How to Add iTunes Music to iMovie Projects

By Annie Cale

Updated on: November 9, 2026

Category: Apple Music Tips

To add iTunes music or Apple Music to iMovie, you first need to convert the songs to a regular format like MP3, because iMovie cannot read the DRM-protected files that Apple Music downloads. This guide shows you how to do it in 5 steps with NoteBurner Apple Music Converter.

If you have tried dragging an Apple Music song into iMovie, you have probably seen it fail: the track shows up greyed out, or it imports but plays no sound. That is Apple's DRM at work. Songs purchased from the iTunes Store are DRM-free and import fine, but anything downloaded with an Apple Music subscription is locked to the Apple Music app until you convert it.

Tool Required: NoteBurner iTunes Audio Converter

NoteBurner iTunes Audio Converter, developed by NoteBurner Inc, is a professional iTunes M4P music and Apple Music Converter, which will help you record and convert Apple Music files, audiobooks, or other downloaded music from iTunes or Apple Music to MP3, FLAC, AAC, AIFF, WAV, or ALAC format at 10X faster speed with the original audio quality kept.

Convert Apple Music files to MP3/AAC/WAV/FLAC/AIFF/ALAC;
Convert iTunes audio at 10X faster speed with original audio quality kept;
Keep ID3 Tags & lyric after conversion;
Easy-to-use with an intuitive and streamlined user interface;
Enjoy free update & technical support.

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Tutorial: How to Convert iTunes M4P Files / Apple Music to MP3

The following is the detailed tutorial to guide you to convert songs from iTunes or Apple Music to MP3. Please download NoteBurner Apple Music Converter first before getting started.

Step 1: Download and Launch NoteBurner Apple Music Converter

Download and install NoteBurner Apple Music Converter. After it, please launch the software. It's suggested to choose the "Apple Music web player" source if you're using the Mac version.

Step 2: Add iTunes M4P Songs

Open a playlist on Apple Music web player, click the button "Add" to add music. It will pop up a window, which will show you all of the songs you have chosen from the playlist. You can choose any song you want to convert.

Step 3: Choose Output Format

After the successful adding, please click the button "Settings" to choose the output format as you need, in the pop-up window, you can set output path, output quality, and output format including WAV, AAC, MP3, AIFF, FLAC, and ALAC.

Step 4: Record iTunes M4P Music

After completing the above steps, the final one is clicking the button "Convert". Just a few seconds, it will succeed.

Step 5: Add iTunes Music to iMovie

After converting, the output folder will be open automatically. Or you can click the History button to find the converted music. Now, you can drag and drop them to the iMovie timeline for use.

How to Add the Songs to iMovie on iPhone or iPad

Converting on a Mac but editing on the go? First move the MP3 to your iPhone: sync it to the Music app through Finder (macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (Windows), or AirDrop the file and save it to Files. Then in iMovie, open your project, tap the + button, choose Audio > My Music (or Files if you saved it there) and select your song. The clip lands on the timeline just like on Mac, and you can trim it by dragging either end.