Instagram Unravels Sonic Identity For ‘Reels’, A Single Sound For All Moods
Images 191989708 © Natanael Alfredo Nemanita Ginting | Dreamstime.com and Instagram Design
Instagram is turning up the volume on its identity with a new sonic signature for Reels, marking the very beginning of “a whole new world of sound” it plans to harmonize with its brand.
The distinctive sound will play at the end of every downloaded Reel, serving as Instagram’s counterpart to TikTok’s outro for videos saved into users’ camera rolls.
According to Instagram’s designers, the platform’s creative audio and brand teams poured countless hours into refining the sonic experience, putting each note through its paces to evoke a wide range of emotions. The process involved numerous workshops, with different sounds tested and tweaked until they struck the right chord.
At the end of the day, they came up with “a sound that fits the tone of every Reel—from serious to inspiring to funny.”
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The first beat in the composition is a kick drum, chosen for its energetic pulse to reflect the creativity that Reels encourages. Then come the keys, which are “simple, human, playful,” Instagram describes.
This anatomy also features a warble effect, adding a “unique and ownable texture.”
“We brought a vibe where we intentionally wanted it to be punctuated, but imperfect—a metaphor for everyday creativity that doesn’t have to be perfect to be shared,” elaborates Siera Sinclair, sound designer at Meta.
This is just the overture—Instagram hints that users should stay tuned for “the rest of our world of sounds” as it crafts a more comprehensive sonic identity for the entire symphony of its brand.
[via Instagram Design, images via various sources]
