Mastering Music In Instagram Reels

The only drawback of this marketing tool is that some business accounts have struggled to overcome the obstacle of adding “real” music to their reels. The main reason for this is the murky waters of copyrighted music. Businesses are not legally permitted to use the work of music artists for profit, hence why Instagram won’t provide you with that option. Don’t fret, though! There are plenty of ways around it, so long as you employ your creativity. Here are 3 things you can do to include music in your Instagram Reels:

Create your own audio

Your reels don’t have to include a song from the Top 40 Music Charts to garner attention. There’s nothing stopping you from recording your own audio. In fact, having catchy or useful original audio may be a great way to gain new followers. Allowing followers to hear your voice will help them to make a human connection with you, thus resulting in a more personal connection to your business/brand. You could update your followers on new products or offers coming up, provide your own spin on current trends, or give your customers an insight into your business (i.e. behind the scenes footage, or the process of creating a product). If you are a business specialising in skincare products, perhaps you could use audio of yourself describing the footage of a moisturiser being made, where you sourced the ingredients, and how these ingredients are beneficial for certain skin types. Perhaps you could showcase your product being used by a customer as you tell them the step-by-step instructions. 

Recategorise your account 

If you truly feel that your business will benefit from having access to music made by artists, there is the option of turning your business account into a “Creator” one. By doing this, you would gain access to the music feature, but it may not be your best bet. You would still be a business using someone else’s work which is (again) a copyrighting issue and, on rare occasions, could lead to legal action. The good news, however, is that Instagram Reels has a wide collection of original audios you can choose from, and those options will continue to expand. Another thing to consider if thinking about changing to a Creator account is the fact that you will lose API access. This means you won’t be able to use third-party tools for scheduling or analytics and will no longer have access to Facebook Creator Studio for managing Instagram from your desktop.

Treat your reels like a TikTok 

Though they have their differences, TikTok and Instagram Reels share a lot of similarities. With this in mind, you can utilise other people’s original audios for your business, the same way those on TikTok can. If you click on a user’s audio, it will display other users who have taken the sound for themselves which proves that it is more than okay to use it. Find audio that is applicable to the content of your reel, has an upwards arrow displayed (which shows that it is trending) and you’ll be good to go!

If you need any assistance breathing life into your Instagram Reels, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Cheshire Cat Marketing. We specialise in helping small to medium-sized businesses grow their brand and following, providing services ranging from managing your social media and SEO to website design and paid ads.