TikTok is continuously thriving, and Meta is trying hard to beat it by becoming more like it. With that, Meta is once again introducing a bunch of new TikTok-like tools to Instagram and Facebook Reels. The company promises to roll out the features over the coming weeks to all users globally.
On Facebook, the new update that will benefit the general population of creators is the entrance of new audio features, such as the voiceover support in recordings to allow narration in videos. In addition, Meta is introducing Sound Sync on the platform, which will create sync between your video and the beat of the song being used in the content.
Meta is also rolling out new features aimed at creators who are serious about editing their videos. Starting Thursday, it will be giving creators the access to work on their Facebook Reels using Creator Studio in their web browsers. Through this, it is possible to create, edit, publish and even schedule their Facebook Reels from their computers. Video clipping tools on your desktop will also now be available, so trying out various formats for long-form, recorded, or live videos will be easier. For instance, the creator can produce a clip using the published, long-form videos and edit them into a Facebook Reel using Creator Studio.
On the other hand, to tap the section of the creators focusing on game content, Meta is releasing a new editing tool to allow one to take short-form Reels from Live game content. Aside from this easy generation of vertical 60-second format, the gaming video clips will be in dual-view showing the gameplay and creator cam.
As for Instagram Reels, another new audio tool will also be coming. Called Import Audio, this will now let you inject your own audio into the Instagram Reels. You can choose to insert a background sound or commentary from any video (minimum of 5 seconds) on your camera roll. And speaking of video lengths, Meta is making a huge adjustment in Instagram Reels by extending it to 90 seconds now.
A month ago, we also heard the news of Instagram testing the “Templates” feature in beta to a small group of users. Now, it will be rolling out to the users, so recreating a reel will be easier. Working like TikTok’s Templates tool, this feature will let you use and copy the structure of the video you’ve just watched. By simply tapping ‘Use Template,’ you’ll be able to acquire the audio and clip sequence of the reel and start inserting and trimming your own content. Instagram has also decided to bring a few Instagram Stories stickers to Reels, particularly poll, quiz, and emoji slider stickers.
Meta extends its effort to boost Reels by helping content creators make their works more discoverable. The company says it will now start recommending Facebook Reels in Feed globally while also expanding Reels in Watch to all users. As for Instagram creators, Meta encourages them to recommend their reels on Facebook for further reach.
Together with the announcement of these new tools, Meta also reiterated the importance of posting original content. In April, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said that the platform would be prioritizing original content in its algorithm but until now, reposted videos are still a rampant problem both on Facebook and Instagram. Meta has dedicated a fund to encourage creators to create original videos. However, most users are still stuck in the habit of downloading videos from other platforms (especially TikTok) and reposting them either on Facebook or Instagram. With this, despite the new tools being introduced, Meta’s battle to dethrone TikTok can still be a long journey as long as its users remain anchored in pirating content from other places.