Procreate's Animation Assist has no audio track, so you can't add music to a standard Procreate animation inside the app. To add music, either build the animation in Procreate Dreams, which imports audio straight onto its timeline, or export your animation as an MP4 and sync the music in an editor such as After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. For professional work, the export route gives you the most control over timing, mixing, and final delivery.

Which Procreate Are You Using?

"Procreate" covers two different apps, and the answer depends on which one you have.

• Procreate (the painting app): Animation Assist is a frame-by-frame tool for short loops and rough animatics. It has no audio import, so music has to be added after export.
• Procreate Dreams: This is the dedicated animation app with a multi-track timeline. It accepts audio files, lets you trim them, and supports volume keyframing.

If you're animating to a track, start in Dreams or plan to finish in an external editor. Trying to force audio into Animation Assist will only waste time.

Method 1: Add Music Inside Procreate Dreams

Dreams is the only route that lets you hear the music while you animate, which matters for lip sync, beat-matched hits, and any motion that has to land on a specific note.

1. Set your project duration first. Dreams projects have a fixed length. If your audio runs past it, the overflow won't be editable, so set a duration that fits the track or plan to trim.
2. Preview your audio before importing. Open Files and Dreams together in Split View: tap the multitasking button at the top of the screen, choose Split View, open Files, and tap a track to audition it. You can scrub through longer files to find the section you want.
3. Drag the file in. Drop it on the Stage to create a new audio track, or drop it onto the Timeline to place it on an existing track at a specific point.
4. Trim and level it. Use the trim handles to cut the clip to the section you need, then keyframe the audio level to fade in, duck under dialogue, or end cleanly.
5. Animate against the waveform. Scrub the playhead and set your keyframes or drawn frames on the beats you care about.

A practical note: if you can't find a file you just imported, check the Files app location you pulled it from. Keeping a dedicated project folder for audio avoids hunting later.

Dreams is also still being developed compared with desktop timeline tools. Expect fewer mixing options than you'd have in an NLE or a DAW. For anything beyond basic levels, treat Dreams audio as a guide track and finish the mix elsewhere.

Method 2: Export and Add Music in After Effects or Premiere Pro

This is the standard approach for motion designers. It keeps Procreate as a drawing and frame-generation tool and moves timing, sound, and delivery into software built for them.

Export from Procreate

• From Animation Assist: Export as MP4 for a review file you can bring into an editor.
• From Dreams: Export a video file.

Keep a note of your project's frame rate. Mismatched frame rates can make a Procreate animation feel slightly off once it's in an editor.

Build the sync in After Effects

1. Create a composition at your target resolution and the same frame rate as the animation.
2. Import the exported animation.
3. Import your music and drop it into the comp.
4. Add layer markers on the beats, either while the track plays or manually after zooming into the waveform.
5. Snap your animation's key moments to those markers. Use time remapping or offset the layer in time to nudge hits onto the beat.
6. Set levels, add fades with audio keyframes, and render your final video.

Or do the same in Premiere Pro

Import the clip, lay the music on an audio track, and use markers on the sequence to line up key frames. Premiere is the faster choice if the job is mostly assembly: one animation, one track, and a few titles. Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve work the same way if you aren't in the Adobe ecosystem.

Why this route is worth it

• You get proper waveform editing, EQ, loudness metering, and multi-track mixing.
• You can retime the animation without redrawing.
• Delivery specs for broadcast, social, or client review are easier to hit.
• The animation drops into a larger project with live-action footage, 3D renders, or other comps.

Method 3: Use a Mobile or Browser Editor

If you only need a simple soundtrack for a social post, you don't need a desktop pipeline. Export the animation as MP4 and add music in an editor such as iMovie, LumaFusion, CapCut, InShot, Clipchamp, or WeVideo. Import the clip, add the audio track, trim it to length, and export.

This works well for quick posts, but it has the same drawback as the pro route without the precision: you finish the animation first and sync afterward. If the timing is tight, you may have to go back to Procreate and add or remove frames.

Timing Tips for Music-Driven Animation

Because Animation Assist can't play audio, plan the sync before you draw.

