More and more content creators, vloggers, and social media enthusiasts enjoy capturing daily moments and sharing videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube. Adding background music to a video can drastically raise production value, evoke specific emotions, and keep your audience engaged.
If you are an Apple Music subscriber, you might wonder whether you can directly use your favorite tracks from its massive library of over 100 million songs as video background music. While it sounds straightforward, many users hit a wall when trying to import downloaded Apple Music tracks into editing apps like CapCut, InShot, Premiere Pro, or iMovie.
In this updated guide for today, we will explain why Apple Music songs are restricted in video editors and provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to prepare, convert, and add Apple Music tracks to your videos across both smartphones and computers.
Part 1. Why Can't You Directly Add Apple Music to Video Editors?
When you subscribe to Apple Music, you get unlimited access to stream and download songs for offline listening. However, if you attempt to locate these downloaded files on your device or import them into a third-party video editor, you will notice they are greyed out, unselectable, or missing entirely.
Apple Music tracks are encoded in M4P (protected AAC) format embedded with Digital Rights Management (DRM) encryption. This protection ensures that subscriber music can only be played within the authorized Apple Music or iTunes ecosystem during an active subscription.
In short:
- Apple Music Streaming Tracks (Protected M4P): Included with your monthly streaming subscription. Protected by DRM; cannot be opened or rendered by external media tools or video editors.
- Purchased iTunes Music (Unprotected AAC/MP3): Digital music bought individually via the iTunes Store. These tracks are DRM-free and can be freely imported into video projects.
Older iTunes purchases (pre-2009) are DRM-protected and cannot be directly imported as video background tracks.
Since standard video editing applications - such as CapCut, Canva, InShot, Clips, Video Star, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro - require raw, unencrypted audio formats (like MP3, standard M4A, or WAV) to process audio waveforms and render final video files, direct integration with protected Apple Music streaming files is technical impossible without pre-processing.
Part 2. How to Prepare and Use Apple Music for Video Editing
To use your preferred Apple Music tracks in video projects, you first need to make sure they are available as standard audio files that your video editor can recognize. Apple Music downloads are designed for playback within the Apple Music ecosystem, so they cannot normally be imported directly into third-party editors.
One practical approach is to use a dedicated desktop audio converter such as AudFree Apple Music Converter to convert Apple Music tracks into commonly supported audio formats while retaining the available audio quality and metadata.
Why Choose AudFree Apple Music Converter?
- Remove DRM-protection from Apple Music, playlists, tracks, etc.
- Batch-convert multiple songs and playlists at up to 17X speed
- Convert Apple Music to MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, and more
- Preserve audio quality and metadata such as titles, artists, albums, and artwork
- Save the converted files locally for use on a computer or transfer them to a smartphone
Preparing Apple Music Files for Video Editing with AudFree
To seamlessly add Apple Music tracks to your favorite video editing software, prepare the following prerequisites before getting started.
- A Windows PC or Mac computer.
- An active Apple Music subscription.
- AudFree Apple Music Converter or a similar audio conversion tool.
- A USB cable, AirDrop, or cloud storage if you plan to transfer the converted files to a phone.
Converting audio formats ensures file compatibility, but it does not grant copyright or publishing rights for platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Make sure you have the legal right to use the music before publishing or monetizing your video.
- Step 1. Add Apple Music Tracks to AudFree
- Launch AudFree Apple Music Converter on your computer and sign in through its built-in Apple Music web player. Browse or search for the songs and playlists you want to use in your video, then click the '+' button to add them to the conversion list.
- Step 2. Choose an Output Format of Apple Music for Video Editing
- Click the 'AudFree Apple Music Converter' icon and open the 'Preferences' window. AudFree provides several output formats to choose from. For general video editing, MP3 is a convenient option because it is widely supported by video editors and keeps file sizes relatively small. You can also choose another format, such as WAV or AIFF, if your editing workflow calls for it.
- You can further adjust parameters such as the audio codec, channel, bit rate, sample rate, and output folder according to your needs.
- Step 3. Convert Apple Music for Video Editing
- Once the settings are ready, click 'Convert' to process the selected Apple Music tracks and download Apple Music files to your Mac or other computer.
- After conversion, you can find the downloaded files in the conversion history or the selected output folder. You can then import them into your preferred video editor on your computer or transfer them to your phone through USB, AirDrop, or cloud storage.
See also: How to Transfer Apple Music to USB
If you subscribe to multiple streaming music services in addition to Apple Music, AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder can provide a more flexible workflow. It supports music from 10+ major streaming platforms and offers batch recording and multiple output formats, making it useful when your video projects involve music from different services.
Part 3. How to Import Apple Music to Video on Mobile and Computer
Once you have a compatible local audio file that you are authorized to use, adding it to a video is relatively straightforward. The basic process is the same across most editors: transfer the audio file to your device, import it into the editor, and place it on the timeline.
