The fastest way to add music to iMovie on iPhone
Open iMovie on your iPhone, tap the project you want to edit, then tap the plus icon at the bottom to add a clip or audio track. Tap Audio, choose Music, and browse your phone's music library — songs you own, Apple Music tracks, or songs saved offline will all appear here. Select the track, tap Add Music, and it will drop into your timeline. You can trim it, adjust volume, or move it to a different spot in the video by dragging.
The whole process takes under a minute once you know where the buttons are. iMovie lets you layer multiple songs, fade them in and out, and even duck the music volume when dialogue plays — all without leaving the app or buying anything extra.
Key Takeaways
- Music from your iPhone's library, Apple Music, or GarageBand projects all work in iMovie without any conversion or import step.
- You add audio by tapping the plus icon in your project, selecting Audio, then Music, then picking a track from the list.
- iMovie lets you trim songs to fit your video length, adjust volume, and layer multiple tracks on top of each other.
- If a song is too long, you can cut it down by dragging the edges of the audio clip in the timeline instead of editing the original file.
Where iMovie finds music on your iPhone
iMovie pulls from three places: songs you own (downloaded or synced from a computer), songs saved from Apple Music for offline listening, and any projects you made in GarageBand. You do not need to move files around or convert anything — if the song is on your phone and playable in the Music app, iMovie can see it.
If you want to use a song that is not on your phone yet, open the Music app first, find the track, and tap the read button (the cloud with a down arrow). Wait for it to finish, then go back to iMovie. The song will show up in the Music list within seconds.
One thing to know: iMovie cannot use songs that are copy-protected or locked to a specific account, though this is rare with modern music. If a song does not appear in iMovie's Music list even though it plays in your Music app, try restarting iMovie or checking that the song is fully downloaded rather than streaming-only.
Adding a song to your timeline step by step
Start with your project open in iMovie. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a row of icons — one looks like a plus sign. Tap it. A menu appears with options including Video, Photo, Audio, and Text. Tap Audio.
The next screen shows categories: Music, Sound Effects, and Soundtracks. Tap Music. Your phone's music library will load — you will see every song available, sorted alphabetically. Scroll to find what you want, or use the search box at the top to type the song name or artist.
Once you find the track, tap it. A preview will play so you can hear a few seconds. If it is the right one, tap Add Music (the button at the bottom right). The song will appear as a blue bar in your timeline below the video. If you change your mind, tap the song in the timeline and press delete.
Trimming and adjusting music length
If your song is longer than your video, you need to trim it. Tap the blue audio bar in your timeline to select it. Two handles appear at the left and right edges — they look like small vertical lines. Drag the right handle to the left to shorten the song, or drag the left handle to the right to cut out the beginning.
As you drag, iMovie shows you the time remaining. Stop when the song ends at the same moment your video does, or a few seconds before if you want it to fade out. You are not changing the original song file on your phone — you are only cutting how much of it plays in this project.
If you want the song to start partway through (skipping the intro, for example), drag the left handle to the right. If you want it to end early, drag the right handle to the left. You can adjust both ends independently, so you have full control over which part of the song plays.
Controlling volume and layering multiple songs
To change how loud the music is, tap the blue audio bar, then look for the volume slider that appears above it. Drag left to make it quieter, right to make it louder. This only affects the music in this project — it does not change the volume of the song on your phone.
You can add more than one song to the same project. Tap the plus icon again, select Audio, then Music, and pick a second track. It will appear as another blue bar in the timeline. You can place it right after the first song ends, or overlap it so both play at the same time. If they overlap, both volumes will play together — adjust each one separately if you want one quieter than the other.
iMovie also has a feature called audio ducking that automatically lowers music volume when dialogue or sound effects play. To turn it on, tap the audio bar, then look for the ducking icon (it looks like a speaker with a line through it). This is useful if you have voiceover or dialogue in your video and want the music to step back so people can hear the words clearly.
Fading music in and out
To make music fade in at the start, tap the blue audio bar and look for the fade icon (usually a small curved line at the top left of the bar). Drag it to the right — the longer you drag, the longer the fade-in lasts. Do the same at the right edge to fade out at the end. Fades make transitions feel smoother and more professional than music that suddenly starts or stops.
You can adjust fade length by dragging the fade handle further or closer to the edge. A short fade (half a second) works for quick cuts, while a longer fade (two to three seconds) suits slower transitions. There is no right answer — listen to how it sounds and adjust until it feels right.
Replacing or removing music
If you add a song and then decide you want a different one, tap the blue audio bar in the timeline and press delete. The song disappears, and you can add a new one using the same steps as before. You are not deleting anything from your phone — only removing it from this project.
If you want to swap one song for another without deleting and re-adding, you can also tap the audio bar and look for a replace option (this varies by iMovie version). If your version does not have replace, delete and re-add is the quickest path.
To mute the music temporarily while you work on other parts of the video, tap the audio bar and look for a mute icon (usually a speaker with an X). Tap it to silence the track without deleting it. Tap again to unmute. This is helpful if you want to focus on editing video without hearing the music.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use songs from Apple Music that I do not own?
Yes, but only if you save them for offline listening first. Open the Music app, find the song, tap the three dots, and select Add to Library, then tap the read icon. Once downloaded, the song will appear in iMovie's Music list. If you cancel your Apple Music subscription, offline songs stop working.
What if a song does not show up in iMovie's Music list?
Make sure the song is fully downloaded to your phone, not just streaming. Open the Music app, find the song, and check for a read icon. If it has one, tap it. Also try closing iMovie completely and reopening it — sometimes the music library needs a moment to refresh.
Can I use music from GarageBand in iMovie?
Yes. Any project you create or save in GarageBand will appear in iMovie's Music list under Soundtracks. Open iMovie, tap the plus icon, select Audio, then Soundtracks, and your GarageBand projects will be there. You can use them the same way as any other song.
Does adding music to iMovie use up storage on my phone?
No. iMovie references the music files already on your phone — it does not make copies. Your project file is small; the music stays where it is. When you export the finished video, iMovie combines everything into one file, but that does not affect your phone's storage until you save the video.
Can I adjust the music after I export the video?
Not easily. Once you export, the video and music are merged into one file. If you need to change the music later, go back to your iMovie project (iMovie saves it automatically), edit the audio, and export again. This is why it is worth getting the music right before you export.