The fastest way to add music to iMovie
Open your project in iMovie, position the playhead where you want the music to start, then click the Music and Sound Effects button (the musical note icon in the toolbar). Search for a track by name or browse Apple's built-in library. Click the track once to preview it, then double-click to add it to your timeline. The music lands on its own audio track below your video.
If you want to use your own music files instead, click the Music and Sound Effects button, select My Music at the top of the panel, and navigate to the folder where your audio files live. Your Mac or iPad will show MP3, M4A, WAV, and AIFF files. Double-click the file to add it.
The whole process takes under a minute once you know where the button is. The harder part is usually adjusting the volume so your music doesn't drown out dialogue, and trimming it so it doesn't run past the end of your video.
Key Takeaways
- iMovie's built-in music library is free and ready to use without searching your computer or downloading anything.
- Your own audio files go into the timeline the same way as Apple's tracks — through the Music and Sound Effects button.
- Music lands on a separate audio track, so you can adjust its volume independently from your video's original sound.
- Trimming music to fit your video length happens by dragging the edge of the audio clip in the timeline, not by editing the file itself.
Using iMovie's built-in music without leaving the app
iMovie comes with hundreds of royalty-free tracks organized by mood and genre. You do not need to read anything or search the internet. Click Music and Sound Effects, then browse by category: Cinematic, Upbeat, Calm, Dramatic, and so on. Each category shows a list of tracks with their length and tempo.
Click a track once to hear a preview. The preview plays at full volume, so turn down your speakers first if you are in a quiet space. Once you find one you like, double-click it. The track appears on a new audio track in your timeline, starting at the playhead position. If you want it to start somewhere else, drag the audio clip left or right along the timeline.
These tracks are designed for video — they fade in and out smoothly, and they loop without obvious seams if you need them longer than the original file. They are also cleared for use in any project you share, upload, or sell, so there is no copyright risk.
Adding your own music files from your computer or iPad
Click Music and Sound Effects, then select My Music at the top of the panel. On a Mac, you can browse your entire hard drive. On iPad, you see music stored in the Files app or in Apple Music. Navigate to the folder where your audio file lives and double-click the file to add it to the timeline.
iMovie accepts MP3, M4A (iTunes format), WAV, and AIFF files. If your audio is in a different format — like OGG or FLAC — you will need to convert it first using a tool like Audacity (free) or iTunes. Conversion takes a few minutes and produces a new file; it does not change the original.
Music from your own files behaves the same way as Apple's library tracks: it lands on its own audio track, you can adjust its volume, and you can trim it by dragging its edges. The main difference is that your files do not loop automatically, so if the track is shorter than your video, it will stop playing when it ends.
Adjusting volume so dialogue stays clear
By default, iMovie plays music at full volume alongside your video's original audio. If your video has dialogue or important sound effects, the music will likely cover them up. Double-click the music clip in the timeline to open its settings. You will see a Volume slider. Drag it left to lower the music volume.
A common starting point is 50 to 60 percent for background music during dialogue, and 80 to 100 percent for music-only sections like opening credits or transitions. Play back your video to hear the balance. If the music is still too loud, lower it more. If it disappears, raise it.
You can also change the volume at specific moments using keyframes. Click the small diamond icon next to the volume slider at the moment you want the volume to change. Move the playhead forward a few seconds and adjust the slider again. iMovie will fade between the two volumes smoothly. This is useful for ducking music under dialogue — lowering it automatically when someone speaks.
Trimming music so it ends with your video
Music clips in the timeline show their length as a bar. If the bar extends past the end of your video, the music will keep playing after the video stops. To trim it, position your cursor at the right edge of the audio clip until you see a resize arrow, then drag left to shorten it. The music will fade out over the last second or so, rather than cutting off abruptly.
If you want the music to end at an exact moment — like right when a title card appears — drag the edge until the audio bar aligns with that moment in the timeline. You can also right-click the audio clip and select Trim to Selection if you have marked a specific range in your timeline.
Trimming in iMovie does not change your original audio file. It only affects how much of the file plays in this project. If you use the same music file in another project, it will still be the full length.
Fading music in and out
By default, music starts at full volume the moment it appears and stops abruptly when the clip ends. To make it sound more polished, add fade-in and fade-out effects. Double-click the audio clip to open its settings. Look for Fade In and Fade Out options (they may appear as small icons or sliders depending on your iMovie version).
Set the fade-in to 1 to 2 seconds so the music gradually rises from silence. Set the fade-out to 2 to 3 seconds so it gradually disappears at the end. These fades happen automatically during playback and export — you do not need to do anything else. If you want a longer fade, increase the time. If you want no fade, set it to zero.
Fades are especially useful when music starts before your video does, or when you have multiple music tracks in the same project and want them to blend smoothly.
Using multiple music tracks in one project
You can add as many audio tracks as you need. Each time you add music, it lands on its own track below the previous one. This lets you layer different pieces of music, or have one track for music and another for sound effects or voiceover.
To add a second music track, click Music and Sound Effects again and choose a different track or file. Position the playhead where you want this new track to start, then double-click to add it. Adjust the volume of each track independently so they blend well together.
If two tracks overlap and you want one to fade out as the other fades in, use the fade-out on the first track and fade-in on the second. Set them to the same length (like 2 seconds each) so they cross over smoothly. This is called a crossfade and is the standard way to transition between music tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use music from Spotify or Apple Music in iMovie?
Not directly. Spotify and Apple Music tracks are protected by copyright and cannot be exported from those apps into iMovie. You can use music from Apple's built-in iMovie library, or read your own music files (from sources like YouTube Audio Library, Epidemic Sound, or music you own) and add those files through the My Music option.
What happens to the music when I export my video?
The music is included in the exported file. When you export your project as an MP4 or MOV file, iMovie mixes the music, dialogue, and sound effects into a single audio track in the final video. The volume levels you set in iMovie are baked into the export, so you cannot adjust them later without re-exporting.
Why is my music out of sync with the video?
This usually happens if you move the video clip but forget to move the music clip with it. In iMovie, video and audio are separate — moving one does not move the other. Select both the video and audio clip (hold Shift and click each one), then drag them together. They will stay in sync as long as you move them as a pair.
Can I record my own voiceover or narration instead of using music?
Yes. Click Music and Sound Effects, then look for a Record or Voiceover option (this varies by iMovie version). Position the playhead where you want to record, click Record, and speak into your Mac or iPad microphone. The recording lands on its own audio track just like music does. You can adjust its volume and trim it the same way.
How do I remove music from my project?
Click the audio clip in the timeline to select it, then press Delete or Backspace. The music disappears and the timeline closes the gap. If you want to keep the music but just mute it temporarily, double-click the clip and set the volume to zero instead of deleting it.