How to Add Background Music in iMovie

Overview:

If you're making movies at home, watching a short film uploaded to YouTube, or the next Hollywood blockbuster, adding Music can make your videos more engaging. Adding Music also conveys mood, emotion, and humor.

For iPhone or Mac users, the original iMovie editing software adds royalty-free Music, sound effects, and voiceovers, a simple process.

Here's how to add Music to iMovie to create a fun and professional finished video on your iPhone or Mac.

How to add Music to iMovie on iPhone

With iMovie, you can access all your movie projects, edit your movie to add Audio, share it online, or send it to the Apple TV app.

You can add audio files to your iMovie project, including the built-in sound effects and theme music found in iMovie.

Other sources include songs on your device or stored in iCloud, songs you've downloaded to your device in the Music app, or custom songs created in apps like SoundCloud or GarageBand.

Step 1: To get started, create a new iMovie project or open an existing one.

Step 2: To create a new iMovie project on your iPhone, go to the Projects browser and click + (add).

Step 3: Click Movie to open Moments. Here, you'll see photos and videos from your photo library organized into moments.

Step 4: If you want to create your video and photo trailer, click Trailer to use the built-in templates.

Step 5: Next, long-press the image thumbnails to preview the photo or video clip, then click the video or picture you want to add to your movie. Click Create Movie to open your new project.

Note: You can also record directly to iMovie instead of selecting a photo or video from the Moments screen. If you want to record directly from your iPhone camera to your iMovie project, place the video clip or image in the project's timeline, then click Use Photo or Use Video.

Step 6: To create a new iMovie project on your Mac, go to the Projects browser and choose to Create New.

Step 7: Select Movie and select the clip or photo you want to add from the Photos app library, or import from your camera, iPhone, or record directly with your Mac.

Step 8: Drag clips from your iMovie browser, desktop, or Finder to your project's timeline to start creating your movie. You can now add Music to iMovie.

How to add background music to iMovie on iPhone

With your new or existing project open on your iPhone, you're now ready to add background music to iMovie using these steps.

Step 1: Open your project and place the playhead (white vertical line) where you want to add your audio file.

Step 2: Select Audio in the iMovie browser area. Alternatively, select Show Libraries List to see your options on the left pane.

Step 3: Click Add Media > Audio and choose one of the following options:

Soundtracks to choose from iMovie theme music
My Music to browse from audio files downloaded on your device in the Music app
Files to access audio files in iCloud Drive or other locations

Step 4: Next, click on a song to download to your device and tap the + (plus sign) next to the audio file to add it to your project. The piece will be placed below the video.

Note: The music you add to your project's timeline will automatically adjust to the length of your project, but you can change the size and add more Music to your project. Make sure the duration of the audio file and the video file match.

How to Add Music to iMovie on Mac

iMovie for Mac lets you add Music, voiceovers, or sound effects from the Finder to your project's timeline. You can also use audio files from your music library, iCloud, or other locations using the iMovie browser or record and add voiceover narrations to your project.

Step 1: To do this, open your project and select Audio above the browser.

Step 2: Choose iTunes or Music to access your music library, Sound Effects to access built-in sound effects in the Library list, or GarageBand to use a song you've created in GarageBand. Find the audio file you want to add to your project.

Note: If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, select iTunes to access your music library and browse through the choices.

Step 3: Select Play to preview the audio file before adding it to the project timeline.

Step 4: If you wish to attach the background music to a particular video clip, drag the file under the video clip or to the Music section. You can also drag the entire file into the project timeline or select a range in the waveform and drag it to the timeline to add part of the audio file.

Once done, you can position, trim, edit, or add ratings to the audio file in the timeline. You can drag either side of the range selection to shorten or expand it.