Instagram Rolls Out Multitrack Audio; Lets Users Add Up to 20 Tracks to a Single Reel

With this new feature, users can incorporate up to 20 different audio tracks into a single Reel. Additionally, they can add a variety of elements, like stickers, texts, and clips, while editing Reels directly in the Instagram app.

Instagram Head Adam Mosseri announced this in a post on Threads, stating “When you do this, you’ll also create your own unique audio mix that fans can save and reuse.”

Previously, creators were limited to only one audio track per Reel, having had a restricted ability to layer music, sound effects, voiceovers, and adding other audio elements. The multitrack audio feature now allows users to enhance their Reels with a combination of texts, clips, as well as videos, and thus drive a better user experience.

Adding multiple tracks to a Reel is easy and straightforward. While in the app, users can tap the new ‘Add to Mix’ button within the Reels editing button. There, they can select their desired tracks, trim specific options, and arrange them within the video. Once posted, users can see all the included tracks and have the option to ‘Use Audio Mix’ for their creations.

The launch of multitrack audio comes less than 2 years after Meta’s rollout of royalty-free music in October 2022. In its announcement, the company has highlighted the importance of audio for driving engagement. “Audio is also an important hook to drive Reels engagement. To make it easier for businesses to create Reels ads, we are rolling out free, high-quality songs from our Meta Sound Collection that can be added to Carousel Ads on Reels,” Meta explained at the time.

Now, it’s likely expected that the new feature will level up the Reels engagement even more, bolstering Instagram’s position over TikTok. This is not the first time Instagram has tried to directly compete with TikTok’s offering. In 2021, the platform released Reels Remix, mirroring TikTok’ popular Duet feature, which allows users to create video responses to an existing content.

So, will Instagram eventually surpass TikTok in popularity?