It’s no secret that TikTok has made headlines around the world lately. For better or worse, the platform has been on the lips of users, fans, investigators and politians alike. TikTok was launched in September 2016, and in the three years since its launch, it’s safe to say that it has exploded in popularity. TikTok has 800 million active users worldwide, making it 9th in terms of social network sites, leading heavy hitters such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat.

Just like Instagram did with Stories, the Facebook-owned content sharing app has just announced its own version of sharing quirky to friends and followers – say hello to Instagram Reels.

Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore. Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.

As well as viewing and creating Reels, Instagram has created a far more streamlined way to create content for Stories, Live and 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 both 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.

We look forward to seeing where this takes the platform and checking out some creative clips from our favourite accounts!