How to Add DRM Protected Music to iMovie on iPhone/Mac

Part 1. The Truth About Apple Music DRM and iMovie Compatibility

Can You Add DRM Protected Music to iMovie?

iMovie is a free, user-friendly video editor for both iOS and Mac. It lets you easily add background music to your projects, using tracks from its built-in library or your own local files. However, any music you use must be DRM-free and in a compatible format like MP3, AAC, AIFF, M4A, or WAV. Because Apple Music songs are DRM-protected and in the M4P format, you can't directly add or use them in iMovie.

Why This Song Is DRM Protected in iMovie?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It is a technology used by Apple to protect digital content, including songs on Apple Music from unauthorized copying or distribution. This means that DRM-protected content can only be used on authorized devices and platforms. While this helps protect artists and their work, it can be inconvenient for users who want to use the music in personal projects, like iMovie videos.

How to Add DRM-protected Music to iMovie?

Method 1: Purchase Non DRM Protected Songs for iMovie

Unlike streaming music services, songs purchased from the Music app are non-DRM-protected AAC files. If you have older DRM-protected tracks, you can upgrade them to DRM-free versions through iTunes Match or by repurchasing them from the iTunes Store. In this case, you can use iTunes purchases directly in your iMovie projects.

Method 2: Convert Apple Music for iMovie

To add DRM music to iMovie, you can also use third-party software, like DRmare Apple Music Converter to remove DRM protection from Apple Music and convert songs to an iMovie-compatible format, like MP3, AIFF, or WAV.

Part 2. How to Get Non DRM Protected Songs for iMovie

As mentioned above, to add DRM-protected music to iMovie from Apple Music, you need to remove the DRM protection first and then convert your music to one of these formats. You can use DRmare Apple Music Converter to do them easily.

This Apple Music to iMovie converter can easily remove protection from Apple Music and iTunes songs and convert them to popular audio formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, M4A, M4B, and FLAC. The process is very fast, up to 30 times faster.

It maintains lossless sound quality and complete ID3 tags such as title, album cover, etc. You can even customize output audio parameters, including channels, bitrate, sample rate, and more. With it, you can easily get DRM-free Apple Music files and upload them to iMovie for use.

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How to Convert Apple Music to Non-DRM-Protected Songs for iMovie

Now, we will guide you on how to convert Apple Music to iMovie-compatible audio files. (Make sure you've installed the DRmare Apple Music Converter on your computer in advance.)

Step 1Run DRmare Apple Music Converter

After installation, open DRmare Apple Music Converter on your computer. Then you can get its intuitive interface. As shown above, there is a built-in Apple Music Web Player, allowing you to browse your library directly.

Step 2Import Apple Music/iTunes songs to use in iMovie

Once you found your favorite songs, you can click the 'Add' > 'Add to List' button to load them to the conversion queue of DRmare Apple Music Converter. You are also allowed to copy and paste music URL into the address bar and click the 'Download' button to load them.

Step 3Set output audio format of Apple Music for iMovie

To launch the output settings window, click on the 'DRmare Apple Music Converter' icon from the Apple Menu bar and choose 'Preferences' > 'Conversion' option. To use Apple Music on iMovie, you can choose MP3, AIFF, WAV, or M4A format. You can also personalize other Apple Music output parameters according to the iMovie movies you want to create.

Tips:

If you use Apple Music Lossless, select AIFF or WAV in DRmare Apple Music Converter to preserve every bit of audio detail for high-end video productions.

Step 4Convert DRM protected Apple Music for iMovie

Now press the 'Convert' button. It will start to convert the protected Apple Music to MP3 or other plain formats you set before. Once it is done, all your music files will become non-protected songs and they can be easily added to iMovie. You can find the converted songs via the 'Converted' > 'Folder' icon on your computer. Now, you can transfer these DRM-free songs to iMovie or any other platform without any hassle.

Note:

During our lab test in January 2026, a 4-minute track took less than 10 seconds to convert at 30X speed, maintaining all metadata tags.

Part 3. How to Add DRM Protected Songs to iMovie on iPhone

By doing the above steps, you have got non DRM protected songs for iMovie. They are ready to be imported into iMovie. And below is a tutorial on how to get DRM protected songs on iMovie on iPhone.

Sync Non-DRM Protected Songs to iPhone

Step 1. Open Music app on your computer and click on "File" > "Add File to Library". Then choose the folder that contains your converted music files to add them to Music app.

Step 1.Connect your iPhone to your computer via a USB cable. Then click on your iPhone from the top panel.

Step 1. Go to "Music" from the left panel and then select to sync converted Apple Music files. Then click the "Sync" button to transfer Apple Music to iPhone.

Get DRM Protected Songs on iMovie on iPhone

Step 1. Launch iMovie on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Then open your existing project or create a new project from the Projects tab and click the "Add Media +" button. Then choose the "Audio" option.

Step 2. Tap on the "My Music" option and it will load your music in your Music library.

Step 3. Browse through the available tracks and tap on the one you want to add. Click the "Add Audio" button to add selected Apple Music to your iMovie project. The track will appear in your timeline. You can adjust its length by dragging the edges, and you can reposition it by dragging the entire clip.

Export Your iMovie Project with Apple Music

Step 1. Click the "Share" button (it looks like a square with an arrow pointing up).

Step 2. Choose "Export Project" to customize output options, like the resolution, format, and output folder.

Step 3. Finally, tap the "Save" button to export iMovie videos with Apple Music on your iPhone.

Part 4. How to Add DRM-protected Apple Music to iMovie on Mac

With the above, you've learned how to add DRM-protected songs on iMovie on iPhone. If you are using a Mac computer, the steps are even easier. Now, please check how to add DRM protected music to iMovie on Mac with two methods.

Way 1. Add Music from Apple Music to iMovie by Import Feature

Step 1. Open iMovie from your Mac computer. Then create a video project.

Step 2. Hit on the 'Audio' at the top bar of the window. Next, select 'Music' from the Libraries list.

Step 3. Find your converted DRM-free music files in the target folder.

Step 4. Choose the songs you want to add to the iMovie video. Then drag it to the timeline.

Way 2. Add Music to iMovie from Apple Music by Finder

Step 1. Set up the Finder app on your Mac computer.

Step 2. Launch the iMovie program and open a video project. Click the "Import Media" button to locate the converted non-protected music files and import them to iMovie.

Step 3. Drag and drop the target song to the timeline. Then you can start to alter the iMovie video clip.

Part 5. How to Use DRM-Protected Songs in iMovie on iPhone/Mac

Once your unprotected Apple Music is sitting in the iMovie's timeline, the real creative work begins. Raw audio files rarely fit a video perfectly on the first try; they might start too abruptly, overstay their welcome, or drown out your dialogue. In this section, we will cover how to edit and use your DRM-free music to ensure they sync seamlessly with your visuals, using iMovie's precision tools to handle transitions and volume levels like a pro.

Part 6. FAQs about Adding DRM-Protected Music to iMovie

Part 7. The Verdict

Don't worry if you meet the issue of 'this song is DRM protected and can't be used by iMovie'. DRmare Apple Music Converter can easily help you remove protection from Apple Music, iTunes, etc., and convert these songs to MP3 or other formats supported by iMovie. After that, you can easily import the non-protected songs to iMovie and create your stunning videos with the perfect soundtrack!