Facebook has announced Instagram Reels just days after Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Tik-Tok.
Facebook announced on 05 August 2020 that with Reels, Instagram Creatives can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools.
You can share reels with your followers in Feed and if you have a public account you can make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.
Creating Reels
Select Reels at the bottom of the Instagram camera. You’ll see a variety of creative editing tools on the left side of your screen to help create your reel, including:
- Audio: Search for a song from the Instagram music library. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it. When you share a reel with original audio, your audio will be attributed to you, and if you have a public account, people can create reels with your audio by selecting “Use Audio” from your reel.
- AR Effects: Select one of the many effects in our effect gallery, created by Instagram and creators all over the world, to record multiple clips with different effects.
- Timer and Countdown: Set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free. Once you press record, you’ll see a 3-2-1 countdown before recording begins for the amount of time you selected.
- Align: Line up objects from your previous clip before recording your next to help create seamless transitions for moments like outfit changes or adding new friends into your reel.
- Speed: Choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected. This can help you stay on a beat or make slow motion videos.
Facebook said after creating Reels, users are able to share their content with their followers or they can be discovered by wider Instagram Community on the Explore tab. Users are able to share their Reels on both Public and Private accounts.
Once your reel is ready, move to the share screen, where you can save a draft of your reel, change the cover image, add a caption and hashtags, and tag your friends. After you share your reel, it will live on a separate Reels tab on your profile, where people can find the reels you’ve shared.
Reels gives people new ways to express themselves, discover more of what they love on Instagram and help anyone with the ambition of becoming a creator take center stage.
According to Facebook Instagram will label some Reels selected from public reels to help discover original content, and those whose Reels are selected will receive notifications alerting them.