If you’re creating video projects using editing tools from Adobe Creative Cloud, you’re most likely using Adobe Premiere Pro or Adobe Premiere Rush as your editing software. Adobe Premiere is one of the top video editing tools used by content creators today.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step exactly how add music to Adobe Premiere, including adding audio clips to your sequence and adjusting the volume of your added song files.
We’ve included both quick text guides and detailed visual step-by-step guides (complete with pictures) to make it super easy. Use our table of contents below to jump right to your preferred tutorial. You’ll be on your way to editing amazing videos with music in no time!
More Resources
- Adobe Premiere Pro vs Adobe Premiere Rush
- Video tutorial of adding music to your video using Adobe Premiere
- How to get copyright-free music for videos
How to Add Music to Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is available only on desktop for computers. After installing the Premiere Pro software to your computer, use our quick or detailed step-by-step guides below to find out how to easily add music to Adobe Premiere Pro.
How to add music to Adobe Premiere Pro (quick guide):
- Open Adobe Premiere Pro on your computer.
- Click New Project to start a new video project, or click Open Project to open an existing video project.
- To add music to your project files that is downloaded to your computer, you have a few options:
- Click Import from the top of the screen to browse your computer for your song files. Then click Import.
- Drag the song file into your project files panel
- Use the Media Browser panel to browse your computer for your song files. Then click Import.
- To add music purchased from Adobe’s Stock Music library, use the Browse tab in the Essential Sounds panel to browse the music and purchase a song license.
- Once your songs are added to your project files, simply drag them into your video sequence to edit your video to the music!
How to add music to Adobe Premiere Pro (detailed step-by-step guide with pictures):
First, open Adobe Premiere Pro on your computer and either click New Project to start a new project, or click Open Project to open your existing video project.
Within your editing view, you have a few options when it comes to adding music to your sequence. Let’s walk through all of the ways you can easily add songs and audio files to your Premiere Pro video project.
Click Import from the top of the screen to browse your computer and hard drive for your audio files. You can quickly jump to different folders on your computer using the side navigation menu.
With your songs selected, simply click the Import button at the bottom.
👉 Pro Tip: Are you looking for copyright-free music for videos? Click here to find out how to use music from trending artists in your videos for free!
This will add your song file to your project files panel.
Another way to easily add music to your Premiere video project is to simply drag the song file from your computer into the project files panel within Adobe Premiere.
One more way to add songs to your project is to select the Media Browser panel and browse your computer or hard drive for your song files. Once you have located the songs you would like to use, simply right click the file and select Import from the drop-down menu.
All of your added song files will now show within your project files panel.
If you prefer to add music to your video edit from Adobe’s Stock Music library, you can browse their sound library by clicking the Browse tab of the Essential Sound panel.
👉 Note: The songs from Adobe’s Stock Music library are not free to use or copyright-free (they are available to be purchased). These songs can only be used according to the licensing terms provided by Adobe or you may be at risk of copyright infringement or copyright claims.
How to add a song or audio file to your video sequence
To add a song to your video sequence, simply click on the song you’d like to use and drag it into your Sequence to one of the Audio Rows. You can identify these rows as they will be labeled A1, A2, A3, etc.
Your song has successfully been added to your video edit! Now you can edit the song to your video!
How to edit the volume of an audio track in Premiere Pro
To adjust the volume of your added audio files, you can either select the audio file within the Sequence, click the line that runs through the waveform, and pull this up or down to increase or lower the volume.
Another way to do edit the song volume level is to manually enter the adjusted Volume Level in the sound effect controls panel. Simply enter a positive number in the Level row (under Volume) to increase the song’s volume, or enter a negative number to decrease it.
One more way to make audio volume adjustments is by using the Essential Sound panel. Simply click your song file, open the Essential Sound edit panel, and adjust the volume using the Clip Volume slider.
How to Add Music to Adobe Premiere Rush Mobile App
Adobe Premiere Rush was made to make it super easy for video creators to edit high quality videos right from their phone. After downloading the app to your phone, you’re just a few steps away from creating videos on-the-go.
Check out our quick & detailed guides to adding music to videos using the Adobe Premiere Rush mobile app.
How to add music to Premiere Rush mobile app (quick guide):
- Download the Adobe Premiere Rush mobile app to your device and login to your account.
- Click Videos and select the video files you would like to use in your project. Once all files have been selected, name your project and click Create to create your video sequence.
- To add music that is downloaded to your phone, click the blue + button from the bottom menu bar and select Your Media.
- Click the Audio menu item to select music from your phone’s iTunes or Apple Music library.
- Or click the Files menu item to select music downloaded to your phone’s files folder. Click Import from Files on this page to locate the song files on your phone and then Add to add them to your video sequence.
- If you would like to select music provided by Adobe, click the blue + button on the edit screen and then Audio to browse their selection of royalty-free songs and sound effects.
