Choosing the right audio for your reel is one among the factors that will make your reel go viral or disappear.
But how do you find the right audio to use for your reel?
As of now, there is no clear way for people outside the US to find trending audios but worry not.
We have ways that will help you find audios worth using.
Table of Contents
How to Find Trending Sounds
Finding trending sounds on Instagram is not a straightforward process because Instagram does not have a feature where you can just see the trending sounds. The good news is there are ways that you can find the trending soundsWatching Reels
This might sound counterintuitive but it still remains one of the best ways to find trending audios on Instagram. Because if you are already watching reels to find creative ideas then you might also keep a look out on trending audios so that you can use them next time you are posting reels. Just take into account which sounds that you come across time and time again. Then you can click the sound and take a look at how many reels have used that sound. Usually over 1000 is a good performing sound.From choosing audio section
The audio page is also a good place to find trending audio. To access this page: 1. Click the + icon just as how you would want to create a new post 2. Slide over to the reel section 3. Select the video or images you want 4. Click the sound icon 5. Browse the sounds Most of the sounds that will be under “For you” will be sounds that are performing well and they will have been used in more than 10,000 reels. Choose a sound that will go well with your content. You can even check some reels that have used the sound that you want to use because most of the times there are sounds used by particular niches such as fitness or travelling. It’s important that you find sounds that are trending in your niche because sometimes people browse reels from sounds.Reel Templates
Instagram has templates that you can use to get inspiration for creating reels. Back in July 2023, Instagram updated templates to include categories such as recommended templates and trending templates. The trending templates just mean those are trending reels. And if they are trending, then there is also a good chance that the sounds used in those reels are also trending. Take advantage of this and use those sounds if they make sense to use on your reels.Creators Account
The @creators Instagram account is a page to guide creators on the ins and outs of Instagram by the Instagram team. In other words, it is the best friend of Instagram creators. This account shares different tips as well trends that other creators can leverage to grow on the platform including trending audios that other creators can use as well. Every week on Friday, they share a trend report on what’s trending on Instagram. Sometimes they even share things about the algorithm. Information straight from the source. So keep a lookout on this page.TikTok
Yeah you heard me right. TikTok is also one of the best place to find trending audios to use for Instagram reels.
TikTok is superior than Instagram in terms of short content because TikTok is solely focused on that. They don’t focus on photos, slides, stories, etc. It’s just ‘reels’. This is why TikTok is ahead on the short content game.
And usually trends start to happen on TikTok and it may take even a week for them to start appearing on reels.
This is why you also need to leverage TikTok to improve your reels game.
Here is how you can find trending audio on TikTok:
1. Search “trending audio” on the search page
2. Filter it to only “This month”
And now you have trending audio for this month.
You can take notes of some audios and then you can search them on Instagram and use them on your reels.
Note that some audios can take a while to reach on Instagram so be patient.
Reels Trends (US only)
I saved this for last because it’s a feature that I have not tested myself because it’s only available in the US (and via the mobile app) and VPN doesn’t seem to cut it for me.
There are two things with this feature
1. Trending sounds
Some creators have reported that if you are browsing reels and the reel is using a trending audio, you will see an arrow pointing up just before the sound name.
This indicates that the sound is trending. So keep a look out for this even if you are not in the US because the feature may be rolled out in other places soon.
2. Trending reels
Reels Trends is a feature that allows creators on Instagram to leverage trending reels so they can get inspired and create reels of their own.
To access this, you first must have a professional account.
Here is how you can access reel trends:
1. Head over to your profile page and click ‘Professional Dashboard’ and select ‘Reels Trends’ or you can tap the hamburger icon and select ‘Reels Trends’ from there.
2. You can now select reels from trending audio or trending hashtags.
Do The Sounds You Choose Matter?
Yes. The sounds you choose matter in different aspects. If you choose a trending sound, your reel may perform well and it may end up trending too. If you choose a sound that is trending in your niche, more accounts in your niche may also find you. And lastly, choosing a trending sound may be the reason other people find you because a lot of people sometimes browse reels from sounds. One thing to keep in mind is that sounds only help you when your reel (visuals) is already good. If your video is poor and does not appeal to people and attract their attention then no sound you choose will help you. It’s like this: Great video + Great sound = Potential viral reel Great video + Bad sound = Okay reel Bad video + Great sound = Bad reelIn the end, Instagram reels is a numbers game.
The more you post, the more you figure out what works and what does not. And at first it may seem that you are only focusing on the quantity but each iteration will also improve your quality
