Instagram has its sights set on TikTok with is newest feature.
Instagram Reels is launching today on Android and iOS, but TechCrunch reports that it's only available in Brazil to start. There's no word yet on when Reels might launch in other parts of the globe.
With Reels, you can make a 15-second video set to music and share it to your Stories. You're able to record multiple video clips and pick a part of a song that you want to play over your video. You also have the option of borrowing audio from another user's video to create a remix, just like on TikTok.
There are editing tools included with Reels like timed captions for adding words to a specific part of the video and a ghost overlay tool that'll help to make your transitions more fluid. Instagram plans to add more videos and effects in the future.
You can post your finished Reels to your Stories or message them directly to your friends. If you're particularly proud of a Reel you've made, you also have the option of adding them to your Highlights so that it won't disappear after 24 hours.
"No two products are exactly the same, and at the end of the day, sharing video with music is a pretty universal idea we think everyone might be interested in using," said Robby Stein, Instagram's director of product management. "The focus has been on how to make this a unique format for us."
TikTok is one of the most popular social networks, allowing users to share fun, brief videos that they can set music to if they'd like. Instagram has its own feature for sharing brief videos that can include music, and so it makes sense that Instagram would add TikTok-style editing tools to its app to try and get a piece of the popularity that TikTok is enjoying.