• Find the tempo first. Get the BPM of the track and calculate how many frames fall between beats at your frame rate. At 24 fps and 120 BPM, a beat lands every 12 frames. Write the key beat frames on your exposure sheet or in a note on the canvas.
• Make a scratch version. Export a rough pass, drop it against the music in an editor, and note which frames need to move. Then return to Procreate and adjust. Two or three loops of this are far faster than perfecting every frame and hoping.
• Animate on twos or threes if needed. Holding drawings for two or three frames makes it easier to adjust timing later without redrawing, and it often matches music better than constant motion on ones.
• Leave handles. Export a few extra frames before and after the main action so you have room to slide the animation against the track.
• Match sample rate and format. Use 48 kHz audio for video work where possible, and prefer WAV or high-bitrate AAC over low-quality MP3s that can add encoding artifacts.
• Check licensing early. Music you can use in a personal clip may not be cleared for client work or monetized platforms. Confirm rights before you design around a track.

Where Styleframe Fits in This Workflow

Styleframe doesn't add music to Procreate, and it isn't meant to. It's an AI video and motion tool built for artists who want direct control over the result, and it fits into the stage between your Procreate artwork and the final edit.

Say you've drawn key poses or style frames in Procreate. In Styleframe you can use them as keyframes, so the generation is driven by your drawings rather than a text prompt.

The results then go into your compositing or editing app the way any other footage does. You then add music, set beat markers, and finish in the tools you already use. The sound and sync work still happens in your compositing or editing app.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The audio is cut off in Dreams. The project duration is shorter than the track. Extend the project length or trim the audio to fit.

The animation drifts out of sync in After Effects. Your composition frame rate probably doesn't match the export. Interpret the footage at the correct frame rate or rebuild the comp at the right fps.

The MP4 looks soft after export. Compressed video loses detail. Export at the highest quality available from Procreate, and render from your editor at a higher bitrate or through a higher-quality codec.

You can't find an imported file in Dreams. Preview it in Split View from a known folder, and keep your audio in one project-specific location.

The music is too loud or clipping. Lower the track in your editor and check meters instead of relying on your ears through iPad speakers.

Quick Decision Guide

• You need to animate to the track: Use Procreate Dreams.
• You want proper mixing and compositing: Export MP4 and finish in After Effects or Premiere Pro.
• You need a fast social clip: Export MP4 and add music in CapCut, InShot, iMovie, or Clipchamp.
• You're extending or restyling Procreate artwork with AI: Generate in Styleframe from your keyframes, export the result, and add music in your compositing app.

Whichever path you choose, decide early where the audio will live. Animating first and adding music later works for loops and simple clips. If the music drives the motion, put the track in front of you before you draw the first in-between.

Procreate's Animation Assist has no audio track, so you can't add music to a standard Procreate animation inside the app. To add music, either build the animation in Procreate Dreams, which imports audio straight onto its timeline, or export your animation as an MP4 and sync the music in an editor such as After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. For professional work, the export route gives you the most control over timing, mixing, and final delivery.

Which Procreate Are You Using?

"Procreate" covers two different apps, and the answer depends on which one you have.

• Procreate (the painting app): Animation Assist is a frame-by-frame tool for short loops and rough animatics. It has no audio import, so music has to be added after export.
• Procreate Dreams: This is the dedicated animation app with a multi-track timeline. It accepts audio files, lets you trim them, and supports volume keyframing.

If you're animating to a track, start in Dreams or plan to finish in an external editor. Trying to force audio into Animation Assist will only waste time.

Method 1: Add Music Inside Procreate Dreams

Dreams is the only route that lets you hear the music while you animate, which matters for lip sync, beat-matched hits, and any motion that has to land on a specific note.

1. Set your project duration first. Dreams projects have a fixed length. If your audio runs past it, the overflow won't be editable, so set a duration that fits the track or plan to trim.
2. Preview your audio before importing. Open Files and Dreams together in Split View: tap the multitasking button at the top of the screen, choose Split View, open Files, and tap a track to audition it. You can scrub through longer files to find the section you want.
3. Drag the file in. Drop it on the Stage to create a new audio track, or drop it onto the Timeline to place it on an existing track at a specific point.
4. Trim and level it. Use the trim handles to cut the clip to the section you need, then keyframe the audio level to fade in, duck under dialogue, or end cleanly.
5. Animate against the waveform. Scrub the playhead and set your keyframes or drawn frames on the beats you care about.

A practical note: if you can't find a file you just imported, check the Files app location you pulled it from. Keeping a dedicated project folder for audio avoids hunting later.

Dreams is also still being developed compared with desktop timeline tools. Expect fewer mixing options than you'd have in an NLE or a DAW. For anything beyond basic levels, treat Dreams audio as a guide track and finish the mix elsewhere.

Method 2: Export and Add Music in After Effects or Premiere Pro

This is the standard approach for motion designers. It keeps Procreate as a drawing and frame-generation tool and moves timing, sound, and delivery into software built for them.

