Instagram is adding a dedicated audio tab for finding music clips on Reels.
The new tab will make it easier to search for audio within the Instagram app. When you search on Instagram, you can select the new ‘Audio’ tab to search for music. You can tap on a track to see a list of Reels that have sampled the song.
The feature is a near 1:1 copy of TikTok’s ‘Sounds’ tab, which should come as no surprise. Facebook is working overtime to replicate the TikTok experience on Instagram. But the focus on replicating TikTok’s success with video is driving away Instagram’s original audience – photographers.
Facebook’s Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri admitted the platform is going all-in on video.
“We’re also going to be experimenting with how do we embrace video more broadly – full screen, immersive, entertaining, mobile-first video,” Mosseri says. “You’ll see us do a number of things, or experiment with a number of things in this space over the coming months. We’re no longer a photo-sharing app,” he added.
Turns out those experiments appear to be replicating TikTok features wholesale. Who knew. The new audio tab will make it easier for songs to be featured on the platform, which is also the point.
How to Use Instagram Audio Tab Search
- Open the Instagram app on your device.
- Tap on the ‘Explore’ tab.
- Tap on the search bar to begin a search.
- Switch to the ‘Audio’ tab for audio results.
- Tap on any result to see the song’s audio page.
Reels that utilize the track will always be featured on the track’s page. It’s a genius idea that turns music into a social experience for those who want it. Facebook and Instagram are hoping those TikTok viral moments like the skateboarding Fleetwood Mac lover will be happening on Reels instead of TikTok.
But alienating the core audience of your social network isn’t a great way to build goodwill. Most of the younger generation is also extremely wary of anything owned by Facebook, though TikTok should be just as much of a concern for the privacy-minded.
I have updated Instagram and the software and I still can’t see an audio tab … any advise?