To add music to iMovie on an iPhone, open your project, tap the plus button, choose Audio & Music, then Soundtracks or My Music, and tap the plus beside a track. On a Mac, click Audio, choose Music or Soundtracks and drag a song into the timeline. Songs protected by DRM won't appear.
Music turns a string of clips into something people want to watch, and iMovie makes it easy to add, as long as you know where the music lives. The most common frustration is a favourite song that's greyed out or missing. That's not a bug: it's copy protection. Here's how to add music on iPhone, iPad and Mac, which songs you can use and how to make the music sit nicely under your voice.
Add music in iMovie on iPhone or iPad
- Open your project in iMovie.
- Tap the plus button, then Audio & Music.
- Choose Soundtracks for iMovie's built-in music, My Music for songs on your phone, or Files for audio saved in Files or iCloud Drive.
- Tap a track to preview it, then tap the plus beside it to add it.
Built-in soundtracks are clever: Apple says they adjust to fit the length of your project automatically, so you don't need to trim the ending. Songs from your library start at the beginning of the project and you trim them yourself.
Add music in iMovie on a Mac
- Open your project.
- Click Audio (Audio & Video on newer versions) above the browser.
- Choose Music in the Libraries list, or Soundtracks for iMovie's own.
- Drag a song into the timeline.
Where you drop it matters. Drop it in the music well, the area along the bottom of the timeline, and it plays as background music for the whole film. Drop it under a particular clip and it's attached to that clip, moving with it if you rearrange things.
Use your own audio files
iMovie accepts common audio files: M4A, MP4, MP3, WAV and AIFF. On a Mac, drag them straight from the Finder into the timeline. On an iPhone, save them to the Files app or iCloud Drive first, then use Files in the Audio & Music menu.
Why some songs are missing or greyed out
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Song greyed out or marked Unavailable on iPhone | Not downloaded to the phone | Download it in the Music app first |
| Song doesn't appear at all | Protected by DRM, such as a streamed Apple Music track | Use a soundtrack or a file you own |
| Mac shows fewer songs than your library | Protected files are hidden | Same: use unprotected audio |
Apple is clear that DRM-protected songs can't be used in iMovie. Streaming catalogue tracks fall into this group. Even where you can add a song, remember that posting a video with commercial music to social media can get it muted or blocked, so iMovie's own soundtracks are the safe choice for anything public.
Make the music fit under your voice
- Select the music clip and lower its volume so speech stays clear.
- Use fade in and fade out at the ends so the music doesn't start or stop abruptly.
- On a Mac, drag the volume line down in the parts where someone's talking.
- Trim the song to end on a natural break rather than mid-phrase.
Trim and move the music
On an iPhone, tap the music clip in the timeline to select it, then drag the yellow handles at either end to shorten it. To start the song partway through, drag the left handle inward. On a Mac, drag the edges of the green music clip in the same way, or select it and choose Split Clip from the Modify menu to cut it at the playhead. If you want the music to start later in the film, move the playhead there before adding the song, because iMovie places new background music from the start of the project.
Add a voiceover on top
Music and narration work well together if you plan for it. Record your voiceover first, using the microphone option in the same Audio menu, then add the music and lower its volume so your voice sits clearly above it. Listen back on headphones and on a phone speaker, because a mix that sounds right on one can drown the voice on the other.
Sound effects
Alongside soundtracks, iMovie includes sound effects, such as whooshes and applause, which Apple says you're free to use in your projects. They're in the same Audio menu. Use them sparingly; one well-placed effect does more than ten, and viewers notice when every cut has a whoosh.
If you'd rather put music on a quick social post rather than a full edit, my guide to adding music in Canva covers a faster route, and if you're adding captions to the same video for viewers watching on mute, see how captions work in Zoom for the recording side.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My verdict
Use iMovie's own soundtracks for anything you'll post publicly, because they fit your film's length and won't cause copyright trouble. Use your own MP3 or M4A files when you've got the rights to them, and don't waste time hunting for a streamed song that won't appear: DRM keeps it out of iMovie. Then turn the music down under any speech so every word stays clear.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add music to iMovie on iPhone?
Tap the plus button, choose Audio & Music, then Soundtracks or My Music, and tap the plus beside a track.
How do I add music to iMovie on Mac?
Click Audio, choose Music or Soundtracks and drag a song into the timeline.
Why can't I add a song to iMovie?
It's DRM-protected or not downloaded to your device.
Can I use Apple Music songs in iMovie?
Not streamed tracks protected by DRM.
What audio files does iMovie accept?
M4A, MP4, MP3, WAV and AIFF.
Is iMovie's built-in music free to use?
Yes. Apple says its music and sound clips are free to use in your projects.
