Here is a scenario many social media marketers are familiar with:
You are scrolling through your Instagram Reels analytics report, and you notice a few Reels that make you feel like the best marketer to ever exist. The number of plays on those Reels is way above your regular numbers.
When the euphoria wanes, your marketing guts begin to tell you the Reels did such numbers because of the sound you used, but guts hardly hold any water, especially to the people you are reporting to. You want to put this thesis you feel in your guts to the test and have the numbers to support it.
You decide to be more strategic with your upcoming reels and want to deliberately add trending sounds to some of your Reels to see the result.
How do you find these trending sounds? How do you know when a sound is already trending(or will soon start trending)? How do you find the perfect song that suits the mood of your reel or the message you are trying to pass across to your audience?
This article will answer all those questions. So let’s get right into it!
- Why you should use Trending songs in your Instagram Reels
- How to find trending Reels songs on Instagram? 5 places to find trending Instagram Reels songs
- Trending Instagram Reel songs by genres
- How to make Trending Reels on Instagram
- How to add music to Reels on Instagram
- How to save music from other Instagram Reels
- How to schedule your Reels with Sociality.io
Why you should use Trending songs in your Instagram Reels
Just in case you are caught in two minds as to the benefits of including trending sounds in your Reel, let’s get that sorted right away, so we can move on.
Using trending songs is how you put your best foot forward while waiting for the vehicle called virality to turbo-boost your Reel to the screen of thousands of your Instagram audience.
Here are some reasons why you should consider using trending songs in your Instagram Reels:
- Grab Attention: One of the key benefits of using trending songs in your Instagram Reels is that they instantly grab viewers’ attention. Music can evoke emotions and create a sense of familiarity, making it easier for people to connect with your content.
- Increase Reach: When you use a trending song in your Instagram Reel, your video has a higher chance of appearing in the “Featured Reels” section of Instagram’s Explore page. This can significantly increase your visibility and attract new followers to your page.
- Stay Relevant: Incorporating the latest music trends into your content shows your audience that you’re up to date with the latest trends and paying attention to what’s popular. This can help you build trust and credibility with your followers and keep them coming back for more.
- Increase Engagement: It would help you build engagement among your audience. When people enjoy a Reel, they’re more likely to like, comment, and share it with their followers. By using a popular song, you’re increasing the chances that people will enjoy your content and engage with it, leading to increased visibility and reach.
- Boost Brand Awareness: Using trending songs in your Instagram reels can help you increase your brand awareness on the platform. When people see and engage with your content, they’re more likely to remember your brand and share it with others.
How to find trending Reels songs on Instagram? 5 places to find trending Instagram Reels songs
Finding trending Instagram Reels songs can be a time-consuming and difficult process. But with the right resources and a little bit of effort, you can easily find the best songs for your Reels. Here are 5 places where you can find trending Reels songs on Instagram:
1. Instagram Explore Page
One of the best places to find trending songs for your Reels is on the Instagram Explore page. Here, you can discover the most popular songs people use in their Reels and get inspiration for songs to use in your own content.
Another way to manually scroll through Reels is to tap on the Reel icon at the bottom and scroll till you can no more.
While scrolling through different Reels, pay attention to an arrow sign right beside the audio name at the bottom left. The arrow button shows that the particular sound used in the Reel is trending.
For example, the audio used in this Reel has an arrow, and on taping on the audio itself, 14.2K Reels have used it. You can leverage trending sounds like this to get your Reel on the screen of many others.
2. Music Streaming Platforms
Popular music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music are great places to find trending Reel songs. These platforms feature the latest popular songs and often have special playlists dedicated to songs perfect for reels. Here are some playlists for you to see trending Instagram reel songs in 2024.
3. Instagram Creators account
Every Friday, the Instagram creators’ account posts a Reels trend report where you can monitor Reel trends, including songs and sounds that are hitting the waves on Instagram.
Accounts like this make your work easier. You can follow them and check their Reels trend report every Friday to keep up with the constantly changing trends.
4. Social media platforms like TikTok
Most trending sounds are born on TikTok before making their way to Instagram. You can put yourself one step ahead by searching for trending songs on TikTok and using them in your Reels on Instagram.
