What’s new on Instagram

From broadcast channels to new editing tools, templates, Reel upgrades, and post options to more tools that make collaboration easier, here’s everything new in the Instagram toolkit.

by SHAE WOODWARD of The Orchard’s Daily Rind

Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users and is the world’s third most used app, behind Facebook and TikTok. With its ever-growing user base, Instagram keeps expanding what they offer and last year wasn’t any different! It started as an app for posting photos, but is now so much more than that. (Source)

This year, we’ve seen the addition of Broadcast Channels, new editing tools, templates and more! Let’s jump in on how you can most effectively be using Instagram. 

New Features

Broadcast Channels

Broadcast Channels arrived to Instagram in February and have since taken the platform by storm and have been used by countless artists, brands and creators. Broadcast channels are a public, one-to-many messaging tool that allows artists to directly engage with their followers at a large scale. Only artists and their approved moderators or admins can send messages, while followers can strictly react to content and vote in fan polls.

So far, artists are using this feature as a casual, quick way to keep their fanbase up to date. They are using it to share special behind-the-scenes moments using text, photo, video, voice notes and polls-whether it be in relation to touring, new music, or something fun like voting on new merch. Some artists taking full advantage of this new feature include DPR Ian and Alexander Stewart.

New Post Additions

While Instagram can be used to post promotional photos and videos from press materials and clips of official music videos, this content doesn’t always make for the best fan experience. Consider checking out new ways to engage with your audience on your Feed:

• Event Reminders
  • As a creator or artist, you can create Instagram posts with reminders for your upcoming events, such as performances or music releases. People who see the post can tap on the bell icon in the bottom left corner of the post to opt into receiving reminders for your event. You also have the option to share this reminder to your Story! 
• Product Tags:
  • Here you can highlight items from your catalog directly in your images and videos – including in Feed, Reels, Stories and product mentions in your profile bio or feed copy – so people can easily tap on a tag and learn more.
• Fundraiser Integration:
  • If an artist or creator is involved with a charity or wants to raise money, consider using the ‘Add Fundraiser’ option that will prompt followers to donate and will live in your bio for 30 days. You can also choose to extend the fundraiser, hide it from your profile, or end the fundraiser early. While your fundraiser is active, you’ll be able to share the fundraiser on posts, in stories, or a live video.
• Music:
  • You can now add music to your Feed Post! Similar to adding music to your Story, this option now lives in the settings before you share your photo. 
• Collab Feature:
  • Use Instagram Collabs to co-author posts with other accounts. The creator of the original post can invite another account as a collaborator. If the account accepts the invite, their username will be added to the post and the post will be shared with their followers.
    • Please note that the invited account can remove themselves at any time, and the creator of the original post can remove the collaborator at any time.

All About Reels

In 2020, Instagram launched Reels and the feature has since taken off and seen many updates over the last few years. Artists can use Reels to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram. The feature allows you to record and edit multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. Some of those tools include:

• Standard Lyrics:
  • Using music in your Reels, you can now incorporate standard lyrics, similar to that of an Instagram Story.  
• Superbeat:
  • A music beat effect that applies appealing visual edits to your reel based on the song you choose.
• Dynamic 3D Lyrics:
  • Lyric effects that apply song lyrics to your Reel so you can perform to the music and connect with your audience.
• Remixing: 
  • This tool allows artists to collaborate, create and engage with trends, songs and creators by remixing other posts. This is the equivalent of dueting a post on TikTok! 
• Sound Effects: 
  • From airhorns to crickets to drums and more, our refreshed collection of sound effects can help inject humor into a Reel or invoke specific emotions from your fans
• Interactive Stickers: 
  • Poll: Making a two-part reel? Poll your audience on what should happen in your next video so they can help shape the storyline themselves.
  • Quiz: Put your audience’s skills to the test (or teach them something new!)
  • Emoji Slider: Let your audience share how your content makes them feel with a sticker that makes their reaction even more powerful.
  • Add Yours: A new way to inspire your audience. Call on your community to participate in a trend you create using the Add Yours sticker, a Stories favorite, now available to use in your reels on Instagram and Facebook.
• Dual Capture: 
  • For even more immersive storytelling, the new Dual capture mode in the Reels Camera lets you record with your phone’s front- and back-facing cameras at the same time. Now you can capture the moment in 360°, without any crazy camera tricks or difficult workarounds
• Templates: 
  • They make reels creation easy by letting you reuse elements from a reel that you love. All you have to do is select a template that inspires you, and drop in your own photos or video clips to put your creative spin on a Reel. Your new reel will use the same music and timing as the original.

Instagram Filters Refresh

Instagram Filters launched in 2018 as a way to bring something special to a user’s Stories, and have continued to pick up speed ever since. Today anyone can create and publish their own augmented reality Filters through Facebook’s studio tool, Spark AR.

Once your filter is uploaded and approved through Spark AR it will appear on the designated Instagram profile and you’ll see a new Filter tab appear on your profile. Fans do not receive any notifications about new Filters, so it is always important to have a good roll out plan to launch your new filter.

Let’s Go LIVE! 

Going LIVE on Instagram allows you to broadcast video to your audience in real time, allowing you and your audience to have a shared experience. As an update in 2023, users now have the ability to go live for up to 4 hours, then save your experience as a Reel. Also, when you go live all of your followers will receive a notification to tune-in. 

To go use the feature, pull up the photo screen you’d use to take a picture. From there, use the bottom menu to select ‘Live.’

Schedule Your Live

Live Scheduling tool to help you promote, plan, and prepare for upcoming Lives. You can now schedule your Lives with a feed post up to 90 days in advance, and promote them more via a new Stories Sticker for Scheduled Lives. Additionally, viewers or followers will be able to sign up for reminders to tune in.

Shop

Even though the Shop icon has been removed from the navigation bar, it is still a great place to visit if you want to explore items from your favorite brand’s items or visit an artist shop. Instead of navigating to the Shop tab, you simply visit the page of the profile (brand, artist, company, etc.) that you want to browse.

Now, Product Tags and Ads can also help you track down desirable items with a simple click once they appear in your feed. Instagram Shop will have fresh collections and products from brands and creators, as well as special curations from their social shopping channel. You can also use Facebook or Apple Pay to provide a seamless, secure way to shop and make donations to causes you care about across apps.

Instagram is evolving month after month, enhancing itself to become a better platform for artists and their fans. Though it comes in second in the world of short-form content, it’s safe to say that we still consider Instagram to be the #1 place for photo sharing. With the addition of Broadcast Channels and new music integrations, it will be exciting to see what new features Instagram has in store for 2024. As expected, it remains a crucial tool that artists and creators can leverage to further network and build their brand.