Instagram officially adds Audio search tab on Reels

The tool enables users to search for audio within the app using keywords. Users can tap on a song to display a list of Reels that have sampled the song. The tab will also make it easier for songs to be featured on the platform.

To use Instagram Audio Tab Search, users can open the Instagram app on their device, tap on the Explore tab and begin a search on the search bar. They can then switch to the Audio tab for audio results, and tap on any result to view the song’s audio page. The feature is similar to short-form video service TikTok’s Sounds tab.

In July, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said the platform was working to bolster its services with more diverse features, including video.

“We’re also going to be experimenting with how do we embrace video more broadly: full screen, immersive, entertaining, mobile-first video,” he said. “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.”

The new audio search tool offers one more way for users to engage with music and could enhance the social experience on the platform. In May, Instagram started providing insights for Reels and Live in the app to help more creators make the most of their opportunities.

However, the platform’s focus on video has left some photographers feeling alienated, with several of them moving to Twitter to share their work and build communities.

“In my eyes, Instagram stopped caring about artists and independent creators a long time ago,“ photographer Bryan Minear told Digital Photography Review in early July. “I have been a huge supporter of Twitter since the beginning, and found a thriving photography community here around 2019, when I began to pursue it as my primary social media outlet.”