You can change the music on an Instagram post after you publish it, but only if you originally added music through Instagram's built-in audio library
Instagram lets you swap out the song on a post you've already shared, as long as you used Instagram's audio tools when you made it. If you embedded a song from another app or recorded your own audio, you cannot change it later — you would need to delete the post and create a new one. The process takes about a minute and works the same way on both iPhone and Android.
The music-change feature only works on Reels, Stories, and carousel posts. Feed photos with music attached cannot be edited to swap the audio. If you're trying to change music on a different post type, deletion and re-upload is your only option.
Key Takeaways
- Open the post you want to edit, tap the three dots in the corner, and select "Edit" — this option only appears if you added music through Instagram's library.
- Tap the music sticker or audio section, then choose a new song from Instagram's audio library using the search or browse function.
- You can adjust where the song starts and stops, and change the volume level of the music relative to any other audio in the post.
- Tap "Save" or "Done" when you're finished, and the updated post will replace the old version without losing likes, comments, or shares.
- If the music-change option doesn't appear, the original audio came from outside Instagram and cannot be swapped without deleting the post.
Step-by-step: changing music on a Reel or carousel
Open Instagram and navigate to the post you want to edit. Tap the three dots (⋯) in the top right corner of the post. A menu will appear with several options — select "Edit." If you don't see an "Edit" option, the post doesn't contain Instagram audio and cannot be changed this way.
Once you're in edit mode, look for the music sticker or audio section. On Reels, this usually appears as a music note icon or a labeled audio track. Tap it. Instagram will open the audio library and show you the song currently attached to the post, highlighted or marked as selected.
Search for a new song by typing the title, artist name, or a keyword into the search box at the top of the audio library. You can also browse by category — Instagram organizes music by mood, genre, and trending sounds. When you find a song you want, tap it once to preview a few seconds, then tap it again to select it.
After you've chosen the new song, you'll see options to trim the audio (choose where it starts and stops) and adjust the volume. Make any changes you want, then tap "Save," "Done," or "Confirm" depending on which version of Instagram you're using. The post will update when ready, and your likes, comments, and share count will stay the same.
Changing music on an Instagram Story
Stories work slightly differently because they disappear after 24 hours. You can still change the music, but only while the Story is still live. Open the Story you want to edit by swiping to it in your Stories section, then tap the three dots and select "Edit."
Tap the music sticker (usually a musical note at the top or bottom of the screen). The audio library will open. Search for or browse to a new song, tap it to preview, then tap again to confirm. Adjust the trim and volume if needed, then save. The updated Story will replace the old one for the next 24 hours.
Why the music-change option might not appear
If you tap the three dots and don't see "Edit," or if you see "Edit" but no audio option appears, the post was created with audio from outside Instagram. This includes songs from TikTok, Spotify links, YouTube audio, or recordings you made yourself. Instagram's editing tools only work with music added through Instagram's own audio library.
You also cannot edit music on a post if it was uploaded as a video file that already contained audio baked into the file itself. In both cases, your only option is to delete the post, create a new one with the music you want, and re-upload it. You will lose any likes, comments, and shares from the original post.
Adjusting the audio trim and volume
After you select a new song, Instagram shows you a timeline of the audio track. You can drag the handles on either end of the timeline to choose exactly where the song starts and stops. This is useful if you want to skip an intro, cut out a long outro, or make the music fit a specific length.
Below the timeline, you'll see a volume slider. Drag it left to make the music quieter or right to make it louder. If your post has other audio — like voiceover or ambient sound — the volume slider controls the music relative to that other audio. Experiment with the levels until the mix sounds right to you.
What happens to your post after you change the music
When you save the edited post, Instagram updates it when ready. The new music replaces the old one, but everything else stays the same: your caption, the images or video, the location tag, and any other stickers or text you added. More importantly, your engagement metrics don't reset — all the likes, comments, and shares you received on the original post remain.
People who have already seen the post will not be notified that it changed. If they view it again, they'll hear the new music. The post does not move to the top of your profile or get re-shared to followers' feeds, so changing the music won't give you a second wave of visibility.
When to delete and re-upload instead of editing
If the "Edit" option doesn't appear, or if you want to change something other than the music (like the video itself, the caption, or the thumbnail), deletion and re-upload is your only choice. Keep in mind that you'll lose all engagement — likes, comments, saves, and shares disappear when you delete a post.
Some creators choose to delete and re-upload if they want to change the music and also want the post to appear new in followers' feeds, since a fresh upload gets treated as a new post by Instagram's algorithm. However, this strategy is risky because there's no may provide the new version will reach as many people as the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the music on a photo I posted to my feed?
No. Music-editing only works on Reels, Stories, and carousel posts. If you added a music sticker to a single photo, you cannot change it without deleting and re-uploading the post. Carousel posts (multiple images or a mix of images and video) can have music changed if the music came from Instagram's library.
Will changing the music affect my post's reach or engagement?
No. Your likes, comments, saves, and shares stay attached to the post. The post does not get re-shared to followers' feeds or bumped to the top of the algorithm, so changing the music won't give you extra visibility. It's purely a content update.
What if I want to remove the music entirely instead of replacing it?
Open the post, tap edit, and tap the music section. Instead of selecting a new song, look for a "Remove" or "None" option in the audio library. Not all versions of Instagram offer this — if you don't see it, you'll need to delete the post and re-upload without music.
Can I use copyrighted music that's not in Instagram's library?
No. Instagram's editing tools only let you choose from songs in its own audio library. If you want to use music outside that library, you have to delete the post, add the music in a third-party app, and re-upload the finished video. Be aware that Instagram may mute or flag copyrighted audio you add outside its system.
How long do I have to change the music after posting?
There's no time limit for Reels or feed posts — you can change the music weeks or months later. For Stories, you can only edit while the Story is still live (within 24 hours of posting). After 24 hours, the Story disappears and cannot be edited.