Canva has been making it easier for creators to combine visuals and music in one seamless workflow. Now, with Apple Music on board, the platform gives creators and fans a way to pair stunning visuals with tracks from a massive music library. The collaboration includes ready-made templates and design tools that make it simple to promote music, share songs, or even showcase merchandise.
But what about the music itself? Creators often want more than visuals, because music is just as important—sometimes even more. While Canva mainly focuses on its own music library, you can convert Apple Music tracks into a compatible format to access a much wider selection.
I've spent quite a bit of time experimenting with Apple Music on Canva, exploring necessary activities and best practices. In this guide, I'll show you how to do that and highlight some alternatives if you run into issues. Be sure to check the music licensing terms as well, since using tracks for commercial purposes may come with restrictions.
Part 1. How to Create an Apple Music Canvas for Your Visual Designs
The Apple Music template collection on Canva includes cover art, artist images, animated album pages, and motion graphics. These templates match Apple Music's style and don't require Canva Pro. They save time while helping you produce professional designs. You can customize visuals, adjust motion elements, and align everything with your music to create engaging, eye-catching content.
Desktop:
- Sign in to Canva on your desktop, or create an account if you don't have one.
- Go to your Canva dashboard.
- Navigate to Canva's Apple Music template collection.
- Select a template that matches your music's style.
- Replace placeholder elements with your own images, colors, and text.
- Use the Brand Kit to keep fonts, colors, and logos consistent.
- Ensure all important elements stay within the template's safe zones to prevent cropping on devices.
- Tip: For motion artwork, duplicate your static cover art to create a second frame, then click Animate to add subtle effects like fading or gentle background movements. Make sure the first frame matches your static cover exactly.
- Once your design is ready, click Share > Download:
- Export static visuals as JPG or PNG with at least 4000×4000 pixels.
- Export motion artwork as MP4 or ProRes, following Apple's specifications.
Submit your final assets to your music distributor along with your audio files so they can deliver your visuals and music to Apple Music.
Part 2. How to Add Background Music from Apple Music to Canva
Apple Music is a popular choice for streaming and downloading music, but using its tracks in design tools like Canva requires some extra steps. Apple Music files are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). Even downloaded songs are saved in M4P format, which Canva doesn't support. Canva requires audio files in formats like MP3 or WAV, so converting Apple Music tracks is necessary.
Getting Started with ViWizard Apple Music Converter
Tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter can remove DRM protection and convert Apple Music tracks into MP3 or other formats supported by Canva. You can also adjust the bit rate—preserve lossless audio or choose 320Kbps—to ensure your music sounds as good as the originals.
Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter
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- Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
- Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
- Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
- Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details
Step 1Install and Open the Converter
Start by downloading a reliable Apple Music converter on your Windows or Mac computer. Once installed, open the app and log in to your Apple Music account. This gives you full access to your playlists, albums, and tracks, so you can select exactly what you want to use in your Canva projects.
Step 2Select MP3 as the Output Format
Before converting, open the settings menu and choose MP3 as the output format. MP3 works seamlessly with Canva and most other platforms. You can also adjust options like bit rate, sample rate, or audio channels to ensure the best quality for your videos or animations. If you want, you can preserve extra details such as album art or metadata to keep your files organized.
Step 3Choose the Tracks to Convert
Browse your Apple Music library within the converter and select the songs, albums, or playlists you want. Add them to the conversion list, just like curating a soundtrack for your project. When ready, start the conversion process to save your tracks as standard audio files.
Step 4Access Your Converted Files
Once the conversion is complete, check the output folder on your computer. Your songs will now be DRM-free MP3s, ready to upload into Canva. The files retain important details like track titles, album art, and other metadata, making it easy to organize and use them in your designs.
Part 3. How to Import Apple Music Audio into a Canva Video Project
Canva makes it easy to create stunning designs on desktop and mobile. Once your Apple Music tracks are converted to Canva-compatible formats, importing them into your projects is simple—no subscription required. Even the free version of Canva supports adding audio, making it accessible to everyone.
