How to appeal an Instagram music removal

Instagram's own help centre could not be read for this guide, so it does not give tap-by-tap steps or time limits. What follows is from Meta's Music Guidelines and from the music providers' help pages, all opened on 14 November 2026.

Where the appeal starts

Meta's Music Guidelines say that if you have the rights to the music, or the action was a mistake, "you may be able to dispute that action via the notification you received." There is no separate form to find. Open the notification about the muted or blocked Reel and use the option it gives you.

Bensound describes those options as "Restore Audio" and "Appeal" on the notification.

What happens next

Meta lists three outcomes, depending on the kind of restriction:

1. Its tools let you contact the rights holder directly.
2. The content is restored automatically.
3. A member of Meta's operations team reviews the dispute.

When appealing will not work

Some restrictions are not mistakes. Bensound says that when Meta mutes or blocks a video "in certain countries", Meta does not hold the music rights there, and "even with a valid Bensound license, Meta enforces its own territorial limitations, which cannot be appealed." The Reel still plays elsewhere.

A Reel that is mostly music is also weak ground. Meta's guidelines say content made "to create a music listening experience" can be blocked and the account deleted.

What to send if you licensed the music

Get your proof ready before you tap Appeal. Each provider asks for something different:

Provider	What to do
Epidemic Sound	Appeal in the app, then email Epidemic Sound your account email, the profile or page URL, the track, and screenshots of the claim
Bensound	Use "Restore Audio" or "Appeal" on the notification
Pixabay	Give the track link and the Pixabay licence summary. If needed, the platform can contact Pixabay to verify
Uppbeat	Dispute through Instagram's form and mention your Uppbeat permission. Contact Uppbeat if the Reel stays muted

Repeat problems

Meta's intellectual property policy says it removes accounts that "engage in repeated violations." A rejected appeal on a track you have no rights to counts against you. Delete the Reel or swap the audio rather than appealing a claim you cannot back up.