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How to add music to a video on your iPhone using the iMovie app, and choose from stock music or your own library

Written by Steven John
2019-10-09T16:59:00Z
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iphone video
It's possible to add music to any video on your iPhone with the free iMovie app. Shutterstock

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Imagine those underwater scenes in "Jaws" without the menacing strains of those stringed instruments. Or try to picture Indiana Jones swinging a whip without his theme music playing.

Music can make the movie, and that's true whether we're talking about classic Hollywood hits or your own home clips. 

Fortunately, you can easily make your own iPhone videos more enjoyable by adding music with iMovie. 

Here's how to do it. 

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How to add music to a video on your iPhone using iMovie

1. Open the iMovie app and click the big plus (+) symbol near the top of the screen to create a new project, then tap "Movie."

2. Tap the movie, series of movies, or the series of stills you wish to add to the project, then hit "Create Movie" at the bottom of the screen.

IMG_5880
Select your video and click Create Movie. Steven John/Business Insider

3. On the project-editing screen, the easiest way to add music is to tap the gear icon on the bottom right corner, then toggle "Theme Music" on from the next screen. You can select from about a half dozen "themes" by tapping the images above to add stock music.

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iMovie comes preloaded with a number of stock music options. Steven John/Business Insider

4. To add songs of your choosing rather than iMovie's stock music, on the project-editing page, tap the plus (+) symbol below and to the left of the video.

5. On the next screen, tap "Audio" and then tap "My Music."

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You can also choose your own songs on iMovie. Steven John/Business Insider

6. Find the song you want to add (you can search by artist, album, or song name) and tap the song, then hit the plus (+) symbol.

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Choose a song from your iPhone and add it to your video. Steven John/Business Insider

That's it. The song has been added. Now you can use the export (arrow pointing up out of box) link to save the finished video to your media library and enjoy it with sound.
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<span><span>Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at <a href="http://www.stevenjohnbooks.com/">www.stevenjohnbooks.com</a>.</span></span>
Steven John
Freelance Writer
Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

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