Instagram’s rolling out some new sharing features, along with a new campaign to highlight creativity in the app, which will be headlined by a range of popular musicians.
Because Instagram would love to become the home of music sharing. TikTok is the leader on this front, with TikTok trends now playing a significant role in music promotion. But with TikTok’s future in the U.S. still in doubt, Instagram’s been slowly ramping up its music content focus, in the hopes of supplanting TikTok in this respect.
First off, on new features. The main addition of note is the option to rearrange your IG profile grid, which Instagram has been developing for some time.
As you can see in this example, soon, you’ll be able to customize the presentation of your posts on your IG profile, giving you more control over what people see when they visit your Instagram presence.
That could provide a range of benefits, and will be a welcome update for many creators. Instagram says that this is being rolled to all users from today.
Instagram’s also adding a new feature for its inbox Notes, which will enable you to share songs from Spotify direct to your Notes display.
That adds another element to your conversational prompts, and another music engagement option. As noted, Instagram has also added “Add Yours Music” stickers, music in Notes, song lyrics display in Reels, and songs on profiles over the past year.
In addition to these, Instagram also says that it’s exploring new ways to enable users to quietly post to their profile without broadcasting it to everyone’s feeds, while it’s also making trial Reels available to everyone.
Both measures are designed to encourage more creative expression, by reducing in-stream pressure, as part of a broader push from IG to get more people sharing more content in the app.
Which leads into the final element, with a new project that will highlight how popular musicians have explored their creativity.
As part of its expanded creative push, Instagram’s highlighting how these stars feel about showcasing their work, and connecting with an audience.
As per Instagram:
“Beginning today, you’ll see creative journeys from people like Tyler, The Creator, Rosalía, Fred Again.., Nadia Lee Cohen, Cole Bennett, Clint 419, and Slawn, in a series of films about the power of a creative chance. These powerful voices embody our mission and remind us that everyone starts somewhere. We’re inspired by their stories and humbled by the small role Instagram has played in them.”
The video clips aim to provide inspiration for your own creative efforts, by showcasing how these well-known stars have explored their passions through their work.
Which is also the inspiration behind IG’s new “Drafts” project, which will see the platform invest in emerging talent, in order to support creators and artists “at critical moments in their journey.”
“We’ll partner with the next-generation of creative voices, like Sailorr, Tyrell Hampton, Young Emperors, and Jake Fleming, to provide them with the financial support, connections, co-ideation and collaboration opportunities needed to bring their creative projects to life.”
The broader aim, again, is to make Instagram a place where creators “feel free to take more creative chances, break through whatever barrier holds them back and realize their ambitions.”
I mean, enhanced monetization would probably also help in this respect, though IG is also working on this aspect, with a growing array of creator tools and options.
Finally, Instagram’s also adding a new font for Stories and Reels, inspired by Rosalia’s handwriting.
Which I don’t really see how it fits into the broader creative emphasis here, but it’s another option either way.
This is an interesting new push from IG, putting more specific focus on creators and how they approach their work, as a means to inspire others.
That could be effective, especially with a specific focus on how Instagram has helped them reach an audience, and build a profile online.
And really, profile grid re-arranging is an add-on here, not really related to the rest. But under the broader banner of creative expression, it’s another element to consider.
