Instagram launches a short-video sharing platform, REELS in India after the TikTok ban. After Germany, Brazil, and France, India is the fourth country where this new Instagram video format is being tested. The new feature of Instagram REELS helps users to create short videos on the app, add creative filters and music, and share it with their followers.
The VP of Instagram Vishal Shah said, Instagram REELS is similar to TikTok and allow users to create 15 seconds video with popular songs, challenges, and trends. Shah says the product comes from the realization that 45 percent of videos on Instagram are 15 seconds or less. The official statement was “We also realized that stories are not the only place where they wanted to share these videos as they wanted them to stick on for longer and be distributed beyond their followers.”
Basic Feature of REELS
This new feature of Instagram lets users shoot video, add filters and music from Instagram’s catalog and share it on the platform. Users will be able to share Reels in Explore, and also on Feed with their followers. There will be no option to monetize videos for now. To provide a vast collection of songs to users to create interesting Reels, Instagram has partnered with prominent music labels, so that there will be no copyright problem with users.
How to get started with Instagram REELS
Instagram has added the reels feature in the camera section along with Boomerang, Live, Story, etc.
To start, first, you need to open the Instagram camera and select Reels to start creating short videos. Similar to TikTok, Reels provide options like audio from the Instagram Music library, speed, effects, and timer. Reels also provide various AR effects to help users add a unique touch to their videos. To add AR effects users can open Reels camera, click on effects, and then AR effects.
Multiple 15 seconds Reels can also be recorded at once and different effects can be added to each clip. Reels can also be reviewed, deleted, and re-recorded if required. Similar to TikTok, Reels come with a ‘Use Audio’ option which will let others use your original audio to create their Reels.
After recording a Reel, users can simply choose the audience they wish to share their Reel with. Unlike usual Instagram Stories, Reels can be shared in the Explore section and viewed by everyone on the platform.
How to Create Instagram Reels: Step by Step Guide
Here is an step by step guide to create intreasting Instagram Reels:
- Select Reels at the bottom of the Instagram home page navigation.
- Click on the Audio option and select your favorite song from the Instagram music library for your Reel.
- You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a Reel with it just as TikTok.
- You can add AR Effect to make your Reel interesting and different from others and also set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free. There are various filters available
- There’s also an option to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio which helps you to make interesting slo-mo videos.
In April 2021 Instagram announced a new feature name Remix feature to Reels which is very similar to the duet feature of TikTok. It is very simple to create Remix Video in Instagram Reels. Just click on the three dots option of the video with whom you want to create a duet and select Remix this Reel.
Also Read: Top 10 Short Video Apps in India
Here is an example video of Instagram Reels:
How to watch REELS videos
Here is the first look at Reels’ video feed page. The home page is quite similar to TikTok, you can watch videos by scrolling down.
To watch reels videos just update your Instagram and open it you will see a new button on the bottom of your home page along with the Home, Search, Notification, and Account button, this is the new option for Reels Videos. Just click there and enjoy the best short videos.
In May 2019 Facebook has announced to release a short video creating a platform to contest with TikTok and now after the TikTok ban in India this interesting feature of reels has released. On 29 June 2020 Indian Government has banned TikTok with 59 other Chinese apps due to security issues.
Basically, Reels is a good replacement for TikTok for Indian users as Tiktok was blamed for the Data leak. This feature is very similar to TikTok and easy to use. For more information, you can follow our blog Indiana Beats.
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