- You’re ready to edit your video to the music!
How to add music to Premiere Rush mobile app (detailed step-by-step guide with pictures):
Download the Adobe Premiere Rush mobile app to your phone or mobile device and login using your Adobe account. Keep in mind that access to features in the app will depend on your subscription with Adobe.
On the home screen, you can start a new video project by clicking Videos from the menu options.
On the Videos page, browse and select videos downloaded on your phone that you would like to include in your video sequence. Once all of your video files are selected, give your project a name and click Create to create your video sequence.
If you would like to add music to Rush that is downloaded to your phone, click the blue + button from the bottom menu bar.
Then select the Your Media button.
You have a few options to add music to your video. If you would like to add music from your phone’s iTunes or Apple Music library, select the Audio menu item.
After allowing access to your Apple media library, you can browse and select from the song files downloaded to your device.
If you would like to add music to your video that is downloaded to your phone’s iCloud, Files or Downloads folders, click the Files menu item instead.
Click Import from Files on this page to locate the song files on your phone and then Add to add them to your video sequence.
Click here to find out how to find and use copyright-free music in your videos
If instead you would like to select music provided by Adobe, you can click the blue + button on the edit screen and then Audio to browse Adobe’s selection of royalty-free songs and sound effects.
👉 Note: Some of the songs shown in Adobe’s library are only available on paid/premium plans. These songs and sound effects can only be used for personal use (no commercial projects).
That’s it! After adding music to your video sequence, you’re ready to edit your video to the music. You can add additional video or audio files using the same steps as above, and edit the timing of your videos to the music.
How to adjust the volume of music in the Adobe Rush mobile app
To adjust the volume of your added audio files in Adobe Rush, simply tap the song file in the editing screen and select Audio from the bottom editing menu. You will see options to adjust the clip volume, mute the clip, or apply premium features (like auto volume or auto ducking)
How to Add Music to Adobe Premiere Rush Desktop App
Adobe Premiere Rush is also available as a desktop app for those who to prefer to edit videos on a computer (instead of a phone or tablet).
Check out our quick & detailed guides below on how to add music to videos using the Adobe Premiere Rush desktop app.
How to add music to Premiere Rush desktop app (quick guide):
- Open Adobe Premiere Rush on your computer.
- Browse and select the video and song files downloaded to your device.
- Click Create.
- Your selected files will be added to your video timeline and you can start editing your video to the music!
- To add more song files to your video edit, click the blue plus sign from the left side menu.
- To add audio files downloaded to your computer, select Your Media and browse for the songs you would like to add.
- To add music provided by Adobe, select Audio to browse their selection of royalty-free songs and sound effects.
- Once the files are selected, click the blue Add button to add them to your video edit.
- You’re ready to edit your video to the music!
How to add music to Premiere Rush desktop app (detailed step-by-step guide with pictures):
To get started, open Adobe Premiere Rush on your computer.
You will have the option to browse your device or hard drive files to search for select the video and song files you’d like to use in your video edit. Once your files have been selected, click the blue Create button.
Your selected video and audio files will be added to your video edit and you can start editing your video to the music right away!
If you would like to add more song or audio files to your video edit, simply click the blue plus sign from the left side menu.
To add audio and song files that are downloaded to your computer or hard drive, select the Your Media button and browse for the songs you would like to add.
Not sure where to get copyright-free music for your videos? Find out how to get trending music from real artists for free with Thematic!
Or, if you would like to add music to your video edit from Adobe’s Stock Music library, select Audio to browse their selection of royalty-free songs and sound effects.
👉 Pro Tip: Some of the songs listed here are only available on paid/premium plans. These songs and SFX can be used for personal videos only.
Once the files are selected, click the blue Add button to add them to your video edit. You’re now ready to edit your video to the music!
How to adjust the volume of music in the Adobe Rush desktop app
If you would like to increase or lower the volume of your music or audio files in Adobe Rush, simply click the song file from your timeline and select the wav form icon from your right side menu. Under Basic, you can use the slider to adjust the volume of your selected audio clip.
Adobe Premiere Pro vs Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe provides creators with two different versions of the Adobe Premiere Software – Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Premiere Rush.
What is Premiere Rush?
Premiere Rush is a simplified version of the full Premiere Pro software. It is designed for creators who are newer to video editing and like to create content quickly and easily. Adobe Premiere Rush has a very user-friendly interface and a smaller selection of editing features (when compared to Premiere Pro). Available on desktop, mobile, and web, Premiere Rush is great for creators who like to edit on-the-go. Beginner creators who are editing video for the first time may want to start with Premiere Rush before transitioning to Premiere Pro.
Overview of Premiere Rush
- Best for beginner creators
- Great for editing on-the-go using the mobile app
- Free to get started
What is Premiere Pro?
