How-To
How to Add Your Own Song or Audio to a Video, Free and Without an App
Last updated: October 2, 2026
A music library is useful until the song you want is not in it. If you have the audio as a file, a song, a voice note or your own recording, you can put it under your photos and clips directly. Here is how it works and what to know about copyright.
MP3, M4A, AAC or WAV, up to 15 MB. Free, no watermark.
Add your own audio to a video →When your own audio is the better choice
- A specific song. The one from the wedding, the one a parent loves, a regional song no library carries.
- A voice message. A grandparent's blessing, a child saying happy birthday, your own few words.
- A recording from the event. The aarti, the applause, the band.
- Music you made. No licence to worry about.
Step by step
- Open the Free Short Video Maker and add your photos or clips.
- Go to Step 2: Choose music.
- Press Use your own audio and pick the file from your device. MP3, M4A, AAC and WAV files up to 15 MB are accepted.
- Choose the part to play. Move the selection to the section you want. A 20-second video uses 20 seconds of the song, so start at the line that matters.
- Continue to the message, then make the video.
How the audio is fitted to the video
| Your audio is… | What happens |
|---|---|
| Longer than the video | It is cut to the video's length and fades out at the end |
| Shorter than the video | It repeats until the video ends |
| Used with video clips | The clips keep their own sound, and your audio plays with it |
Getting an audio file onto your phone
- Voice recordings: your phone's recorder app saves M4A or MP3 files. Save, then pick the file in the maker.
- A voice note someone sent you: save it from the chat to your files first.
- Music you own: copy the MP3 to your phone, or download it from the service you bought it from.
- File too large? A full-length song in WAV can exceed 15 MB. Use the MP3 or M4A version, which is much smaller.
Copyright: what is safe where
The maker does not check what you add; the platforms do, each in its own way.
| Where you post | Copyrighted song in the file |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp Status or a chat | Plays normally |
| Instagram Reel | May be muted or have limited reach |
| YouTube Short | May be claimed, muted or blocked |
For a public Reel or Short, use music you made, music you have a licence for, a Creative Commons track that allows your use, or add the song inside the app from its own licensed library. For a private Status or a family group, your own file is fine.
Tips for voice recordings
- Record in a quiet room, with the phone about a hand's width from the mouth.
- Keep it short. A 10-second message over three photos is a complete video.
- Leave one second of silence at the start so the first word is not clipped.
- If you want music as well as voice, record the voice with the music playing softly in the room; the maker uses one audio track.
Music from the library instead
If you do not have a file, the built-in library has free Creative Commons tracks from Jamendo that you can search by mood. Whichever you choose, the finished video is a vertical MP4 with no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
Which audio formats can I use?
MP3, M4A, AAC and WAV files up to 15 MB.
What if my song is longer than the video?
It is cut to the length of the video and fades out at the end. You choose where in the song it starts.
What if the audio is shorter than the video?
It repeats until the video ends.
Is my audio file uploaded?
No. The file is read by your browser and the video is made on your device.
Can I use a voice recording instead of music?
Yes. Record a message with your phone's recorder, save it, and add it as your own audio.