In an effort to stay relevant against ‘the clock app’, Instagram has added the ability for users to pair music with a 2D image.
Instagram says:
“Music is a huge part of expression on Instagram, and we’re excited to provide the ability to add music to Feed photo posts, like you can with Reels and Stories. No matter which format works best to tell your story, you can now add a soundtrack to your favorite photo moments to bring them to life.”
You will now see an ‘Add Music’ button when you post to the platform. Users will be able to search for a track in a library of options, choosing between 5 and 90 second segments. This new feature will give users the ability to further express their personal identity in 2D posts. Unfortunately the limitations that exist for businesses utilizing sounds for reels and stories will remain in place for these 2D posts. Businesses will still only be able to choose from licensed tracks in Meta’s Sound Collection.
It’s no surprise that audio has been the center of most social media platform developer’s attention when it comes to new features. TikTok’s success can be largely attributed to their innovative use of sounds and music. This new feature is one of many sound related options that have surfaced in 2022. Instagram has also added music sharing in private messages as well as speculating on adding music to user profiles. The later option has not been added- yet.
Will these new audio features bring user’s attention from video back to the image based interface of the past? Probably not. Still, it’s worth considering adding this new audio feature next time you post a 2D image on Instagram.