Export from Procreate

• From Animation Assist: Export as MP4 for a review file you can bring into an editor.
• From Dreams: Export a video file.

Keep a note of your project's frame rate. Mismatched frame rates can make a Procreate animation feel slightly off once it's in an editor.

Build the sync in After Effects

1. Create a composition at your target resolution and the same frame rate as the animation.
2. Import the exported animation.
3. Import your music and drop it into the comp.
4. Add layer markers on the beats, either while the track plays or manually after zooming into the waveform.
5. Snap your animation's key moments to those markers. Use time remapping or offset the layer in time to nudge hits onto the beat.
6. Set levels, add fades with audio keyframes, and render your final video.

Or do the same in Premiere Pro

Import the clip, lay the music on an audio track, and use markers on the sequence to line up key frames. Premiere is the faster choice if the job is mostly assembly: one animation, one track, and a few titles. Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve work the same way if you aren't in the Adobe ecosystem.

Why this route is worth it

• You get proper waveform editing, EQ, loudness metering, and multi-track mixing.
• You can retime the animation without redrawing.
• Delivery specs for broadcast, social, or client review are easier to hit.
• The animation drops into a larger project with live-action footage, 3D renders, or other comps.

Method 3: Use a Mobile or Browser Editor

If you only need a simple soundtrack for a social post, you don't need a desktop pipeline. Export the animation as MP4 and add music in an editor such as iMovie, LumaFusion, CapCut, InShot, Clipchamp, or WeVideo. Import the clip, add the audio track, trim it to length, and export.

This works well for quick posts, but it has the same drawback as the pro route without the precision: you finish the animation first and sync afterward. If the timing is tight, you may have to go back to Procreate and add or remove frames.

Timing Tips for Music-Driven Animation

Because Animation Assist can't play audio, plan the sync before you draw.

• Find the tempo first. Get the BPM of the track and calculate how many frames fall between beats at your frame rate. At 24 fps and 120 BPM, a beat lands every 12 frames. Write the key beat frames on your exposure sheet or in a note on the canvas.
• Make a scratch version. Export a rough pass, drop it against the music in an editor, and note which frames need to move. Then return to Procreate and adjust. Two or three loops of this are far faster than perfecting every frame and hoping.
• Animate on twos or threes if needed. Holding drawings for two or three frames makes it easier to adjust timing later without redrawing, and it often matches music better than constant motion on ones.
• Leave handles. Export a few extra frames before and after the main action so you have room to slide the animation against the track.
• Match sample rate and format. Use 48 kHz audio for video work where possible, and prefer WAV or high-bitrate AAC over low-quality MP3s that can add encoding artifacts.
• Check licensing early. Music you can use in a personal clip may not be cleared for client work or monetized platforms. Confirm rights before you design around a track.

Where Styleframe Fits in This Workflow

Styleframe doesn't add music to Procreate, and it isn't meant to. It's an AI video and motion tool built for artists who want direct control over the result, and it fits into the stage between your Procreate artwork and the final edit.

Say you've drawn key poses or style frames in Procreate. In Styleframe you can use them as keyframes, so the generation is driven by your drawings rather than a text prompt.

The results then go into your compositing or editing app the way any other footage does. You then add music, set beat markers, and finish in the tools you already use. The sound and sync work still happens in your compositing or editing app.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The audio is cut off in Dreams. The project duration is shorter than the track. Extend the project length or trim the audio to fit.

The animation drifts out of sync in After Effects. Your composition frame rate probably doesn't match the export. Interpret the footage at the correct frame rate or rebuild the comp at the right fps.

The MP4 looks soft after export. Compressed video loses detail. Export at the highest quality available from Procreate, and render from your editor at a higher bitrate or through a higher-quality codec.

You can't find an imported file in Dreams. Preview it in Split View from a known folder, and keep your audio in one project-specific location.

The music is too loud or clipping. Lower the track in your editor and check meters instead of relying on your ears through iPad speakers.

Quick Decision Guide

• You need to animate to the track: Use Procreate Dreams.
• You want proper mixing and compositing: Export MP4 and finish in After Effects or Premiere Pro.
• You need a fast social clip: Export MP4 and add music in CapCut, InShot, iMovie, or Clipchamp.
• You're extending or restyling Procreate artwork with AI: Generate in Styleframe from your keyframes, export the result, and add music in your compositing app.

Whichever path you choose, decide early where the audio will live. Animating first and adding music later works for loops and simple clips. If the music drives the motion, put the track in front of you before you draw the first in-between.