Instagram is continuing to tweak its Reels format to give it better visibility. Faced with the rising popularity of TikTok, Facebook's visually-focused social network has just modified its interface. From now on, users will be able to search directly for audio content. An option that looks very similar to "Sounds" on the Chinese-owned platform.
By going to the "search" tab on the Instagram app, users will be able to discover a new section. As of now, a music key symbol appears alongside the "top," "accounts," "tags" and "places" icons.
This new filter will make it easier for users to find a popular song on the platform. By selecting a song, it will be possible to discover associated Reels as well as to save it at the same time to better locate it when creating a Reel. A button at the bottom of the screen even invites users to "use the audio content" without further delay while displaying the most popular Reel videos. A good way to find inspiration and discover a trend associated with a song on the platform.
By offering audio search, Instagram isn't hiding its intention of promoting its Reels tool on its platform. A way to boost the use of this new format which competes more directly with the format of its Chinese rival, TikTok, which was the most downloaded application in the world in 2020, ahead of Facebook.
Yet in wanting to go toe to toe with TikTok, Instagram continues to introduce features that already have an existing, equivalent option on the Chinese application. Indeed audio-based search has been available on Tiktok since its launch. Of course, things go both ways, and nothing seems to be stopping TikTok from taking the same tack on its side. Recently, that community platform launched a test for creating Stories.
Instagram also recently unveiled new features in order to provide better protection for its users against cyber-bullying and harassment.
