Why Can’t I Search for Music on IG: 5 Quick Solutions

Some Instagram users have recently started googling: “Why can’t I search for music on IG?” as they’ve been having trouble adding music to their posts and stories.

Several reasons may cause the problem, ranging from service disruptions to corrupted app files and geo-restrictions!

Keep on reading to learn more and find a solution that works!

Why Can’t I Search for Music on Instagram?

Instagram’s ‘Music’ feature allows its users to express themselves via their favorite songs by attaching them to their posts, stories, and reels. Doing so is rather straightforward, too, and you only have to click a couple of extra buttons while posting!

But why does the feature stop working on occasion? Well, the usual reason is that Instagram restricts business accounts from using music for commercial uses, provided you are trying to use the feature from your professional account.

However, suppose you encounter the issue on your personal Instagram. In that case, it might be caused by several reasons, such as outdated software, location restrictions, server problems, or buggy software due to corrupted local data.

How to Fix Instagram Music Search Not Working?

Fixing a malfunctioning Instagram music library is crucial to getting the most out of the platform. That said, below, we list five solutions to the aforementioned issues.

1. Change Back to ‘Personal Account’

The first solution that may restore your music posting privileges on Instagram is changing from a ‘Professional’ to a ‘Personal’ account, and it only takes a few steps:

1. Tap on the Profile icon in the bottom-right corner;
2. Press the hamburger menu in the top-right corner;
3. Press ‘Settings’ and navigate to ‘Account’;

source: guidingtech.com

4. Scroll down and tap on ‘Switch account type’;
5. Press ‘Switch to Personal Account’ to confirm.

source: guidingtech.com

After completing the above steps, log out of Instagram, wait a while, and log back in. You should be able to post any song you want at this point.

2. Update Your Instagram App

If you have been using an outdated Instagram for a while, Instagram “Music’ may have encountered certain bugs that prevent it from working, or it has not yet been added to the version you are currently using. So, it’s time to update Instagram!

The update process is identical on both Android and iPhone:

1. Navigate to Google Play or the Apple App Store;
2. Search for ‘Instagram’ and click on the result;
3. Tap on ‘Update’ to install the new version.

Note: Turn on automatic updates to avoid encountering buggy apps in the future!

3. Reinstall Instagram

If updating Instagram does not fix the issue, you can always try reinstalling it, and it only takes a minute and a few steps:

1. Press and hold on the app icon;
2. Click on ‘Uninstall’ or ‘Remove app’;
3. Follow any prompts that come up;
4. Access Google Play or the App Store;
5. Search for ‘Instagram’ and click ‘Install’.

Once you’re done, log back in and check if the issue persists.

Note: Before reinstalling Instagram, try logging out and clearing its cache and data. You reset the app settings to default by doing so, which may resolve the problem.

4. Use a VPN Service

Sometimes, region restrictions may limit the functionality of your apps or prevent you from using certain services in any way due to geographical location.

If geo-blocking prevents you from accessing Instagram’s music library, you have to trick the platform into thinking you reside in an unrestricted region.

The best way to do that is by using a virtual private network (VPN), which is a service specifically developed to reroute your internet traffic and hide your location.

Note that premium VPN services function across all platforms and allow you to install their software on all your devices. If you are looking for the best one out there, check this list of the Top 5 VPNs of 2023, which are good enough for hackers, too!

5. Check If Instagram is Down

Server issues and disconnections may also cause Instagram to misbehave. In such cases, however, you cannot do anything, and you’ll have to wait for the platform to fix its server network. That said, you can check the status of Instagram’s servers at all times via third-party sites like Downdetector.

Bottom Line

Instagram’s ‘Music’ sticker has become one of the platform’s most popular additions in recent years as millions of people use it to enrich their daily content. So when the feature malfunctions, users are left wondering: “Why can’t I search for music on IG?”. Thankfully, there are several solutions they can try, and chances are one of them will work!