How to Find Trending Audio on Instagram
As a social media coach for female entrepreneurs, a huge part of my job is creating strategic content for my clients. This includes developing their content pillars, discovering their ideal clients, teaching them what content to film, and what audio to use! This blog is focusing on that last part. That’s right, I’m going to teach you how to find trending audio on Instagram so you can increase visibility on your posts and land in front of the right people! Consider this your Instagram audio crash course.
Ready, set, go.
Why Trending Audio is Important
Have you noticed how every single reel on the explore page uses the same audio sometimes? This is because trending audio can increase the reach and visibility of posts by tapping into patterns the algorithm already favors. It’s especially helpful for getting your content in front of non-followers.
HOWEVER.
Using trending audio is not a make-or-break thing. If your content isn’t great, trending audio isn’t going to make it magically perform well. The opposite is true, too. If you have great content, but don’t pick the absolutely perfect piece of audio, it’s not going to tank your reach. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive into the how.
How to Find Trending Audio on Instagram
There are a few ways to find the best trending audio for your content. The first is pretty simple: Go to your profile → professional dashboard → tips + resources → trending audio.
The second way (my personal favorite) is less direct but more impactful. Go to the reels tab and see what people are actually using. Sometimes you’ll stumble across a clip you really love. You can save audio by tapping the little square in the bottom right corner of the post (it’s beneath the like, comment, and share icons) until you have a piece of content that works well with it! Then, when you want to use it, you go to your saved folders by entering your profile → hitting the three lines in the top right corner → going to the “how to use Instagram” section → audio folder!
A lot of social media managers have lists of rules about how to pick your trending audio, but I’m here to make content easy, not more overwhelming. My rule? Pick an audio you like that matches the vibe of your content. That’s it. Don’t pick a slow song to go with a high-energy video clip and vice versa. Find things that work well together and—as much as you can—don’t overthink it.
How to Use Trending Audio
There isn’t a single “best” way to use trending audio, but I usually recommend pairing simple b-roll reels with text on-screen and a few seconds of an audio clip. Because, unless you’re following a specific trend or lip-syncing with your audio, the audio isn’t really the focus; your message is. You must pair trending audio with clear messaging, educational text, or relatable content that appeals to your ideal clients. B-roll, behind-the-scenes clips, and simple visuals perform best with trending audio because they keep attention on your message while benefiting from the audio’s reach. Just remember, your post needs to make sense even with the sound off!
But other than that, there really are no rules. I even add audio to carousels because they can show up in the reels tab and potentially reach more non-followers. Trending audio works best when it fits you and your style. Don’t use a song that you hate just because it’s trending. If an audio doesn’t feel the way you want your brand to feel, you don’t need it! Consistency and clarity are better for your business than any trending audio could be.
Want Me to Find Trending Audio For You?
When it comes to promoting your brand on social media, there are always more things you could be doing to increase your reach. Most of the women I talk to feel like they’re running around in circles, trying to follow these one-size-fits-all Instagram strategies, and never seeing any results.
That’s why I developed The Booked & Balanced Content Calendar. This personal, easy-to-implement content strategy is designed around you, and gives you everything you need to post clear, compelling, and consistent content. And yes, it includes direct links to trending audio that will both increase your reach and feel authentic to your brand.
If you’re ready to stop dreading Instagram, we need to chat. Fill out the form on my contact page to tell me what you hate most about Instagram, and get excited about the future of your marketing—because I promise, it doesn’t need to suck so bad.