Premiere Pro is a professional-grade video editing software and offers a full suite of advanced editing features and tools. It is used by a wide range of video editors, from online content creators to professional editors for film and TV. Within the Premiere Pro interface, creators have access to everything they need for editing videos, such as color grading, audio editing, and visual effects capabilities. Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the top video editing software tools used by YouTube creators.
Overview of Premiere Pro
- Best for experienced video creators
- Full suite of advanced editing tools
- Requires Adobe subscription
Cost of Adobe Premiere Rush and Premiere Pro
Adobe has a free starter plan so that anyone can get started with Premiere Rush for editing videos at no cost. The free Starter plan is available to all creators who have a free Creative Cloud membership with Adobe and includes the ability to shoot, edit, and share unlimited videos using the free tools.
When upgraded to one of Adobe’s paid plans, creators can access additional functionality and premium features of the Rush software or get access to Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as other Adobe apps. See below for Adobe’s current pricing plans for their Premiere editing software (as of September 2023):
- Adobe Premiere Rush Starter plan: Free
- includes limited access to Premiere Rush
- Adobe Premiere Rush Mobile membership: $4.99 / month
- includes full access to Premiere Rush
- Adobe Premiere Pro (Single App): $20.99 / month
- includes full access to both Premiere Rush and Premiere Pro
- Adobe Creative Cloud (All Apps): $54.99 / month
- includes all of Adobe’s creative apps, including full access to Adobe Premiere Pro & Premiere Rush
Video tutorial of how to add music to Adobe Premiere:
Thematic creator Katie Glasglow has a great video tutorial on how to add music to video edits using Adobe Premiere Pro in her “how i edit (002) / my workflow, adding music + voice-overs, doodles, simple animations” video:
Katie is also a music artist on Thematic, so we highly recommend checking out her beautiful songs that are available to use in your videos!
How To Get Free Copyright-Free Music for Videos
Now that you know how to add music to Adobe Premiere, let’s get you up to speed on how to find the best copyright-free music to soundtrack your videos!
It would be a total bummer to spend time editing your video to perfection only to end up with a copyright claim or strike when uploading your video to social media sites, like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.
Using royalty-free music from Adobe Stock
Adobe provides royalty-free music and sound effects for creators directly within their Rush desktop and mobile apps (via the Audio tab). However, many creators report receiving false copyright claims when using this music in videos on YouTube.
In Adobe Premiere Pro, creators have the option of finding music from the Adobe Stock music library. These songs may require an additional subscription fee or cost money to license on a song-by-song basis. Keep in mind that the songs available in the Adobe Stock music library are production music, so you won’t find any trending songs from real music artists.
Using trending copyright-free music from Thematic
Thankfully, Thematic provides a better option for content creators who need music for videos. With Thematic, creators can get all the best copyright-free music for YouTube videos, TikTok, social media, and podcasts. It’s totally free to use and keeps your videos claim-free and safe from copyright claims.
The best thing is, you can use the music from Thematic forever, worldwide, and no matter how many (or few) followers you have. You can even use the music in sponsored or branded content with no problems!
It’s free to create an account on Thematic. And you keep 100% of your ad revenue with our claim-free experience.
If you’re ready to level-up your videos with great copyright-free music and join a collaborative and thriving community of creators, sign-up for a free Thematic account today.
We hope you find this guide on how to add music to Adobe Premiere Rush & Pro helpful. You’re on your way to creating some amazing videos and we can’t wait to see them!
Looking for more creator tools and resources? Visit Thematic’s Creator Toolkit for additional resources on creating content – including starting a YouTube channel, thumbnail and channel art templates, best practices, and of course, great royalty free songs to use in your videos for free with Thematic.
This guide on How to Add Music to Adobe Premiere Pro & Rush is brought to you by Thematic Co-Founder & COO Audrey Marshall
With a background in entertainment PR (via Chapman University), Audrey has led digital strategy for music artists, content creators, and brands. From brand campaigns for Macy’s, American Cancer Society, and the L’Oréal luxe family of brands, to music-driven influencer marketing campaigns for Interscope Records, Warner Music, AWAL, and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas (featuring creators such as Lexy Panterra, Blogilates, Mandy Jiroux, Matt Steffanina, and Seán Garnier), she in an expert in navigating the influencer marketing space. Audrey has also developed and managed some of the leading beauty, lifestyle, and dance channels on YouTube.
Certified across the board with YouTube, Audrey has a specific focus on digital rights management for music assets, running multiple SRAV-enabled CMS. She is passionate about working with other builders in the space for a more transparent digital rights ecosystem.
At Thematic, Audrey leads the product team and oversees operations. She has driven partnerships with leading talent and music companies, including Songtrust, Kobalt/AWAL, Select Management, BBTV, ipsy, and Black Box, and has helped the platform grow to a thriving community of 750k+ content creators who have posted 1M+ videos using the platform, driving 34B+ music streams and $72M+ in earned media value for independent music artists.
