How to Add Background Music to a Video Clip

Want to learn how to add audio to your video? You’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re creating workout videos for your gym or training videos for your students or employees, adding background music makes them more engaging and interesting. Your videos will also look and sound more professional.

The good news is that it's pretty simple to add music to a video. In this guide, we share several tips on how to add sound to a video on Windows, on macOS, and online. We will also tell you where to find music to add to your videos. Ready? Let’s get started!

How Do You Add Background Music to a Video?

If you already have the music you want to add to your video, you can add it using one of the many video editing apps available, such as Adobe Creative Cloud Express, VEED, Camtasia, and Filmora Video Editor.

Today, our focus is on how to add music to a video for free.

Method 1: How to Add Music to a Video in Windows

The Windows OS is highly functional and gives users an array of advanced features designed to increase productivity. Windows 10 comes with the Photos app, which lets you add a song to a video.

This might be confusing since the Photos app’s name suggests that it should be used to edit images and not music, right? Well, not really. The Photos app has a video editor that you can use to edit your videos for free. So, how do you add music to a video in Windows?

Here's the guide:

1. Open the folder containing the video you wish to add background music to.
2. Right-click the video file and select Open with > Photos. Don’t double-click the video – otherwise, it will be opened by the Movies & TV app or what you've set as your default media player.
3. Once the video file opens, click on Edit & Create, which should be on the toolbar at the top of the window. If the toolbar doesn’t appear, simply click anywhere in the Photos app and select Create a video with text from the menu that appears.
4. Once the Photos editor screen appears, click on the Music button and select Your Music.
5. Next, click on Select a music file and pick a track from your Music folder. Note that the music you intend to use should be in this folder. If it isn’t, copy or move it here.
6. After choosing your music file, drag your video clip to the Storyboard at the bottom of the window.
7. You should hear the music when you play the video.

If you're running Windows 10 Version 21H1, the steps will vary slightly:

1. Repeat steps 1-3 from the above guide.
2. Select Custom audio, which is located at the top right side of the screen, and click on Add audio file.
3. Browse to the soundtrack you want to use, select it, and click on Open.
4. Click the Done button.

Your song should now be added to the video. To confirm, play the video. You should hear your music playing. Unfortunately, the Photos app doesn't give you many options to edit the track. However, you can edit your video clip to add text, 3D effects, motion, and so on.

Method 2: How to Add Music to Videos in macOS

If you use Apple devices, you have access to iMovie, available on both macOS and iOS. If you can't find the app on your device, you can quickly download it from the Mac App Store and install it.

Now that you have the iMovie video editor, how do you add music to a video in macOS? Here are the steps:

1. First, you must create a new project and upload your video clip. You can use File > Import, or simply drag and drop your video file into the open iMovie window.
2. Next, drag your video to the project timeline.
3. Click on the Audio option, which is located just below the main menu bar and next to My Media.
4. A drop-down list will appear revealing three menu options: iTunes, Sound Effects, and GarageBand. In most cases, you’ll want to pick iTunes. If the audio isn’t in iTunes, simply import it.
5. Next, you’ll see a list of audio files from iTunes. The list is sorted by track name by default, but you can change how you want it to appear. A quick way to find the tune you want to add to your video is to use the search bar.
6. Once you locate the audio, drag it to the project timeline. Note that the whole song will be embedded in your video clip. However, you can use the handles at the start and end of the music file to trim some seconds at the beginning and end of your track to match your video.

Both Windows and macOS make it easy to add sound to a video. iMovie, unlike the Photos app, gives you the option to trim your music track so that it fits your video perfectly.

Method 3: How to Add Music to a Video Online

What if you don’t like using the built-in video editors for Windows and macOS to add music to your videos? Well, you can do so online using these steps:

1. Launch your browser and visit addaudiotovideo.com. This website allows you to add sound to a video with ease. Plus, it's free of charge, and you don’t need to register an account.
2. Click on Browse… under Select a video file (up to 500Mb), find your video file and select it.
3. Next, click on the Browse… option under the Select MP3 audio file (up to 100Mb) section, find your music track and select it.
4. Once you’ve confirmed that you have the correct audio and video, click on the green Upload button. Wait patiently as the tool works on your file. When it finishes processing, you’ll see a notification saying Completed, and a download link should appear.
5. Download the file and save it to your computer. Play the video file to check if the audio file has been attached successfully.

If you want your audio to match the video, consider editing it before uploading it.

How Do You Choose the Right Music for a Video?

Depending on the type of video you're creating, it's crucial to use the most relevant audio track. For example, when creating a video for your gym members, you want to add upbeat, energetic music. Working out requires music with fast beats that will motivate participants to exercise. If you use sad, slow music, then your video probably won't be motivating.

Therefore, carefully think about the music you want to add to your video, keeping in mind your audience and the message you want to convey. More importantly, make sure to use appropriate music. The last thing you want is your message to come across as inappropriate or irrelevant.

Where to Find Music for Your Video

We should mention that you can't use just any music in your videos as most songs are copyrighted. This means they are owned by the creator or singer, and using them without authorization from the owner can result in a lawsuit.

Luckily, you can find music that you can use without worrying about legal actions. Royalty-free music works like royalty-free images. You don’t need to pay for it to use it. There are dozens of free sites that provide royalty-free music, including

• HookSounds,
• Soundcloud,
• Facebook Sound Collection,
• Epidemic Sound,
• YouTube Audio Library, and
• Soundstripe.

However, before using music from a certain source in your video, be sure to read the user agreement. Some sites don’t allow the audio tracks they provide to be used for commercial purposes. If you're creating commercial videos, you can subscribe to a premium royalty-free music site like Premium Beat.

Important tip: Keep in mind that not everyone viewing your video can hear it. That’s why it's essential to add captions to your clips to reach a wider audience.

How to Transfer Large Videos Online

Now that you’ve created your video and added music to it, you may want to upload it on YouTube or your social media account. Alternatively, if it’s a presentation or product review, you may want to send it to your supervisors, coworkers, or clients. A reliable file sharing service like FileWhopper can help you. The platform lets you transfer files and folders of any size safely and securely.

Why choose FileWhopper?

• It’s a pay-as-you-go service, meaning you don’t need to worry about monthly subscriptions.
• It's fast thanks to the lightweight FileWhopper app, which facilitates simultaneous downloads and uploads.
• FileWhopper doesn’t set file size limits for your transfers. You can send files and folders from as small as 100MB to as large as 10TB.
• It's affordable. Simply upload your file or folder to get an instant quote. You’ll be charged based on the file size.
• Your files are protected with zero-knowledge encryption, which means no one has access to them (not even FileWhopper staff) except for you and your recipient.
• The site has a simple user interface, and you won't be bombarded by ads.

Head over to FileWhopper.com and send your first 5GB for free!