How to Find Trending Audio for Facebook Reels

Using trending audio on your Facebook Reels isn't just a fun extra, it's a direct signal to the algorithm that your content is timely and relevant. Nail the audio, and you dramatically increase your chances of reaching new audiences. This guide will walk you through several practical methods for finding the perfect trending sounds for your next Reel.

Why Trending Audio Matters for the Facebook Algorithm

Before jumping into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." Social media algorithms, including Facebook's, are designed to show users content they're likely to enjoy and engage with. When a specific song or audio clip starts gaining an unusual amount of traction - getting lots of uses, shares, and views in a short period - the algorithm takes notice. It flags this audio as "trending."

By using that trending audio in your Reel, you're essentially attaching your video to a moving train. The algorithm already views the sound as a high-potential piece of an engaging content package. It understands that users are currently enjoying videos with this specific audio, so it becomes more likely to push your Reel to a wider audience outside of your existing followers. It’s one of the simplest ways to tap into ongoing conversations and increase your organic reach without spending a dime on ads.

Method 1: Using Facebook's Built-In Audio Finder

The most straightforward place to find trending audio is right inside the Facebook app as you're creating a Reel. Facebook has its own internal tools for flagging popular sounds, and learning to read the signals is your first step.

Let’s walk through the exact steps:

1. Start a New Reel: Open the Facebook app and tap the "+" icon to start creating a Reel. Upload or record your video clips.
2. Tap the 'Audio' Icon: On the right-hand editing menu, you'll see a music note icon labeled "Audio." Tap it.
3. Look for the Trending Arrow: This is the most obvious sign. In the list of recommended songs, Facebook will place a small, gray upward-pointing arrow (↗) next to sounds that are officially trending. These are your safest bets because Facebook is explicitly telling you, "Hey, people are using this right now!"
4. Scan the "For You" Section: This tab is an algorithmically curated list based on Reels you’ve watched, liked, and previously created. It's personalized, but it's often packed with audio that's either already trending or is on the verge of taking off within your niche.
5. Check the "Popular" Section: The "Popular" tab is a broader list of what's performing well on the platform. A word of caution: "Popular" doesn't always mean "currently trending." A song can be popular because it's an all-time classic, not because it's part of a current viral trend. Use this section for inspiration, but always cross-reference the selections with what you’re currently seeing in your feed.

Saving audio you find here is easy. If you come across a sound you like but aren't ready to use, just tap on the audio's name at the bottom of a Reel and hit the "Save audio" button. It will be stored in your "Saved" folder inside the audio library for later.

Method 2: Become a "Reel Researcher" in Your Feed

One of the best ways to find what’s trending is to do what you’re already doing: scrolling. The trick is to switch from passive consumption to active research. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day to intentionally study your Reels feed.

Here's how to turn scrolling into strategy:

• Identify Repetition: A sound isn’t a trend if you only hear it once. A true trend will appear repeatedly. If you hear the same audio clip three or more times within a short scrolling session, your trend-radar should go off. This is a very strong sign that the sound is picking up speed right now.
• Look for the On-Screen Trend Alert: Just like in the audio library, Facebook will often place the gray trending arrow (↗) right next to the audio's name at the bottom of the Reel in your feed. If you see that arrow, use that sound!
• Check the Reel Count: When you stumble upon a sound that you suspect is trending, tap on the audio's name. This will take you to the audio page, which shows how many Reels have been made with that sound. The total number isn't the most important metric, the momentum is. A sound with just 5,000 uses that seems to be popping up everywhere is often a better bet than a sound with 1 million uses from a months-old trend. Early adoption gives you a much bigger advantage.
• Always Save What You Find: Never rely on your memory or a random screenshot. When you find a promising sound, immediately tap on the audio and hit "Save audio." Create a mental backlog of 3-5 potential sounds so you're never scrambling for ideas when it's time to create.

Method 3: Check TikTok Before Everyone Else Does

It’s no secret: many of the massive trends that take over Reels start on TikTok first. Because TikTok's algorithm moves so lightning-fast, monitoring what's happening there gives you a preview of what's likely coming to Facebook in the next few days or weeks. This is your chance to get ahead of the curve.

Don't just browse your "For You Page," though. Use TikTok's free data tools.

Your secret weapon is the TikTok Creative Center:

1. Go to the TikTok Creative Center: You can find this with a simple Google search. You do not need an account to access trends.
2. Click on "Trend Intelligence": Navigate to the "Songs" section.
3. Filter the Data: This is where the magic happens. You can filter the top-trending songs by region (e.g., United States), timeframe (e.g., "Last 7 Days"), and whether they're newly trending ("New to Top 100") or have been around a while ("Breakout"). Focusing on breakout tracks in the last week gives you the most actionable information.
4. Find It on Facebook Reels: Once you've identified a promising song on the TikTok chart, open your Facebook app. Go to the audio library and search for the song title and artist. If it’s available and has the trending arrow, you've struck gold. You can now use a sound that's data-proven to be viral on one platform and is officially flagged as trending on another.

Note for businesses: Always be mindful of music licensing. While trending songs are great for reach, business accounts should prioritize using music from Facebook's Sound Collection or pre-cleared commercial libraries to avoid copyright issues.

Method 4: Look for More Than Just Pop Music

When you hear "trending audio," your mind probably jumps to the latest pop hit. But some of the most viral Reels use sounds that aren't music at all. Keep an ear out for these types of sounds:

• Original Voiceovers: A person telling a funny story, sharing a relatable thought, or giving a unique opinion. These "original audio" clips often spark trends where other creators lip-sync or apply the sound to their own situation.
• Film or TV Show Clips: A hilarious or iconic line from a movie or TV show can become the foundation for a meme format. For example, a clip of a character saying, "It's not that serious," can be used by creators to show situations where they overreacted.
• Comedy Skits: Short audio skits from comedians or other creators provide perfect templates for re-enactments or relatable content.

These non-music trends are valuable because they often come with a built-in format or prompt, which can jumpstart your creativity and make content creation even faster. The best way to find these is simply by paying attention as you're scrolling your feed.

Method 5: Let Trend-Spotting Accounts Do the Hard Work

Finally, a great low-effort strategy is to follow other creators who specialize in finding trends for you. There's a growing community of social media educators and content strategists who post weekly updates on trending Reels audio.

Simply go to the search bar within Instagram or Facebook Reels and search for terms like:

• "Trending audio this week"
• "Reels song ideas"
• "Viral sounds"

Find a few accounts whose style you like and follow them. They will hand-deliver trends directly to your feed, often complete with ideas on how to use them. Just remember that by the time an audio trend is reported in a round-up post, thousands of others are seeing it too. For the best results, combine this method with your own active research.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right audio for your Reels isn't about aimlessly scrolling for hours, it's about having a system. By using Facebook's built-in tools, actively researching your feed, keeping an eye on TikTok, and leaning on trend-spotting accounts, you can consistently find sounds that give your content the best possible chance to be seen.

We know that consistently creating and scheduling great content is the secret to real brand growth on social media. After spending countless hours juggling old-school tools that were built for a different social media era, we at Postbase designed a platform that makes modern workflows simple. Once you’ve found that perfect trending audio and video combo, we help you plan it in a visual calendar, schedule it across all your short-form video platforms, and track its performance in a clean analytics dashboard. You handle the creating, we'll handle the rest.