How to Add Audio to a Video: Music, Voice and Sound Effects

To add audio to a video, import both files into a video editor, place the audio clip on the timeline at the intended start and export a new video. Decide whether the video's existing soundtrack should remain audible, then listen to the actual export for sync, complete words and unwanted overlapping sound.

This works for a voiceover, music bed or short sound effect. A separate audio track gives you more control over the added file, but it does not automatically separate speech and music already mixed into the original video.

For an existing upload or a YouTube-specific workflow, see how to add music to a YouTube video.

Need a silent copy first? Follow how to remove sound from a video.

Choose the audio and prepare the edit

Preparing a soundtrack for social media? See how to add music to a Facebook post for Feed and Story options.

Audio to add	Before importing	Check in the video
Voiceover	Record a clear take, leaving a little room before the first word.	Match the first spoken word to the visual cue and keep dialogue intelligible.
Music	Choose a permitted file and check that the editor supports it.	Lower it beneath speech and listen across the beginning, transitions and ending.
Sound effect	Choose or prepare the exact effect, including its attack and tail.	Align the audible event—not just the clip edge—with the action on screen.
Replacement soundtrack	Keep the original video and note the source or excerpt start time.	Mute the original mixed soundtrack while comparing, then check sync at both ends.

Use audio you have permission to include in the intended video. A file available for listening is not automatically cleared for reuse, and an editor's stock audio can have its own terms and plan requirements.

How to add an audio file to a video

1. Create a project. Open a video editor and import the source video and the audio file. Confirm the files are available locally or through a supported storage connection.
2. Place the video on the timeline. Play it and identify where the added sound should start. Keep the original project or source file available.
3. Add the audio. Drag or insert it onto an audio track at the chosen cue. Zoom in if needed. A file can contain leading silence, so align the first audible word or impact rather than assuming the file's left edge is the event.
4. Balance and trim. Shorten the added clip if necessary and adjust its level in context. If the old soundtrack competes with it, lower or mute the relevant existing track. Muting a mixed soundtrack also removes any dialogue and effects in that track.
5. Export and check. Play the actual saved video from beginning to end. Check the first cue, a later cue, the final sound, synchronization and level on a familiar output.

For a narrated video, the voiceover guide covers recording and placing speech. For an effect timed to action, see how to add sound effects to video.

Add audio in Clipchamp on a computer

Microsoft's Clipchamp instructions describe importing a file from the device, placing it on the timeline and adjusting it. The details below follow its personal-account workflow; controls and available features can differ by account or version.

1. Open a project, import your video and place it on the timeline.
2. In My media, use Import media or drag the audio file into the media panel.
3. Drag the audio asset onto the timeline, or use its add-to-timeline control. Move it to the desired cue and play the section.
4. Select the clip to trim or adjust it, and review the existing video sound. Export the video and play the saved file to verify the result.

If a file does not import, check Clipchamp's supported formats and that the file is accessible. Stock assets can have free or premium availability and separate license conditions; review the terms shown for your account before use.

Add audio in iMovie on iPhone

In an iMovie movie project, the method depends on where the sound lives. Apple's instructions cover music and imported audio, sound effects and audio from another video clip. Menus may differ for other project types and versions.

1. Open the movie project and move the playhead to the intended start.
2. For a built-in effect, tap Add Media → Audio → Sound Effects, preview the effect and add it. For a soundtrack, use the appropriate Audio category; for audio from a video, choose the clip and use its Audio Only option.
3. Play the timeline, adjust the added clip and original sound as needed, then export and listen to the saved video.

Record a voiceover directly in iMovie

1. In the movie project, scroll the timeline until the white playhead is where the narration should begin.
2. Tap Add Media → Voiceover and allow microphone access if prompted. Tap Record; iMovie begins after a three-second countdown.
3. Tap Stop when finished, then Review to listen. Choose Retake to try again or Accept to place the recording in the project. Apple notes that the recorded clip appears purple in the timeline.
4. Play the narration with the picture and original sound. Move or trim the clip as needed, balance competing audio, and listen to the exported video. Check the first word and a later visual cue for timing.

These are Apple's movie-project voiceover controls. Magic Movie and storyboard projects use a different clip-level Voiceover workflow. If you already have a voice memo or other audio file, import that saved file instead; a voiceover recording does not remove sound already in the video.

The iPhone music guide covers imported songs and restrictions in more detail. To add sound in Canva instead, see how to add audio to a Canva video.

How to record or prepare the audio first

For a short voiceover, the free voice recorder captures the selected microphone locally in a compatible browser. It is set to stop after about two minutes, although background browser scheduling can delay that stop; each recording and output must fit 50 MiB. Preview and download the original before leaving or starting another take. Optional WAV or MP3 preparation depends on browser decoding support. Import the downloaded file into a separate video editor; the recorder does not produce a video.

For a short supported MP3 or WAV, the audio trimmer can prepare one continuous excerpt locally. It accepts mono or stereo input up to five minutes and 50 MiB; its WAV output must also fit 50 MiB. Save the prepared file before importing it into your editor.

Troubleshoot timing and sound

Problem	What to check
The voice or effect starts late	Check the first audible sound within the file and its timeline position. Trim or shift the clip, then compare with picture.
The old audio plays underneath	Mute or lower the original soundtrack and check for a second copy on another track. Preserve wanted dialogue and effects where possible.
Music masks the narration	Lower the separate music track or automate its level during speech. A single mixed track cannot be rebalanced as if its parts were separate.
The exported video is out of sync	Reopen the saved export and compare a clear cue near the start and another near the end. Inspect offsets, edits and conversion if the alignment changes.

When returning processed audio to the same footage, the audio replacement guide explains preserving source timing and checking the final export.

Common questions

Can I add audio without removing the video's original sound?

Yes. Place the new audio on a separate track and leave the original audible, then adjust both levels. The exact controls depend on the editor.

Does adding a new track remove background music?

No. Added audio plays alongside existing tracks unless you mute or change them. If music is baked into a mixed soundtrack, muting the whole track also removes its other sounds.

Can Saturalabs export the finished video?

The linked recorder and trimmer prepare audio files. Import the downloaded audio into a video editor to arrange it with picture and export the finished video.