Always ensure the music you use is royalty-free or properly licensed for commercial use. You can use Canva's built-in library or legally converted tracks from tools like ViWizard, but keep personal-use limitations in mind.
Real-World Tips for Better Music Integration in Canva
- Trim Audio: Select the track in the Audio tab and set start and end points to match your visuals perfectly.
- Adjust Volume: Change the volume so the music doesn't cover voiceovers or other sounds.
- Use Fade Effects: Add fade-in and fade-out to make the music start and end smoothly.
- Add Sound Effects: Browse Canva's audio library for effects or upload your own. Click Upload Audio in the Audio tab and select your file.
A full-featured Apple Music converter that easily converts Apple Music songs, albums, playlists—including iCloud Music Library content, personalized recommendations, and curated playlists—into MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC so you can keep your Apple Music forever or transfer it to any device without restrictions.
Desktop:
- Sign in to Canva or create an account if you don't have one.
- Go to your Canva dashboard.
- Start a new project or open an existing one that you want to work on.
- In your project, locate the area where you want to add music.
- Click on "File" in the top menu.
- Select "Import files" from the dropdown.
- Choose the converted Apple Music files from your computer, or simply drag and drop them into Canva.
- Your music files will now appear in Canva's audio library under the "Audio" tab.
- Click on the track you want to use, and it will be added to your design.
- Once you're satisfied with your design, click "Download" to save your project with the added Apple Music.
Mobile:
- Open the Canva app and sign in, or create an account if needed.
- Start a new project or select an existing one from your dashboard.
- Tap the "+" button to add elements to your design.
- Scroll down and select the "Audio" option.
- Tap "Upload Audio".
- Choose your converted Apple Music files from your device storage.
- Your audio will appear in the library under the "Audio" tab.
- Tap on the track you want to use, and it will be added to your design.
- When you're finished, tap "Download" to save your project with the added Apple Music.
Extra Tips: Best Practices for Using Apple Music in Canva
1: Use Music You Own or Have Rights To
Never use streaming Apple Music tracks directly in Canva—they are protected and can't be shared. Even if converted with software like ViWizard Apple Music Converter, they may still be restricted. For a safer alternative, use Canva's built-in audio library or tracks you've purchased with usage rights.
- Open your design in Canva or start a new project.
- Access the audio library:
- Desktop: Elements > Music > Audio in the left panel.
- Mobile: Tap the "+" button and select Audio.
- Search for tracks or explore categories like Jazz, Children's Music, or Spiritual Music.
- Note that many tracks are premium and may require a Canva Pro subscription.
- Hover (Desktop) or tap (Mobile) to preview the track.
- Add the track to your project and adjust its timeline position if needed.
- Use Canva's editing tools to trim, adjust volume, or apply fade-in/fade-out effects.
- Tip: Preview your video while adjusting audio to ensure it syncs with visuals.
- Once ready, click Share > Download (Desktop) or tap Download (Mobile) and export videos with audio as MP4.
2: Follow Apple's Artwork and Motion Rules
Ensure your designs meet Apple's format guidelines: square ratio (1:1), high resolution (≥3000×3000 px), and safe zones for text or logos. For motion graphics, follow Apple's motion specs so animations display correctly across devices.
3: Export in the Right Format
Save static designs as JPG or PNG. Motion designs should be exported as MP4 or ProRes if required by your distributor. This ensures acceptance by platforms like DistroKid or TuneCore.
4: Include Apple Music Links to Promote Your Music
Instead of embedding songs, add Apple Music links or QR codes to your designs. This lets fans listen to your music safely without violating copyright rules.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you've learned how to harness the creative potential of music within Canva. You can now elevate your content, set the mood, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Music has the power to enhance your Canva designs, and with the ViWizard Apple Music Converter, you can unlock its full potential.
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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