How to Find Trending Audio on Instagram

Using the right audio on your Instagram Reels can dramatically boost your visibility and help you connect with a massive audience. That's because Instagram’s algorithm often pushes content that features popular, trending sounds. This guide provides actionable steps and clever strategies to help you find the best trending audio for your next viral Reel.

Why Bother With Trending Audio Anyway?

You might wonder if it’s worth the effort. The short answer: absolutely. When you use a sound that's gaining traction, you’re essentially tapping into a pre-existing conversation. Your Reel gets shown to people who are already engaging with that sound, giving you a powerful shortcut to new followers and more engagement.

Think of it like this:

• Increased Reach: The algorithm knows users enjoy content with these sounds, so it shows your Reel to a wider audience beyond your followers.
• Cultural Relevance: Hopping on a trend shows that you’re “in the know” and your brand is current and relatable.
• Idea Generation: Sometimes, the audio itself can inspire your next content idea, lifting that creative block.

Convinced? Good. Let's get into the practical ways to find these sounds.

Method 1: Find Trends Directly Inside the Instagram App

Your best starting point is often the Instagram app itself. It leaves plenty of clues about what’s popular. You just have to know where to look. Here are several techniques you can use while simply browsing the platform.

Spot the "Trending" Arrow

The simplest and most direct signal from Instagram is the trending arrow. This is a small, upward-pointing arrow that appears next to the audio name at the bottom of a Reel.

If you see that arrow, it means the audio is currently on the rise in popularity. It's Instagram's way of explicitly telling you, "Hey, people are loving this sound right now!" This is a direct sign that using this audio could get your content a little extra algorithmic love.

How to use this information: As you're scrolling through your Reels feed, keep an eye out for this symbol. When you see it on a sound that fits your style, tap the audio name and hit "Save Audio." This adds it to your collection so you can easily find it later when you’re ready to create.

Actively Research Your Reels Feed

Your "Reels" tab is more than just entertainment - it's a powerful research tool. Instead of scrolling passively, start scrolling with a purpose. Pay attention to see what patterns you notice. Ask yourself:

• What sounds are you hearing repeatedly? If you hear the same song or audio clip three or four times within a 10-minute scroll session, that's a strong indicator that it's trending.
• Are creators in your niche using a specific sound? A sound that’s trending among other business coaches, potters, or book reviewers is a perfect fit for your own content. Join the conversation happening in your community.
• Are there challenges or specific video formats linked to the audio? Sometimes, a trend isn't just about the sound but also an accompanying on-screen format (like pointing to text bubbles or a specific dance).

By spending just 15-20 minutes a day actively listening on your Reels feed, you'll develop a natural instinct for what's about to become popular.

Check the Audio Page for Usage Numbers

When you discover a sound - either through the trending arrow or by hearing it repeatedly - tap the song title at the bottom of the Reel. This will take you to the main "Audio Page" dedicated to that sound.

This page gives you a snapshot of the audio's popularity. Right at the top, you'll see a count of how many Reels have been created with that audio. This number gives you important context:

• Low Usage (Under 5,000 Reels): This could be a new, emerging sound. If you get in early, you have a chance to be one of the first creators associated with the trend, which can lead to huge viral potential. But it's also a gamble - the sound might not take off.
• Medium Usage (10,000 - 100,000 Reels): This is often the sweet spot. The sound is proven to be popular, and the trend is in full swing. This is a great, relatively safe place to jump in.
• High Usage (200,000+ Reels): The audio is wildly popular but may be becoming saturated. Using it can still get you good reach, but it will be harder to stand out from the crowd. Try to bring a totally unique angle if you’re using a sound this big.

Explore the Reels Templates

Instagram has made it easier than ever to join trends with its "Use Template" feature. Many trends are now linked to pre-edited templates that sync your video clips to beats in the music.

When creating a new Reel, look for a "Templates" tab at the top of your screen. Browse through the recommended templates. Instagram often showcases templates that are currently trending, giving you both the popular audio and the popular editing format in one go. It's a fantastic way to create a polished, on-trend Reel fast.

Method 2: Look Outside of Instagram to Get Ahead of the Curve

The biggest trends on Instagram rarely start on Instagram. If you want to be an early adopter instead of just a follower, you need to know where sounds originate. This lets you catch a trend at the very beginning of its lifecycle.

Pay Attention to TikTok

There's no way around it: TikTok sets the trends. Most of the aural trends that blow up on Reels spend weeks or even months building steam on TikTok first. Sounds, memes, and audio clips almost always crossover.

Your TikTok "For You Page" (FYP) is a real-time trend forecast for what's coming to Instagram. If a sound starts popping up all over your FYP, it’s only a matter of time before it migrates to Reels. If you find a buzzworthy sound on TikTok, save it or search for it on Instagram. By using it on a Reel before it's everywhere, you position yourself as a trendsetter.

Check Music Charts Like Spotify and Billboard

Pop culture is another massive engine for trending sounds. Songs climbing the Billboard Hot 100 or appearing on Spotify's "Viral 50" playlist are strong candidates for future Reel trends.

Think about songs accompanying recent movie- or TV series releases (like from a new Netflix hit show), newly released albums from major artists, or songs that just have a catchy, viral "moment." These songs are often perfect for montages, tutorials, and lifestyle content. Keeping an ear on what's commercially popular is an easy way to find sounds with a wide, universal appeal.

How to Use Trending Audio the Right Way

Finding the audio is just the first step. To make it work, you need to use it in a way that feels authentic to your brand and offers value to your audience.

Put Your Own Spin on the Trend

This is the most important part. Don’t just copy what everyone else is doing. The magic happens when you adapt a trend to your unique niche.

A trend where users show off their outfits with an audio can be adapted by:

• A graphic designer showing off their 'outfits' of typography pairings.
• A mechanic showing the "outfits" of different types of lug nuts for cars.
• A baker showing off their buttercream piping tip collection.

This approach is powerful because it uses the familiarity of a trend to showcase your unique expertise. It’s relatable and niche at the same time.

Save Audios for a Rainy Day

You won’t always have a great idea the moment you discover a new audio. Get in the habit of saving every sound you come across that you might want to use in the future. In any Reel, just tap the audio title and then tap the "Save Audio" button.

This builds a library of pre-approved sounds. When you’re feeling inspired to create a Reel, you can head straight to your "Saved Audio" folder (go to your profile ->, menu ->, Saved ->, Audio) and pick one without having to search from scratch. This small habit makes the content creation process so much smoother.

Final Thoughts

Finding trending audio is a skill that blends observation, research, and a dash of intuition. By actively listening while scrolling Instagram, looking for trends on TikTok, and always saving sounds that catch your ear, you'll build an audio library that helps your content reach the audiences it deserves.

Having a bank of great sounds is one thing, but consistently planning and scheduling your video content is what truly drives growth. We built Postbase specifically for the way social media works today - with a strong focus on short-form video. Our visual calendar makes it easy to map out your Reels in advance, and our rock-solid scheduler ensures your content goes live exactly when it’s supposed to, so you never miss the peak of a trend again.