🔥 Bonus: TikTok vs. Instagram Reels
👉 Worth checking: Trends – All-in-one dashboard to keep up with multiple mediums with ease.
5. Instagram Reel influencers
Some accounts on Instagram do the hard work of constantly updating their followers with tips and trends for Instagram Reels. Some of such accounts you can follow include Reels Tips, Sej and Chitra.
6. Music Blogs & Websites
Music blogs and websites like FADER, Billboard, and Pitchfork are great resources for discovering the latest and greatest songs for your Reels. These sites often feature the latest songs being used by artists and content creators, making them great sources of inspiration for your own content.
Trending Instagram Reel songs by genres
The music you use in your Instagram Reels can heavily influence the engagement you get from your content. Different genres of music can evoke different emotions and create different responses from viewers. Here are the top trending Instagram reel songs by genre for 2024.
Chilled and Relaxing music for Instagram Reels
| Fleetwood Mac | Dreams |
| Stevie Wonder | Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) |
| Lord Huron | The Night We Met |
| Houndmouth | Sedona |
| Petit Biscuit | Midnight Sky |
| Wallows | Are You Bored Yet (ft. Cairo) |
| Weezer | Island In The Sun |
| Bronze Radio Return | Build A Stage |
| Jeremy Zucker | Comethru (feat. Bea Miller) |
| Jack Botts | I’ve Gott You |
| Dierks Bentley | Draw Me A Map |
| Lewis Watson | Little Light |
| Kodaline | All I Want |
| Ben Stevenson | Yellow Bird |
| Seafret | Oceans |
| Kaleo | Broken Bones |
| Lord Huron | Ends of the Earth |
| Lord Huron | When the Night is Over |
| Bronze Radio Return | There Will Be Another One |
| Iron & Wine | Autumn Town Leaves |
| Arizona | Nostalgic |
| Death Cab for Cutie | Meet Me On The Equinox |
| Death Cab for Cutie | Soul Meets Body |
| Bon Iver | Beach Baby |
| Vance Joy | Riptide |
| Bill Withers | Lovely Day |
| PREP | As It Was |
| Tollan Kim | Aesthetics |
| Earth, Wind & Fire | Fantasy |
| Adele | Easy on Me |
| Bob Marley | Three Little Birds |
| Rich Brian | History |
| Kauai45, Sweet Cocoa | Just the Two of Us |
| Adrian Berenguer | Little Things |
| The Beatles | Here Comes the Sun |
| Stevie Wonder | Isn’t She Lovely |
| Sam Sine | Que Sera Sera |
| George Benson | Breezin’ |
| Tundra Beats | Feel good |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | One Love / People Get Ready |
Relaxing instrumental music for Instagram Reels
| Toby Jacobs | River Flows In You |
| RY X | Body (Ambient) |
| Petite Biscuit | You |
| Petit Biscuit | Sunset Lover |
| Chinatown | Wild Nothing |
| Kina Grannis | Can’t Help Falling In Love |
| Ennio Maricone | Gabriel’s Oboe |
| Erik Satie | Satie/ Orch. Ducros: Gymnopedie No. 1 |
| Khruangbin | Friday Morning |
| Giacomo Puccini | Nessun Dorma |
| Original Audio | Nature Geography |
| John Williams | Prologue |
| David Lanz | Norwegian Rain |
| David Lanz | Cristorfori’s Dream |
| Joseph Angel | Empty Pack of Cigarettes |
| AWOLNATION | I’m On Fire |
| Danny Elfman | Did That Hurt? |
| Vaults | One Last Night |
| DeBussy | Claire de Lune |
| Chopin | Waltz No.7 |
| Beethoven | Fur Elise, WoO 59 |
| Mozart | Turkish March |
| Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky | Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op.74 |
| Chopin | Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major |
| Giuseppe Verdi | Rigoletto / act 3: “La Donna e Mobile” |
| Giacomo Puccini | Nessun Dorma |
| Toby Jacobs | River Flows in You (Piano Arrangement) |
| RY X | Body |
| Petite Biscuit | Sunset Lover |
| Khruangbin | Friday Morning |
| Abel Korzeniowski | Dance for Me Wallis |
| Patrick Watson | Je te aisserai des mots |
| Debussy | Claire de Lune |
| Vaults | One Last Night |
| David Lanz | Norwegian Rain |
