sound in the lower-right corner of that Short, then tap Use this sound to start a new Short with the same audio. It's the quickest way to join a trend, though it only works on Shorts where the sound is available.

Copyright and music in a YouTube Short

This is where Shorts get into trouble. YouTube's help says music from its audio library helps avoid copyright claims, and that library items are free only for personal, non-commercial use unless you have the appropriate licenses. So if the Short promotes a business, read the licence terms attached to the sound before you rely on it.

The help page also warns that copyright-protected content used in Shorts made outside YouTube's own creation tools may trigger a Content ID claim or removal. In other words, adding a chart song in a separate editing app and uploading the result is the risky route. If a Short seems to go nowhere after you post it, my piece on why a Short's views can sit at zero covers the other things to check.

Choosing the right music for a YouTube Short

Think about the first second. A Short lives or dies on whether someone stops scrolling, and sound is half of that. For a how-to or a product demo, a gentle track under a clear voice works well. For a quick before-and-after, something with a clear beat gives the cuts a rhythm. Preview a couple of tracks with the footage on screen, because a song that sounds great alone can fight with speech.

It also helps to keep a short list of go-to sounds for your channel, so your Shorts feel like they belong together.

Adding music to a YouTube Short from your phone only

The Shorts camera isn't available on tablets, according to YouTube, so use a smartphone to record and add the sound. If the Add sound button doesn't appear, update the app and check you're in the Short camera rather than the standard upload screen. Menus vary by app version.

Adding a voiceover and text on top of your YouTube Short

Music is only one layer. After recording, you can also record a voiceover and add text, which helps viewers who watch with the sound off. If you want words on screen for a longer clip, my guide to adding subtitles to a YouTube video explains the caption route in Studio.

If you can't add music to your YouTube Short

1. Check you're in the Shorts camera by tapping Create, then Short.
2. Update the YouTube app, since sound options depend on the version.
3. Look for the Sound option after recording if Add sound isn't showing beforehand.
4. Try a different track, as not every song is available for every Short.
5. If nothing appears, use the help or feedback option in the app to tell the platform.

For the rest of the series, see the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add music to a YouTube Short?

Tap Create, choose Short, then tap Add sound to pick a track from YouTube's audio library. Or record first, then tap Sound and make your selection.

How much music can I add to a Short?

YouTube's help says that, depending on the song, you may add up to 90 seconds of music to a Short of up to three minutes.

Can I change the volume of the music?

Yes. After recording, YouTube says to use Volume to balance the music, your original audio and any voiceover.

Is audio library music safe to use for a business?

YouTube says audio library items are free only for personal, non-commercial use unless you have the appropriate licenses, so check the terms for your sound.

Why did my Short get a copyright claim?

YouTube's help says copyright-protected content used in Shorts made outside its creation tools may trigger a Content ID claim or removal.