Music on an Instagram professional account: what you can and cannot use

A track that works on a personal account may not be there on a business one. That surprises people who use Instagram for work.

These are the lines from Instagram's Help Centre that explain it. We could not find a page listing exactly which account types or post types are excluded, so we do not guess.

What does the licensed music library cover?

The Help Centre says: "The music available in our library is intended for personal, non-commercial use."

It continues: "certain business accounts and certain types of posts do not have access to the library. Licensed music may also not be available in certain countries or regions."

What is Sound Collection?

If the library is missing for you: "If your account does not have access to the licensed music library, then you may be able to use Meta's Sound Collection."

And about its use: "The content in Sound Collection can be used for commercial purposes such as ads."

That is the clearest line Instagram gives for work content. We do not print a count of tracks, because we could not confirm one.

What happens if a track is muted?

Audio can be muted after you post. The Help Centre says: "Your reel can still be viewed even if audio tracks have been muted". It also says: "You can only replace a muted track one time."

So a Reel with a muted track is not removed. You get one chance to replace the track.

How to choose safely

• Check whether the library appears in your app before you plan a Reel around a song.
• If you work with a brand, prefer Sound Collection, which Instagram says can be used for commercial purposes.
• If audio gets muted, replace it once.

This is practical advice built on those lines, not a legal opinion. For anything with a contract or ad spend, read the terms yourself.

Questions people ask