Method 1. Add Apple Music to Video on Mobile
If you use an iPhone or Android phone, first transfer the converted audio file from your computer to the device.
• iPhone/iPad: Use AirDrop, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or the Files app to transfer and access the audio file.
• Android: Connect your phone to the computer via USB and copy the file to a folder such as Music or Download.
Once the audio file is stored on your device, most mobile video editors can easily import it as local audio. Below, we'll use CapCut as an example to show you how to add music from Apple Music to video.
How to Use CapCut to Add Apple Music to Video on iPhone or Android
Step 1. Open CapCut and create a new project.
Step 2. Import your video clips.
Step 3. Tap 'Audio' and open the option to add Apple Music song or local audio.
Step 4. Select the audio file from Files on iPhone or your device storage on Android.
Step 5. Add it to the timeline and adjust its position, length, and volume.
Step 6. Export the finished video when everything is synchronized.
See also: How to Import Apple Music to CapCut
The exact menu names may vary between CapCut versions, but the workflow remains essentially the same. Other mobile editors, including InShot and Video Star, follow a similar process: import the local audio file, place it beneath the video track, and edit it as needed.
See also: How to Add Apple Music to InShot
Method 2. Add Apple Music to Video on Windows or Mac
On a computer, the process is even simpler because the converted audio files are already stored locally. Most desktop editors, including Canva, CapCut, iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, allow you to import a local MP3, M4A, WAV, or other supported audio file.
This approach is more flexible than trying to use an Apple Music offline download directly, because the converted Apple Music file can be accessed by different video-editing applications and transferred between supported devices.
Step 1. Open your video editor and create or open a project.
Step 2. Click Import, Add Media, or the equivalent option.
Step 3. Select the converted Apple Music file from your computer.
Step 4. Drag the imported audio onto the timeline beneath your video.
Step 5. Trim the track, adjust its volume, and synchronize it with your footage.
Step 6. Preview the project and export the finished video.
See also: How to Add Apple Music to Premiere Pro
Part 4. FAQs About Adding Apple Music to Video
How do I add Apple Music to a video on iPhone for free?
For a 100% free option without a desktop converter, you can use iPhone's built-in Screen Recording feature. Enable Screen Recording in Control Center, play the song in Apple Music, and start recording. Then import the recording into a video editor such as CapCut or InShot and use its Extract Audio feature to separate the soundtrack. Note that screen recording may reduce audio quality and is better suited to personal, non-commercial projects.
How can I add Apple Music to TikTok videos?
If the song is available in TikTok's music catalog, you can add it directly through Add sound. Otherwise, you can prepare an authorized local audio file and import it into a video editor before uploading. If you need to prepare Apple Music tracks as local files, a tool such as AudFree Apple Music Converter can be used as part of that workflow. For commercial content, make sure you have the necessary music rights or use TikTok's authorized music resources.
See also: How to Add Apple Music to TikTok
How do I use Apple Music songs on Video Star?
Likewise, Video Star needs an audio source that it can access in the project. A protected Apple Music subscription download cannot simply be imported as a normal audio file. If you have an authorized compatible local audio file, transfer it to a location Video Star can access and add it through the app's audio tools. The same local-file approach described above can also be used when preparing compatible audio on a computer.
Will I get a copyright strike if I upload a video with Apple Music to YouTube or Instagram?
It is very possible. An Apple Music subscription generally grants rights for personal listening, not for publicly using copyrighted recordings in video content. Uploading videos with copyrighted Apple Music tracks to YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok may trigger automated copyright systems, potentially resulting in muted audio, blocked content, demonetization, or copyright claims. For public videos, consider royalty-free music or the official music libraries provided by the platform.
Can I use Apple Music songs purchased from the iTunes Store in my videos?
Yes. Songs purchased directly from the iTunes Store are DRM-free (AAC format). You can directly sync purchased iTunes music to your iPhone or computer video editing apps without converting them. However, keep in mind that public distribution copyright rules still apply to purchased tracks.
What are the best apps to add Apple Music to video on phone and computer?
The best choice depends on your device and editing needs. iMovie is convenient for simple editing on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, while CapCut works across phones and computers and is well suited to social videos. Video Star is useful for music-focused edits on iPhone and iPad, while DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro offer more advanced desktop editing. In every case, the key is that the Apple Music track must be available as a compatible audio source that the editor can access.
Conclusion
Adding background music from Apple Music to your videos is a great way to create engaging, polished content. While Apple's M4P DRM protection prevents direct imports into editing apps like CapCut, InShot, iMovie, or Premiere Pro, converting your downloaded tracks into open formats like MP3 or WAV resolves the issue completely.
By following the steps outlined in this guide - converting tracks with a dedicated utility and importing them into your preferred mobile or desktop editor - you can easily use your favorite songs as background music on any device. However, always ensure your audio is properly licensed for your target platform and intended purpose prior to publishing.
Staff Editor
