Facebook Launches Instagram Reels Worldwide

On 5th August 2020, Facebook officially announced that they are launching Instagram Reels, a new way to create and share 15-second TikTok-like videos, globally including the United States. As TikTok is facing an uncertain future in the United States, Instagram tries to lure the US TikTok audience by launching this new feature which is a direct competitor to TikTok. The feature has been launched in more than 50 countries including the US, UK, Japan, India, Brazil, France, Australia and several others.

Instagram Reels

Allowing users to record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools, Instagram Reels invite you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. It also allows users to share these videos with their followers on Feed. If a user has a public account, then making the videos available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore, offer anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram. It helps your videos to get discovered in Reels and users can receive even more exposure on a global stage.

Sharing many of the same features as TikTok, Reels is poised to offer strong competition to TikTok, which is currently the fastest growing social media app.

How To:

Create Reels

To create a Reel, you need to

1. Open the Instagram camera.

2. Select Reels at the bottom of the screen.

3. On the left side of your screen, you will be able to see a variety of creative editing tools that includes:

• Audio:  You can search for a song from the Instagram music library or record your own audio. People can create reels with your audio by selecting “Use Audio” from your reel, if you have a public account.
• AR Effects:  You can select one of the many effects in effect gallery and can record multiple clips with different effects.
• Timer and Countdown:  You can set the timer to record clips hands-free.
• Align:  You need to line up objects from your previous clip prior to recording your next clip.
• Speed: You can speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected.

4. After selecting your desired tool, start recording by pressing and holding the capture button.

5. A progress indicator at the top of the screen will be displayed as you record.

6. To end each clip, stop recording.

It is possible to create Reels by recording a series of clips, all together, or using video uploads from your camera roll.

Share a Reel

 

A user – whether they have a public or private account – can share reels with their followers or get discovered by the larger Instagram community in Explore.

1. Users with a Public Account: They can share their Reels to a dedicated space in Explore, where it has the chance to be seen and discovered by the wider Instagram community. Such users can also share their Reels with their followers by posting it to their Feed.

NOTE: When a user with a public account shares Reels featuring certain songs, hashtags, or effects, their reel may additionally appear on dedicated pages when someone clicks on that particular song, hashtag, or effect.

2. Users with a Private Account: They can share their Reels with their Feed, making it available to only their followers.  Reels follow your privacy settings on Instagram and will not let people use original audio from your reels, and share your reels with others who don’t follow you.

After creating your Reel, you can move it to the share screen. Once a Reel is shared, it will be added to a separate Reels tab on your profile.  

Instagram Reels Vs Tiktok:

TikTok is a standalone app, while Instagram Reels is a new feature built into the existing Instagram app so that users don’t have to install or sign up for. Instagram users can access Reels by updating the app.

Future of Instagram Reels

As Instagram Reels have a built-in user base, there is a higher chance that it will be widely adopted. In addition, it has the potential to bring back people who use TikTok more frequently than Instagram these days. Instagram hopes that the addition of Reels is likely to increase the daily time spent with the app. The people who use Instagram daily may find themselves using it even more. When people spend more time using the app, the advertisers start to advertise more on Instagram. In the coming days, Instagram will be the only place where people can get their fix of TikTok-like content.

Time will reveal how Instagram Reels will become widely adopted or not. Because, Instagram had a history of launching features such as IGTV, which failed to reach a mass audience. But it also has some successful features such as Stories – a Snapchat inspired feature, which also managed to become one of the most important components of the app. 

So create your own Reel or discover an entertaining selection of reels made by anyone on Instagram and enjoy it!!!