Moody songs for Instagram Reels
| Joji | Slow Dancing in the Dark |
| Taylor Swift | Cardigan |
| Billie Eillish and Khalid | Lovely |
| The Weeknd | Earned it |
| Teddy Swims | I Can’t Make You Love Me |
| Kacey Musgraves | Lonely Weekend |
| Ellie Goulding | Love Me Like You Do |
| Sia | Salted Wound |
| Katie Gregson-Macleod | Complex (Demo) |
| Fletcher | Better Version |
| Montell Fish | And I’d Go a Thousand Miles |
| Harry Styles | Matilda |
| Billie Eilish | The 30th |
| Gayle | ABCDEFU |
| Joji | Glimpse of Us |
Fun trending songs on Instagram Reels
| Sam Smith | Fire on Fire |
| Surfaces | Sunday Best |
| Kid Travis | Mine |
| Pop Smoke | What You Know About Love |
| Ritt Momney | Put Your Records On |
| Joji | Gimme Love |
| Bruno Mars | Uptown Funk |
| Portugal. The Man | Feel It Still |
| Imagine Dragons | Believer |
| X Ambassadors | Renegades |
| Hearts & Colors | Lighthouse (Andrelli Remix) |
| THE WLDLIFE | Momma Told Me |
| John Mayer | New Light |
| Harry Styles | Watermelon Sugar |
| Luke Bryan | One Margarita |
| Jordan Davis | Almost Maybes |
| Curtis Waters | Stunnin (feat. Harm Franklin) |
| Claire Rosenkranz | Backyard Boy |
| Thomas Rhett | Dance With Me |
| Morgan Wallen | 7 Summers |
| Big Sean | Wolves (feat. Post Malone) |
| Arizona Zervas | Nightrider |
| Daya | First Time |
| Hailee Steinfeld | Capital Letters |
| Kygo (parts of this song) | Cruise |
| BBNO$ feat. Rich Brian | Edamame |
| Bruno Mars, Anderson, Paak, Silk Sonic | Leave the Door Open |
| NIKI | Every Summertime |
| Rema | Calm Down |
| Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow | Industry Baby |
| ACRAZE feat. Cherish | Do It to It |
| Earth, Wind & Fire | September |
| Toploader | Dancing in the Moonlight |
| Sean Paul feat. Dua Lipa | No Lie |
| BTS | Butter |
| Simple Plan | I’m Just a Kid |
| Bruno Mars | Uptown Funk |
| Portugal. The Man | Feel It Still |
| Coldplay | Adventure of A Lifetime |
| Harry Styles | Watermelon Sugar |
Songs for funny Instagram Reels
| Cavendish Music | Funny Song |
| Kevin Macleod | Monkeys Spinning Monkeys |
| Gold-Tiger | Funny |
| David Snell feat. Dante9k | Spongebob Tomfoolery |
| Sandaru Sathsara | Unstoppable |
| Rdgredtempo | Rhumba (Spongebob remix) |
| The Toonosaurus | Spongebob Squarepants Theme |
| Oneul | Cheer up! |
| Matias La Cour | Anthem for Lazy Cats |
| Zelda Tune | Kokiri Forest Beat |
| Rabbit Music9 | Cute Tail |
| Oneul | Cuddle |
| Sandaru Sathsara | It’s My Life |
| Funsters | Sunday Stroll |
| Gold Tiger | Funny Comedy |
Country Songs for Instagram Reels
| Jordan Davis | Almost Maybes |
| Morgan Wallen | 7 Summers |
| Morgan Wallen | Me On Whiskey |
| Thomas Rhett | Dance With Me |
| Luke Bryan | One Margarita |
| Marren Morris | Girl |
| Tyler Childers | Shake The Frost |
| Teddy Swims | Someone You Loved |
| Dan + Shay | How Not To |
| Kelsea Ballerini | Miss Me More |
| Old Dominion | One Man Band |
| HIXTAPE, Hardy, Lauren Alaina, Devin Dawson | One Beer |
| Chris Stapleton | You Should Probably Leave |
| Ryan Hurd | City Girl |
| Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris | Chasin After You |
| Adam Doleac | Neon Fools |
| Travis Denning | After A Few |
| Gabby Barrett | I Hope (feat. Charlie Puth) |
| Sasha Sloan, Sam Hunt | When was it over? |
| FGL, The Cadillac Three & Dierks Bentley | The South |
| Tenille Townes | Jersey On the Wall |
| Kane Brown ft. Swae Lee & Khalid | Be Like That |
| Billy Currington | Seaside |
| Lauren Alaina | Run |
| Brett Eldridge | When I Die |
| Priscilla Block | Just About Over You |
| Ryan Adams | Oh My Sweet Carolina |
| RaeLynn | Still Smokin’ |
| Morgan Wallen | Cover Me Up |
| Carrie Underwood | Drinking Alone |
| Cole Swindell | Single Saturday Night |
| Brett Young | Lady |
| Florida Georgia Line and Nelly | Lil Bit |
| Greensky Bluegrass | Time/Breathe (Reprise) |
