Does trending audio still matter for Instagram reels?
We checked the sound on 266,130 viral reels. Most used their creator's own sound, and no single song came close to dominating. Here's what the numbers say.
Less than you'd think. Instagram's FAQ for creators says trending audio "can also impact distribution",1 without saying how much (what Instagram says about sound). But of the 266,130 viral reels in Aubrium's library, 56% use the creator's own sound and 37% a song. The most-used song is on only 374 of them.
Aubrium's library, 21 October 2026.
Ask anyone how to get a reel seen and "use a trending sound" comes up in the first breath. It made sense when it started. You tap a sound, Instagram shows you every reel that uses it, and a new reel can ride along.
So we checked what viral reels actually use. Not a sample: every one of the 266,130 reels in Aubrium's library, each of which reached at least twice its creator's follower count and at least 10,000 views. They had all gone viral already, so none of this predicts a new reel. Nobody can, before it's posted.
What sound do viral reels use?
Their own, more often than not.
56%their own sound
37%a song from Instagram's library
6%another creator's sound, or none
The share of viral reels in Aubrium's library using each kind.
More than half use the sound that came with the video: a voice, a kitchen, a gym, a street. A song from the music library is the next most common, on 37% of them. Borrowing another creator's original sound is the least common of the three.
Do reels with a trending song get more views?
A little, and not the reels you'd guess.
The middle reel using another creator's sound reached 31 times its creator's followers, against 23 for a song and 21 for the creator's own sound. That fits how sounds spread: people tap a sound and scroll through every reel that uses it.
But it's a modest gap, and it's a gap between reels that all went viral anyway. Every one of them made it, whatever it sounded like.
Is there one trending song everyone uses?
No. The 99,223 reels with a song used 32,393 different tracks between them, and 20% of them used a song no other reel in the library used. The five most-used:
| Song | Viral reels using it |
|---|---|
| I Know What You Want x Madison Calley· madisoncalley | 374 |
| Runaway (feat. Pusha T)· Kanye West | 231 |
| Be My Baby· The Ronettes | 225 |
| KALYANI (Remix)· ARJN, KDS, FIFTY4, Shreya Ghoshal | 221 |
| Dai Dai· Shakira, Burna Boy | 210 |
Even the top song is on about one reel in 700.
Which niches use songs most?
Visual niches lean on music. Niches where people talk lean away from it.
Fashion, art and travel sit at about half. Comedy, gaming and music sit far lower, because the voice or the playing is the point. Across the library, only 18% of reels where someone speaks use a song, against 50% of reels with no one talking. If you're talking, your voice is the sound.
So should you use a trending sound?
Use the one that fits the reel. Here's what that looks like in practice.
If you talk to camera
Your own sound is the normal choice. Most viral talking reels don't use a song.
If your reel is visual
A recipe, an outfit, a place: about half of these use a song. Pick one that fits, trending or not.
Scheduling a reel? Read what a scheduler can't do on Instagram first.
Questions people ask
Do I need trending audio to go viral on Instagram?
No. 56% of the viral reels in Aubrium's library use their creator's own sound, and the most-used song appears on only 374 of 266,130 reels.
Does Instagram say trending audio helps?
Its FAQ for creators says using trending audio "can also impact distribution". It doesn't say by how much.
Is original audio better than trending audio?
Neither wins outright. Viral reels that used another creator's sound went a little further. Ones with the creator's own sound were the most common by far.
Why do some reels say "Original audio"?
It means the sound came with the video rather than from Instagram's music library. Other people can reuse it, and it keeps the original creator's name.
Can a scheduled reel use a trending song?
Sometimes. Meta's developer pages say music tagging through its API is only for original audio, though some scheduling tools can attach the songs Meta has cleared for them. If a reel depends on one song, add it in the app.
How we did this
We looked at every reel in Aubrium's library on 21 October 2026: 266,130 reels from 181,917 creators with 1,000 to 100,000 followers, each of which reached at least twice its creator's follower count and at least 10,000 views.
"Own sound" means Instagram credits the audio to the creator. "A song" is a track credited to someone else and not labelled original audio. "Another creator's sound" is original audio credited to a different account. Every number here describes reels that already went viral, so none of it is the odds for a new one.
Sources
- Frequently asked questionsInstagram for Creators · "Using trending audio can also impact distribution." Undated. Read 21 October 2026.
- IG User MediaMeta for Developers · "Music tagging is only available for original audio." Read 21 October 2026.
- Instagram Music APIbundle.social · A scheduling service's account of which sounds outside apps can use. Read 21 October 2026.
Changelog
- First version.
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