Trending audio can help a video get shown to more people, but only if the video works with it. Here's how to find songs while they're still rising, use them well, and avoid the music issues that get videos muted.
Why trending audio helps
When a sound is trending, a lot of people are watching and searching videos that use it. Using it puts your video in that pool. It's not magic, though: a weak video on a trending sound is still a weak video. The sound gets you a chance; the hook and content decide what happens next.
How to find trending songs
On Instagram
- Look for the trending arrow. In Reels, audio that's trending shows a small upward arrow next to its name.
- Browse the audio library when creating a Reel. Instagram highlights popular and trending tracks there.
- Tap the audio on Reels you see. The audio page shows how many Reels use it. A sound with a few thousand uses that's climbing is more useful than one with millions.
- Professional accounts: check the professional dashboard for trend and audio suggestions where available.
On TikTok
- TikTok Creative Center shows trending songs and hashtags, filtered by country and time period. It's free, on the web.
- The "Add sound" screen in the app highlights what's popular right now.
- Your For You page is a live trend feed. If you hear the same sound three times in a day, it's rising.
Timing matters
Trends move fast. The best time to use a sound is while it's growing, not after it peaks. Save sounds you like the moment you notice them, so you can use them while they're still rising.
How to use a trending sound well
- Match the sound to the idea. The best trend videos use the song's mood, lyrics or beat drop to make the point, like a reveal on the drop, or text that plays off a lyric.
- Keep your voice on top. For talking videos, add the trending sound at low volume under your voice. You still get the audio association without drowning out what you're saying.
- Cut to the beat. Line up clip changes with the beat. It makes even simple footage feel edited.
- Add the sound in the app. To be linked to the sound's page (which is where the discovery comes from), select it from the app's music library when you post. Music baked into your exported file won't be recognised as that sound and may get muted for copyright.
- Make it fit your niche. A trend from a dance or comedy account can work for a fitness coach or a bakery if you translate the joke to your world.
Music rules for business accounts
This catches a lot of creators out:
- Business accounts often get a limited music library. On both Instagram and TikTok, business accounts typically only have access to music cleared for commercial use, not the full catalog. Some popular songs won't be available.
- Creator accounts usually get the full library for regular posts, but not for paid ads or branded content.
- Don't use copyrighted music in ads or paid partnerships unless it comes from the commercial library or you have a license.
Check your account type before planning content around a specific song.
Scheduled posts and trending sounds
Most scheduling tools, including PostKit's Publisher, can't attach a song from Instagram's or TikTok's in-app music library, because the platforms don't allow it through their publishing APIs. If a video depends on a trending sound, post it from the app. For everything else, like talking videos, tutorials and carousels, scheduling it everywhere at once saves time.
When original audio is the better choice
Trending audio isn't required. For talking-head content, tutorials and storytelling, your voice is the content, and original audio is often the right call. Original audio also has an upside: if your sound catches on, other people's videos link back to yours.
What drives growth more than any sound is the opening. Pair whatever audio you use with a strong hook.