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How to Add Music to iMovie in a Few Simple Steps

How to Add Music to iMovie
Written by Priya Bhagtani

Video editing is no longer a job of specialists, as most people in today’s time perform the task of editing videos. After the advent of smartphones that offer high-quality in-built cameras at a reasonable price, a large number of people have developed a passion for clicking pictures and recording videos.

While people click photos to capture memories, they record videos for more than just that. The craze for streaming videos has increased in the past few years. Platforms like YouTube offer a great opportunity for people of all ages to showcase their talent. People create videos on a variety of platforms and upload them on the Internet to share them with the world.

This blog post on how to add music to iMovie is proof that just like the craze for watching videos, the craze for making videos has also increased. People share videos explaining tutorials, recipes, product details, and much more.

They even share videos on topics related to the latest news, celebrities, education, etc. Others watch these videos for various purposes, such as learning new skills, acquiring information, and getting entertained.

How to Add Music to iMovie

What is an iMovie? Why Do Users Add Music to iMovie?

People who make videos edit them before sharing them with anyone. The possibility of editing the videos gives video makers a chance to get the desired result. When it comes to making and sharing videos to earn income from them, editing becomes even more important.

Numerous editing software, applications, and tools are available these days. While some are available for free, others are chargeable. Some video editing platforms have both free and paid plans. Many smartphones come with pre-installed video editing applications.

One such application is iMovie – It comes as a pre-installed app in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices. These devices (as you might already know) are manufactured by none other than Apple Inc., the company that produces desktops, laptops, smartphones, and smartwatches.

Many users of MacBook and iPhone try to understand how to add music to iMovie. The reason behind the same is that the audio library in iMovie is quite small. The audio library contains music files (audio files) that can be used in the videos edited in iMovie. Most users are not impressed with the collection of music files in the iMovie application.

How to Add Music to iMovie

Image Credit: Apple

But the good news is that you can add other music files to your projects in iMovie. You can follow the simple steps mentioned here. We have explained the process of adding music files (audio files) to iMovie. We have shown how to add music to iMovie on both MacBook and iPhone.

How to Add Music to iMovie: The Prerequisites

In order to add any music file to your project in iMovie, you should first import music to your iMovie application. To be able to import any music file to iMovie, you should have that music file on your device. When it comes to devices manufactured by Apple, music files are usually stored in iTunes. The iTunes application serves as a library of music files. You can also store music files in iCloud Drive.

How to Add Music to iMovie

So, before learning how to add music to iMovie, you should know how to get the music files you want to use in your iMovie project. You can get the desired music files by downloading them from the Internet. But you should make sure that the music you use in your videos is copyright-cleared. The reason behind the same is that video streaming platforms have strict rules regarding copyright. If you don’t follow their rules, you may not be able to achieve the objective of uploading the video.

How to Add Music to iMovie on a MacBook

iMovie is a great creation by Apple, just like Siri. You must gain knowledge about it so that you can make the most out of it. Users who edit videos for commercial purposes use a MacBook as it is more convenient to use compared to iPhone. If you want to add music files to your iMovie project on a MacBook, follow the instructions described here.

How to Add Music to iMovie

Image Credit: Alphr

  • Open the iMovie for Mac application on your MacBook
  • Open the project in which you want to add music
  • Click at the top of the window
  • Click Music in the Libraries list
  • Browse selections to find the music file
  • Drag the music file from the media browser to the timeline

If you want to use just a part of the music file, use the steps mentioned below.

  • Choose a range in the waveform at the top of the browser
  • The range will get a yellow border
  • Drag the range to the timeline
  • Shorten or extend the range by dragging either of its sides

You can preview a music file before adding it to your project. Click the play button next to each file. You can also preview it by another method. Select a file and click on the waveform at the top of the media browser. Then, press the Spacebar.

Learning how to add music to iMovie is incomplete without learning the steps on adding music to video clips and adding music for background. If you want to add a file to a specific video clip, you should drag it under the video clip. When you do this, a bar connecting the clips will appear. If you move the video clip, the attached music will also move.

If you want to add a music file to be used as background or theme music for the video you are editing in iMovie, drag the file to the music well at the bottom of the window. The music well is identified by the musical note icon.

How to Add Music to iMovie on an iPhone

Many users who feel comfortable editing videos on a phone use iMovie on their iPhones. The steps required for adding music to iMovie on an iPhone are explained below.

How to Add Music to iMovie

Image Credit: iDownloadBlog

  • Open the iMovie application on your iPhone
  • Open the project in which you want to add music
  • Tap the Add Media button
  • Tap Audio and then tap My Music
  • Choose a category to browse songs
  • Select the music file you want to use
  • Tap the Add Audio button next to a file

When you select a music file, the iMovie application places the music at the beginning of the project. It even automatically fits it to the length of your project. You can use more than one music file in a single project. You can also change the length of the music file. If you want to preview the file, you need to tap the Download button after finding it in the Music application.

Wrapping Up

We hope that now you have understood how to add music to iMovie on a MacBook and an iPhone. You can make amazing videos when you have complete knowledge of the iMovie application.

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