How Instagram identifies your audio
There are three ways to set the audio on a Reel you schedule in Sked Social. The one you choose decides whether your Reel links to a track's audio page, which affects how it's discovered.
|
Option |
How it works |
Links to the track's audio page |
Publishes automatically |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pick audio in Sked Social |
Choose a track in the audio picker when you schedule |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Audio already in your video |
Instagram tries to recognize the sound in your file |
Only if Instagram recognizes it |
Yes |
|
Add audio in the Instagram app |
Schedule a notification post, then add the track on your phone |
Yes |
No |
Pick audio inside Sked Social
This is the most reliable way to link your Reel to a trending or licensed track. Choose the track in the audio picker, then use the volume sliders to balance it against your video's own sound. You can find a full walkthrough of how this works here!
The picker works on Reels only and shows the music Meta licenses for third-party apps. If your track isn't there, use one of the other two options.
Audio already in your video
If you edited your Reel in Premiere, CapCut, Final Cut, the Sked Social video editor, or any other editing tool, the audio is part of the file. Instagram listens to it and tries to match it to a track in its library. One of two things happens.
Instagram recognizes it. Your Reel links to that track's audio page, including trending tracks. This works best when:
- The track is popular or trending
- You haven't changed its pitch or speed or added heavy effects
- The audio is clean and the track is easy to hear
Instagram doesn't recognize it. Instagram creates a new audio called "Original audio – @yourusername" and your Reel won't link to an existing audio page. This usually happens when:
- The track is heavily mixed or layered with sound effects or voiceover
- The source track isn't in Instagram's library
Original audio isn't a bad thing. It's the right result for voiceovers and your own sound.
Add audio in the Instagram app
For a track that isn't in the Sked Social library, schedule a notification post. At post time you'll get a push notification, open Instagram from Sked Social, add the track, and post. You can find more on this here!