| Colter Wall | Sleeping on The Blacktop |
Best Songs for Travel Reels
| Airr | Enjoy Life |
| The Kiffness, Rushawn | It’s a Beautiful Day |
| The Chainsmoker | Paris |
| ItaloBrothers | Dancing in the Streets |
| Sia | Unstoppable |
| Avicii | The Nights |
| Tatsuya Maruyama | City Lights |
| Jnr Choi | To the Moon |
| The Macarons Project | Fly Me to The Moon |
| Madonna, Sickick | Frozen |
| The Temper Trap | Sweet Disposition |
| Hollow Coves | Coastline |
| OneRepublic | Good Life |
| Mapa | Travelling |
| BoyWithUke | Long Drives |
How to make Trending Reels on Instagram
Now that you know where to find trending Reel songs, it’s time to learn how to make trendy Reels on Instagram. Here are some tips for creating Reels that will catch the attention of your followers and stand out in the crowd:
- Use creative visuals: Start by adding visually appealing visuals to your Reel. This could be anything from eye-catching photos or graphics to interesting animations or film clips. Doing this will help your Reel stand out and grab viewers’ attention.
- Write an engaging script: Writing an engaging script is key to creating an effective Reel. Take the time to develop an interesting and appealing script that will draw people in and keep them watching.
- Capture high-quality footage: Once you have your visuals and script, it’s time to capture the footage for your Reel. Use your smartphone or camera to capture the footage for your reel, and use high-quality, visually appealing content.
🎉 Related Article: How to make Reels on Instagram: Everything marketers should know
How to add music to Reels on Instagram
After you record a reel, there is a tool menu on the left side of your screen.
Tap the “ Audio” icon to add a song to your reel.
Now, you have access to Instagram’s extensive music library, and you can search for a specific song or browse popular and trending songs. Once you’ve found the perfect song, tap and hold to start the clip and scroll through the song until you find the part you want to use in your reel.
When you’re ready to add the song to your reel, tap the music icon and select the song. You can then adjust the length of the clip or loop it to your desired length. Finally, click “done” to add the song to your reel.
🎉 Related Article: How long can a Reel be on Instagram? The optimum IG Reels length for engagement
How to save music from other Instagram Reels
Another great way to find trending songs for your reels is to save music from other people’s reels. To do this, open the reel you want to save the music from and tap the music album icon at the bottom right
Now, you can tap the bookmark icon at the top right to save the music for later use. If you want to use the sound immediately, tap “use audio” at the bottom of your screen.
To find every music or Audio you have ever saved on Instagram. Go to your profile. Tap on the three horizontal lines at the top right.
Tap on “Saved”, and you will see every saved song from reels. Once you have the audio file, you can use it to create your reels. Just make sure to give credit to the artist who created the original song when posting your reels.
🎉 Related Article: How to download Instagram Reels: 4 Must-know hacks
How to schedule your Reels with Sociality.io
Sociality.io is an all-in-one social media management platform to schedule your content on various social media platforms. Asides from Publish for scheduling content, it also has other functionalities, including Engage for engagement and building relationships with audiences, Listen for tracking brand mentions and brand monitoring, Analytics for analyzing both paid and organic performance and Competitor Analysis for overseeing and benchmarking competitors’ performance.
Ready to try out our scheduling tool? Get started with a free 14-day trial period.
