How to Add Music to Snapchat (Snaps, Stories and Your Own Sound)

The same tool lets you record your own sound and save it with a name, which most people never find. You can also borrow the music from a Snap or a Spotlight video you've just watched.

Below are all four ways to add music, a table of the tabs, and the small mistakes that leave you with a silent Snap. The steps come from Snapchat Support, read in October 2026.

How to add music to a Snap, step by step

Snapchat calls it the Sounds tool. It works on a Snap you've just taken, before you send it or post it to your Story.

1. Take a photo or video Snap.
2. Tap the Sounds icon in the editing tools on the side of the screen.
3. Browse the tabs, or search for an artist or a sound.
4. Tap a sound to select it. It starts playing so you can hear it.
5. Tap the trim icon if you want the song to start at a different point.
6. Tap Done to add it to your Snap.
7. Send the Snap or post it to your Story as usual.

Changed your mind? Snapchat says you tap the same sound again to remove it, which is quicker than starting the Snap from scratch.

What each tab in Snapchat Sounds is for

The tabs save a lot of scrolling once you know which one you want.

Tab	What it's for
For You	Suggestions Snapchat picks for you
Saved	Sounds you've bookmarked to use later
Recents	Sounds you've used lately
Trending	Sounds that are popular right now
My Sounds	Sounds you've recorded yourself
Search	Find a specific artist or sound by name

To save a sound for later, tap the bookmark icon while you're previewing it. It then waits for you in the Saved tab, which is handy if you post a series of Snaps with the same track.

How to make your own sound on Snapchat

This is the part most guides skip. You can record a sound yourself, name it, and use it like any other track.

1. Tap the Sounds icon.
2. Tap Create Sound.
3. Tap the microphone to start recording. You can record for up to 60 seconds.
4. Tap the microphone again to stop.
5. Give your sound a name.
6. Choose whether to make it public, and trim it to the length you want.
7. Tap Save Sound.

Making a sound public is worth a thought if you run a business account. A catchy line or jingle that other people can pick up spreads your name with it. If it's a voice note meant for friends, keep it private.

How to use the music from someone else's Snap

Heard a track on a friend's Snap and want it on yours? Snapchat puts a Sound pill on Snaps that use one.

1. Tap the Sound pill on the Snap.
2. Take your own Snap using that sound.

Spotlight works in a similar way. Tap the Sound at the bottom of the Spotlight Snap, then tap Use Sound on the Sound Topic page and make your own Snap. If you'd rather keep it for later, tap Save on that same page.

Why your music didn't add to your Snap

• You didn't tap Done. The sound plays while you browse but isn't added until you confirm it.
• You tapped the sound twice. A second tap removes it, so tap once and check it's still selected.
• Your volume is down. A muted phone makes every Snap look silent when you preview it.
• The app is out of date. Update Snapchat if the Sounds icon is missing.

If the music is there but nobody can hear it, my guide to Snapchat not playing sound covers the fixes. And if you want to cut, speed up or rearrange a video before you add the track, my guide to editing Snapchat videos walks through the Timeline Editor.

A simple routine for Stories with music

If you post Stories for a small business or a side project, music works best when it's planned rather than picked in a rush. Here's the routine I'd follow.

1. Pick two or three tracks that suit your brand and bookmark them, so they're always in your Saved tab.
2. Use the trim icon to start each track on its strongest few seconds, not the slow intro.
3. Record one short Create Sound of your own, such as a greeting or a tagline, and reuse it at the start of a series.
4. Preview every Snap with your phone's volume up before you post it.

Keeping to a small set of saved sounds makes your Stories feel like they come from the same place, and it means you're not scrolling Trending every time you post.

Finding the name of a song you heard

Adding music and identifying music are different jobs. If you heard a song somewhere and want to know what it's called before you look for it in Sounds, my guide to whether Snapchat still has Shazam explains what Snapchat offers for that now.

My verdict

Adding a track takes four taps once you know the Sounds icon is there. The feature I'd use more is Create Sound. A short spoken line, a sound effect or a hook of your own is easier to reuse, and if you make it public, it carries your account to every Snap that borrows it. Save your favourite tracks with the bookmark so your Stories sound consistent.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add music to my Snapchat Story?

Take your Snap, tap the Sounds icon, choose a track, tap Done, then post the Snap to your Story. The music plays with the Snap for everyone who views it.

How long can a Snapchat sound be?

When you record your own sound with Create Sound, Snapchat lets you record for up to 60 seconds, then trim it to the length you want.

How do I remove music from a Snap?

While you're in the Sounds picker, tap the selected sound again. Snapchat says a second tap removes it.

Can I use the music from someone else's Snap?

Yes. Tap the Sound pill on their Snap and take your own Snap with that sound. On Spotlight, tap the Sound at the bottom, then tap Use Sound.