It’s called audiovisual content for a reason: both sound and visuals play a big role in how we experience videos. Unless you’re intentionally creating a silent masterpiece, it’s a good idea to pay equal attention to the audio and visual elements of your video.

In the audio segment, music is one of the most important components. It’s like a cheat code to help you convey a certain emotion or highlight a part of your story, thereby drawing your audience further into the narrative. But how exactly do you add music to your videos?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to add music to videos, from choosing the perfect track to fine-tuning the audio for the perfect result.

Every Step to Add Music to Video

Step 1: Understanding License and Royalty Free Music

Music licensing can be complicated, especially for content creators posting on platforms like YouTube. Using copyrighted songs without proper permission may result in demonetization or removal of your video. That’s where royalty-free music comes in handy.

Why choose royalty free music?

1. It’s budget friendly: Pay once and use tracks with no recurring fees.
2. No hassle: Avoid complicated legal agreements or restrictions.
3. It’s versatile: Perfect for any project, from social media posts to professional presentations.

Where to find royalty free songs

1. YouTube Audio Library: YouTube Audio Library is a resource for free songs that you can use for personal and commercial purposes.
2. Podcastle Music Library: Podcastle offers integrated background music options for videos, making it easy to find tracks directly within your video editor with music capabilities.
3. Other popular platforms: Explore options like Art List, Epidemic Sounds, and Free Music Archives.

Pro Tip: When selecting royalty-free songs, always check the licensing terms to ensure they align with your project’s needs.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Music

Finding the perfect soundtrack for your podcast, video, or other project isn’t just about getting the first song that catches your eye—it’s about making intentional choices that elevate your story. Here’s how to think beyond the basics:

1) Think about cultural and audience relevance
The music resonates differently in the audience. A song that feels nostalgic and comforting in one culture may seem inappropriate in another. Understand your audience and choose music that fits their background, preferences, or even trends they are familiar with.

2) Pay attention to the narrative flow
Every story has its ups and downs—your music should follow the same. Think of it as your visual counterpart, guiding viewers emotionally through the intro, climax, and resolution. If your video takes viewers on a journey, the music should reflect those changes.

3) Test unexpected pairs
Sometimes, the most memorable videos come from unusual choices. Pair an upbeat song with slow-motion visuals for contrast, or use an instrumental cover of a popular song to grab attention without overwhelming the narrative. This combination can make your content feel fresh and unexpected.

Step 3: Adding Music to the Video Editor

Now that you’ve chosen the perfect path, it’s time to integrate it into your project. Most video editing software simplifies the process of placing music over video. Here’s how to do it:

1. Import your music files: Start by uploading your chosen audio track to a video editor with music function. Tools like Podcastle let you drag and drop files directly into your project timeline.
2. Position the track: Align the music with the starting point of your video. If your video contains multiple scenes, position the music to sync with transitions or key moments.
3. Crop and rotate as needed: If the track is longer than your video, trim it to fit the length. Alternatively, for shorter tracks, rotate sections smoothly to maintain consistency.
4. Explore the integrated music library: Many audio editing tools offer built-in royalty-free music libraries. This means you can browse, select, and add tracks to your project without leaving the platform.

Step 4: Balancing Music with Dialogue and Effects

When adding music to a video, one of the biggest challenges is making sure the music complements other audio elements such as voiceovers or sound effects. Unbalanced audio can distract the audience, resulting in a less than optimal viewing experience. The goal is to create harmony between all components so that the music is better than competing with the main content.

Start by automatically leveling your audio track and continue by setting the music volume lower than dialogue or narration. This ensures your message stays front and center. Most video editors with music features include an easy-to-use volume slider that lets you adjust levels precisely. For smooth transitions, use fade-in and fade-out effects to avoid sudden starts or stops. This technique is very helpful when transitioning between scenes or ending a video.

Also, pay attention to overlapping sounds. For example, if your video includes moments with heavy sound effects—like explosions or cheers—turn down the intensity of the music to avoid clashing. Precise layering creates a clean audio mix that feels professional and polished. By balancing the background track with other sounds, your video will have an interesting and cohesive flow.

Step 5: Refinement with Audio Adjustments

To make your videos really shine, perfecting the audio is an important step. These small changes can take your project from good to great. Here’s what you should focus on:

1. Equalizes sound for clarity: Use the equalizer to adjust frequency levels, improve speech clarity or emphasize the depth of music.
2. Experiment with pitch and tempo: Slightly changing the pitch or tempo can make a track feel more personalized and in tune with the mood of your video.
3. Layer multiple audio tracks: Add depth by combining music with subtle sound effects or background ambiance. For example, combining a natural soundtrack with light instrumental music can add a peaceful atmosphere.

The Role of Music in Video Making

1) Affects our perception of speed

Did you know that the music you choose can actually control the tempo of your video? Whether you speed up or slow down the rhythm, your song can tell the audience how fast or slow the story will unfold. A slow, ambient song might make a scene feel reflective and lingering, while an up-tempo electronic song might add urgency or excitement.

By understanding this, you can add music to your videos in a way that manipulates the tempo of your content and keeps your audience hooked from start to finish.

2) Build suspense and surprise

Good video plays as expected. Music is a wonderful tool for building tension or creating surprises. Think of how a horror or thriller film uses dissonant, eerie music to build tension before generating fear. You can use royalty-free music in the same way, whether for dramatic performances, comedy, or heartwarming moments. Knowing how to place music at the right moment is an art, and once you master it, your videos will become much more dynamic.

3) Strengthen brand image

Music isn’t just about setting a mood. It should also match your brand identity. Whether you’re a technology reviewer, lifestyle vlogger, or travel content creator, your content will benefit if the music aligns with your brand.

A quirky, upbeat song might suit a light, fun brand, while a more minimalist or atmospheric sound might suit a professional or educational channel. So consider your brand image when choosing your main music track.

4) Use silence and minimalism

Not all videos need heavy tracks. Sometimes, adding music to a video means knowing when to use no music at all or only include very minimal sound. Silence, or sparse tracks, can be used to emphasize important moments, make your visuals shine, or give the audience space to think. This is an underrated technique in filmmaking and often overlooked. Understanding when to play back audio and letting moments breathe can make your content feel more impactful.

5) Music and video SEO

Yes, you read that right—music can even play a role in YouTube SEO. By using royalty-free music with proper licensing, you avoid potential copyright strikes that could harm your video’s performance.

But it’s more than that: platforms like YouTube use algorithms that pay attention to the overall quality of video production. So, the smoother your music transitions, the better the viewer experience, resulting in longer watch time, more engagement, and higher ratings. Overall, SEO for video content isn’t just about titles, music captions, and descriptions—it’s about delivering polished, engaging content that includes enhancing your music.

Add music to videos with Podcastle’s music library

When it comes to finding the perfect track to match your video, having a wide selection of quality, royalty-free music at your fingertips will make a big difference. Podcastle’s sound effects and music library offers a range of high-quality, royalty-free tracks that can help take your videos to the next level—whether you’re working on background music for a video, adding audio to a video, or even enhancing the overall sound design.

Podcastle’s library is not only about its variety but also its ease of integration into your workflow. No more sifting through countless platforms to find the right music. Plus, with seamless integration into Podcastle’s editing tools, you can get music from your library directly into your video projects, making the entire process smooth and efficient.

So, make sure you give it a try!