How to Find Audio on Instagram

The right audio can turn a good Instagram Reel into a great one, but finding the perfect sound often feels like a guessing game. From trending tracks to specific songs, the feature is there, but not always in the most obvious places. This guide will walk you through every method for finding audio on Instagram, so you can spend less time searching and more time creating content that connects.

Finding Audio Directly in the Reels Editor

The most straightforward way to add sound to your content is right inside the Reels creation screen. This is your go-to method for quickly browsing recommended and trending tracks without leaving your workflow.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open the Reels Editor: From your Instagram home screen, swipe right to open the camera, and select "REEL" at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you can tap the "+" icon at the top of your screen and choose "Reel."
2. Access the Audio Library: On the left side of the screen, you'll see a toolbar with several icons. Tap the music note icon labeled "Audio." This will open up Instagram's full music library.
3. Browse the Recommendations: Once in the library, you'll see a few tabs designed to help you discover music:
   • For You: This section is powered by Instagram’s algorithm. It suggests sounds based on Reels you’ve watched, liked, and saved, as well as the content you typically create. It’s a great starting point if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
   • New Releases: Here you can find the latest popular tracks added to the platform.
   • Original Audio: This tab surfaces popular audio clips created by other users on Instagram. This is where you'll find lots of trending voice-overs, funny sounds, and remixes.
4. Search for Something Specific: If you have a particular song or artist in mind, use the search bar at the top of the audio library. Simply type in the song title, artist name, or even a relevant keyword. The results will show you all matching tracks available in the library.
5. Select and Trim Your Audio: Once you tap on a song, it will open in an editor where you can scrub through the track to find the exact clip you want to use. Reels can be up to 90 seconds long, so you can select the portion of the song that best fits your video. Drag the timeline at the bottom to find your perfect segment, then tap "Done" to add it to your Reel.

Pro Tip: If you are using a Business Account on Instagram, your music library may be limited to royalty-free tracks to protect you from copyright issues. You won't have access to many popular, commercial songs that are available to Creator or Personal accounts. This is intentional. The methods below, like saving audio and using original sounds, can help you work around this limitation.

Leveraging Trends by Finding Audio from Other Reels

Scrolling your Reels feed is more than just entertainment - it’s market research. The fastest way to find timely, trending audio clips is by grabbing them directly from other high-performing posts. Instagram makes it easy to see what’s popular and use it for yourself.

How to Identify and Use Trending Audio:

1. Scroll Your Reels Feed: Spend some time browsing Reels. As you scroll, pay attention to the audio being used. A recurring sound is a strong sign that it's trending. Instagram also adds a small, upward-pointing arrow icon next to the audio name on some Reels to officially label it as a "trending" sound.
2. Go to the Audio Page: When you find a Reel with a sound you like, look at the bottom left of the screen. You'll see the name of the song or "Original audio" scrolling. Tap on it.
3. Explore the Audio Page: This will take you to a dedicated page for that specific sound. Here you can see who created the original audio, how many other Reels have used it, and a grid of top-performing videos featuring the sound. This page is a goldmine for inspiration, as you can see how other creators are interpreting the trend.
4. 'Use audio' or 'Save audio': From the audio page, you have two options:
   • Use audio: Tap this button to immediately open the Reels camera with the audio pre-loaded. You can start recording your own video on the spot.
   • Save audio: This is the more powerful creative strategy. Tap the bookmark icon to save the audio to your personal library. This allows you to collect trending sounds as you discover them, building a list of ideas to use later when you're ready to create content.

Consistently saving audio as you scroll is one of the most efficient habits for a social media manager or creator. It turns passive scrolling into an active part of your content planning process.

Building Your Sound Library: How to Access Your Saved Audio

Once you’ve started saving sounds, you need to know how to find them. Your "Saved" folder acts as your private inspiration board, ready for you whenever a new content idea strikes.

Accessing Your Saved Collection:

1. Open the Reels Editor: Start creating a new Reel by swiping right from your home feed or tapping the "+" icon.
2. Go to the Audio Library: Tap the "Audio" icon on the left-hand toolbar.
3. Find Your 'Saved' Folder: At the top of the music library screen, next to the search bar, you'll see a "Saved" button. Tap it.
4. Browse Your Library: This screen will show you every single audio clip you’ve bookmarked. You can scroll through your collection and tap on any sound to add it to the Reel you’re currently editing. It’s organized chronologically, with your most recently saved audio at the top.

By building a robust saved audio library, you’ll never find yourself stuck wondering what sound to use next. Get in the habit of saving 5-10 interesting sounds every day you scroll the app.

Precision Searching with the Main Search Bar

Sometimes you need to find a specific sound that isn't appearing in your "For You" recommendations or in the in-editor search. Instagram's main search function on the Explore page provides a more powerful and targeted way to find what you’re looking for.

How It Works:

1. Go to the Explore Page: From your home feed, tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Use the Search Bar: At the top of the Explore page, tap the search bar.
3. Enter Your Search Query: Type in a song title, artist, or a descriptive keyword. For example, you could search "Taylor Swift," "calm morning vibe," or "trending meme audio."
4. Filter by 'Audio': Below the search bar, you’ll see several filter tabs like "Top," "Accounts," "Tags," and "Audio." Tap on the "Audio" tab.
5. View the Results: Instagram will now show you a dedicated list of audio clips that match your search. You can tap on any result to visit its main audio page, where you can see how other people are using it, save it, or use it immediately.

This method is exceptionally helpful for locating specific clips or discovering audio based on a mood or theme rather than just a song title. It expands your discovery capabilities beyond what the algorithm serves up by default.

Thinking Outside the App: Finding Trends on TikTok

To really stay ahead of the curve, you need to know that many Instagram trends don't actually start there. TikTok is often the source of new challenges, meme formats, and viral sounds. A sound that is peaking on TikTok today will likely be a top trending sound on Reels in a week or two.

How to Spot Cross-Platform Trends:

• Watch for Repetition: Spend 15 minutes scrolling your TikTok "For You" Page. If you hear the same sound attached to different videos multiple times in a short session, that audio is trending.
• Search for the Sound on Instagram: Once you've identified a popular TikTok sound, hop over to Instagram. Most popular songs are available on both platforms. Use the main search bar and filter by "Audio" to find the official version on Instagram.
• Be an Early Adopter: By using the sound on your Reels before it becomes fully saturated on Instagram, you position your content to be seen by users who are just starting to discover the trend. It shows your audience that your brand is in touch with current culture.

Being an active user on both platforms gives you a significant advantage. You can anticipate what will become popular on Instagram by paying attention to what is already popular on TikTok.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right audio for your Instagram Reels is a core part of creating relevant, engaging content that performs well. By mastering the Reels audio library, saving sounds from other creators, and using the main search function, you can build a flexible workflow that helps you quickly match the perfect sound to any video. Don't be afraid to pull inspiration from outside platforms like TikTok to catch trends before they peak.

We know that finding the perfect audio is just one part of a successful content strategy. Planning, scheduling, and analyzing your video content across all social platforms is another huge piece of the puzzle. That’s why we built Postbase with a video-first approach, so you can easily manage and schedule your Reels, TikToks, and Shorts from one visual calendar. It keeps your accounts connected reliably and ensures your posts publish on time, every time, without turning your workflow into a chore.