The debate surrounding whether Instagram’s algorithm favors original audio or trending sounds in Reels discovery is multifaceted. Both audio approaches can significantly enhance your content’s reach, but each serves distinct strategic purposes.
Let’s first explore trending sounds. Incorporating a popular or trending audio snippet enables your content to join a larger, ongoing discourse on the platform. The algorithm aims to display content aligned with user preferences, including trending audio. By utilizing a trending sound, you heighten the likelihood of your Reel being presented to a wide audience actively engaging with videos featuring that specific sound. This tactic is potent for discoverability and can be pivotal in propelling a video to viral status.
On the other hand, original audio holds its own appeal. Crafting a Reel with unique audio, such as an original voiceover, personalized music, or a distinctive sound effect, establishes your content as original and exclusive. Should your original audio gain traction and other creators incorporate it in their Reels, your username receives credit on all those videos. This recognition can drive substantial traffic and attract new, highly relevant followers to your profile. It serves as a robust method for bolstering brand authority and potentially initiating a trend of your own, rather than solely engaging with existing trends.
The algorithm does not inherently prioritize one audio type over the other universally. Viewer engagement is the pivotal factor it emphasizes. A Reel featuring a trending sound that lacks quality execution or relevance to the audio may underperform compared to a Reel with compelling original audio that garners high watch time, comments, shares, and saves.
Many creators find success with a blend of both approaches. Leveraging trending sounds allows for engagement in prevalent cultural moments and amplifies visibility to a broad audience. This can be complemented by crafting content with original audio to showcase expertise, fortify brand identity, and carve out a unique presence on the platform.
In essence, neither approach is definitively superior for expanding reach. Trending sounds offer broad discovery routes, while original audio aids in brand development and forging a distinct discovery path. The optimal choice hinges on the specific objective of each Reel, with viewer engagement remaining the primary determinant of success.
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Sean