How to Add Music to Canva Designs: Phone and Desktop Steps

Canva isn't only for static posts any more. Reels, slideshows, animated presentations and short promo videos all come alive with a soundtrack, and you can add one without leaving the editor.

What most guides skip is the licensing side. Canva has a stock audio library, a separate popular music library with chart songs, and the option to upload your own tracks, and each one comes with different rules. If you're making anything for a business, that difference matters, so I'll cover it alongside the steps from Canva's help centre.

Adding music to a Canva design on a computer

1. Open your design in the Canva editor.
2. In the side panel on the left, click the Audio tab. If you can't see it, click Apps first, or go to Elements and choose Audio from the categories.
3. Browse the categories or type a mood, genre or title into the search bar. Click See all to view more of a category.
4. Click a track to add it. In a video design, it lands where your play head sits on the timeline at the bottom of the editor.

The track shows up as a coloured bar under your page thumbnails. That bar is where you'll trim it, fade it or delete it later.

Adding music to Canva on the phone app

1. Open the design in the Canva app.
2. Tap Audio in the toolbar at the bottom of the editor. You may need to swipe through the toolbar to find it, or go to Elements and pick Audio.
3. Scroll the categories or search, then tap a track to drop it in.

Everything else, from trimming to muting, works from the timeline in the same way, just with taps instead of clicks.

Trimming and fading a Canva music track

Songs rarely fit your video perfectly. Canva's help gives you a few controls once the track is on the timeline:

• Trim: hover over the track and drag the trim handles that appear to shorten or lengthen it.
• Choose the section: click the more icon at the end of the track, select Adjust, and drag the audio waves into the coloured part of the bar. Only that section plays.
• Volume: select the track, click the volume icon above the editor and use the slider.
• Balance all: one click evens out the volume of every audio and video clip in the design.
• Fade: select the track and click Fade on the toolbar for a smooth start and finish.

One detail that confuses people: a page with only text and images plays for five seconds by default, according to Canva. If your music seems to cut off, check the page duration using the clock icon or the Duration button and stretch it.

Popular music in Canva versus stock audio

This is the part to read twice if you run a business.

	Stock audio and sound effects	Popular music library
Where it lives	Audio tab	Audio tab, searched by title or artist
Length when added	Full track, trimmable	Up to 60 seconds (30 seconds in preview)
Who gets it	All users, with some tracks marked Pro	Canva Pro, Canva Education and Teams of 10 or less members, in supported countries
Business use	Check Canva's Content License Agreement	Personal projects only, no commercial use

Canva's help is clear that popular music can't be used for any commercial purpose, which it says includes promoting a product or business. So a chart song is fine for a family birthday video, but not for your shop's launch reel. For brand content, stick with stock tracks you're licensed for, or music you own.

Popular music is also limited by region. Canva lists the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and some European countries, and says free accounts, Canva for Nonprofits and Teams with 11 or more members can't use it.

Uploading your own music to Canva

You can upload audio files from your device and add them the same way. Canva runs audio fingerprint checks on uploaded music, and if a track infringes copyright you won't be able to publish the design with that audio. If you made the track or hold a licence, Canva's help says you'll need to show proof of your rights to clear the block.

Using more than one track in a Canva video

Canva lets you layer up to 50 audio tracks in one design, so a voiceover, background music and a couple of sound effects can all sit together. If a big project goes past 50, Canva suggests duplicating the design and deleting pages to split it.

Music works best with movement on screen. If your slides still feel static, my walk-through on animating pages, elements and text in Canva pairs well with this. And if you're cutting yourself out of a video to place over a branded background, see how background removal works in Canva.

Avoiding copyright claims on Canva music

Canva advises verifying your music before you share a design on social media or video-sharing platforms, so you don't get hit with a copyright claim after posting. Its help centre has a separate verification and claims process for this. Do it before posting a business video, not after a claim lands.

If music won't play or add in Canva

1. No Audio tab? Click Apps, or open Elements and look for Audio under categories.
2. Can't find a chart song? Popular music depends on your plan and your country, as covered above.
3. A collaborator sees a track as not available? Canva says that happens when they're on a free plan, Canva for Nonprofits or outside the supported regions.
4. Music stops early? Check the page duration, which defaults to five seconds for text-and-image pages.
5. Upload blocked? It's probably the fingerprint check. Use a track you have the rights to, or send Canva proof that you do.

Want to mute a track instead of deleting it? Select the bar on the timeline, choose Volume, then Mute. To remove it completely, right-click it and choose Delete track.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add music to Canva for free?

Yes. Canva's Audio tab includes stock tracks and sound effects you can add from the editor. Some tracks carry a Pro icon, and the popular music library is limited to Canva Pro, Education and small Teams.

Can I use popular songs from Canva for my business?

No. Canva's help says popular music is for personal projects only and can't be used for any commercial purpose, including promoting a product or business.

How long can popular music be in Canva?

Canva says popular tracks preview for up to 30 seconds and can be added to a design for up to 60 seconds.

How many songs can I add to one Canva design?

Canva lets you layer up to 50 audio tracks in a single design. Beyond that, split the design into two.

Why does my Canva music cut off?

Text-and-image pages play for five seconds by default. Change the page duration with the clock icon or Duration button so the music has room to play.