Doesn’t music interest everyone? Music effects, along with video animation, can work wonders. Not just animation, but any video can work great with effective background music.

Have you not noticed background music for many videos that you might have watched on YouTube?  Adding the right audio that goes well with your video is essential to the video editing process. There are so many video editing apps to add music, but After Effects is quite a common tool. 

In this blog, you'll get a clear answer to your question “Can you add music in After Effects video?”. We will tell you why you should add music or audio to your videos, how to choose the right music, and finally, add the music of your choice to your video in After Effects. 

Phew, that’s everything, isn’t it? But that will ensure you can get started immediately, making your video interesting. 

Let’s get started…

Why should you add audio to your videos?

You should add audio or some background music to your videos for many reasons. We have listed a few reasons below:

1. Emotions can be evoked through music

Have you ever cried listening to music? Haven’t we all experienced the feeling of being so involved with the music that we feel the emotions that the music is trying to convey? 

That is, in short, one of the reasons why you should add music to your video. Music finds a way even in videos or films with no dialogue because it is evident that videos work well with background music. 

Studies have shown that people are influenced greatly by the tempo, volume, harmony, rhythm and choice of musical instruments used in the background of videos. The researchers have also found that the ‘mood technique enhances the viewer’s interests and moods as they listen to music in the backgrounds of a video.

2. Music makes videos memorable

Just as your video should follow a corporate design, your music should be recognizable. The goal is for your customers or potential customers to think directly of you when they hear a particular tune.

Some companies have had their jingles written for this purpose, as you probably know it from radio stations.

3. Music sends effective messages

When choosing music, you should not think like someone from the advertising industry, but more like someone from show business. This will make it easier for you to get your audience excited.

So, instead of adding the expected music to the scenes in your video, you should use interesting musical interventions. You can underline the message with the sung words or have your song written for your product.

Alternatively, you can use music to create little surprises, make the audience laugh, and stimulate action. To achieve all this, you should either read carefully or work with an audio and music expert.

How do you choose the perfect music for your video?

You might have now realized that adding audio or music to your video is important. But is that all? Will any music or audio do the trick?

The answer is NO! Your music choice should be aligned with the video’s content. If the music is not aligned with the video, it will likely fail. 

You have to choose the music that goes well along with the video.  For example, for a video filled with sports and action, you will have to match the energy of the video with energetic music with proper beats.

If it is for an educational video, sometimes music can be added to the background, and it should be chosen such that it helps increase the focus of those who watch the video. 

Another thing to be considered while choosing the perfect music for your video is the type of song license. You will be able to find four types of licenses for music online:

  • Free music: Any music in the public domain or with a Creative Commons license—there are different kinds—is either entirely free or free with attribution to the creator.
  • Limited License: Music that is royalty-free but that you must pay to use for marketing if you use it for anything other than non-commercial purposes, like an internal video.
  • Paid License: A purchased song is royalty-free and can be used endlessly, including in marketing videos. It's also possible that customised music is written for you.
  • Rights Managed: The music you purchase depends on how often or how many people listen to it.

Can you add music to the After Effects video?

After Effects is any video maker’s best friend. It is easy to add music to a video in After Effects. Let me explain the step-by-step way to add music to a video in After Effects:

Step 1: Run the program and add the project

Open Adobe After Effects on your system. Click “File” on the top left corner of the application. Select “Import” from the drop-down menu to add the file containing the video you wish to edit and add music. 

Step 2: Add the audio to the video

To include audio in After Effects, choose the files, then click “Import.” Simply drag and drop the video into place on the timeline. Prior to adding audio, you can trim the video or make necessary edits. 

If the video does not require any cuts, you can proceed to the media panel to drag and drop the audio onto the timeline there. This is only necessary if the video requires editing.

Step 3: Render the video or output

Press “Ctrl + S” to save the project or you can hit on the “File” button and click “Render” to output the video with audio. Choose the suitable format for you and press render.

And that’s done!

All set to add catchy music to your videos?

There is so much that you can do on After Effects and adding music is one of them. As you can see, both music and audio play an important role in your advertising video.

The soundtrack should be of the highest quality to take advantage of the music. So you can generate emotions with your potential customers, send the desired messages to your product, make your brand unforgettable, represent it and show your diversity through varied music.

To choose the right music, take your time and budget. Find the right mood, don't get too abstract, and match content with audio.

Please observe federal regulations to avoid copyright problems. As always, the most important thing with video marketing is to think of your target audience.

If you are looking to create videos, or is in need of video editing services, contact us! Know more by visiting www.webdew.com. 

                                                                                                                                      Editor: Amrutha

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can play audio in Adobe After Effects. After importing your audio file into your project, you can simply drag it onto your timeline, where you can play, edit, and synchronize it with your video animations. After Effects provides various audio controls and settings to enhance your audio experience.

In After Effects, you can add an audio waveform or audio spectrum effect to create an audio bar or visual representation of your audio. To do this, select your audio layer, then go to the “Effect” menu, choose “Generate,” and select either “Audio Spectrum” or “Audio Waveform.” Customize the settings to achieve the desired visual effect.

To sync music to video in After Effects, start by importing both your video and audio into your project. Then, drag both files onto the timeline. Use the waveform or audio spectrum visualizations mentioned earlier to align the audio with specific moments in your video. You can adjust the audio's timing and volume as needed to achieve perfect synchronization.

To add music to edit a video, import your video and audio files into your video editing software of choice, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. Place your video on one track and your music on another. Trim or adjust the music's volume to fit the mood and pacing of your video. You can also use the software's audio editing tools to fine-tune the music's placement and synchronization with your visuals.

Gurjent Singh, a motion graphic artist, explores animation techniques, visual storytelling, motion design trends, software tutorials for motion graphics, and the creative process in his field. Through insightful writing, Gurjent shares expertise that inspires creativity and mastery in visual storytelling, offering valuable insights into current trends and practical techniques for fellow artists and enthusiasts alike.