Trending audio is one of the fastest ways to expand your Reels reach. Instagram's algorithm actively promotes Reels using trending sounds — so a video that would normally reach 500 people can reach 50,000 simply because of the audio you chose. The challenge is knowing where to find legitimate trending music before it peaks, and then actually remembering it when you sit down to create.
Here are the 7 best sources for legal trending audio — and the system that stops you from losing the sounds you find.
7 Legitimate Sources for Trending Reels Music
The most direct source. Open the Reels camera → tap the music note icon → browse by trending, mood, or genre. All tracks are fully licensed by Instagram for personal account use. Look for the upward arrow (↑) icon next to a track name — that's Instagram's own signal that the audio is trending right now.
Meta's dedicated royalty-free library at business.facebook.com/sound. Hundreds of tracks specifically cleared for commercial use on Facebook and Instagram — safe for both personal and business accounts without copyright restrictions. Filterable by genre, mood, tempo, and duration. This is the most underused resource in the creator toolkit.
Open Explore → filter to Reels → scroll through content in your niche. When you see a Reel performing well, tap the audio name at the bottom of the screen. You'll see how many other Reels are using that sound. Under 50,000 Reels = still early. Over 500,000 = likely past peak. Tap "Use audio" to save it for your next Reel directly inside Instagram.
Sounds trend on TikTok 2–5 days before they cross to Instagram Reels. Monitor your TikTok For You page daily and note which audio tracks are appearing across multiple creators in your niche. When you hear the same sound 3+ times in a session, that's a strong signal it will trend on Reels within the week. Save the TikToks you spot to Sprink so you have a searchable reference library of trending audio examples.
Both offer completely free, royalty-free tracks safe for social media. Pixabay Music (pixabay.com/music) requires no attribution and has thousands of tracks across every genre. YouTube Audio Library (studio.youtube.com) has a massive library, many tracks cleared for commercial social use. Neither has the trending discovery tools of Instagram's native library, but both are safe for business accounts that need copyright certainty.
Subscription-based platforms with premium royalty-free music fully cleared for commercial social media use. Epidemic Sound and Artlist both offer trending discovery features, mood-based search, and direct download. At ~$10–20/month, they're the gold standard for creators and brands that post frequently and need consistent copyright safety. Both have vast libraries updated weekly with new tracks.
Identify 5–10 creators in your niche who consistently use trending audio early — before it's everywhere. These are often mid-size accounts (10k–200k followers) who are active daily. Follow them and check their posts in the first 24 hours. When you see them using a sound you haven't heard before, that's your signal to investigate and potentially jump on it.
How to Spot Trending Audio Before It Peaks
Timing is everything with trending audio. Using a sound that's already at its peak means competing with millions of Reels. Catching it early means the algorithm is still amplifying it. Here are the signals to watch:
"Finding trending audio is only half the job. The other half is actually remembering what you found when you sit down to create three days later."
How to Build a Music Reference Library with Sprink
Here's the workflow problem most creators run into: they spot a great trending sound while scrolling, make a mental note, and then completely forget about it by the time they're actually creating content. The sound peaks. The moment is gone.
Sprink solves this with a single habit. When you encounter a Reel or TikTok with audio you want to use or reference, share it to Sprink from the iOS share sheet instead of saving it natively. Your entire music research library becomes searchable, organized, and instantly accessible when you need it.
Spot a Reel or TikTok with trending audio you want to use
While scrolling — during your morning coffee, commute, or nightly scroll — you find a video with an audio track that's gaining traction in your niche.
Share it to Sprink via the iOS share sheet
Tap the share icon on the video → select Sprink. The Reel or TikTok is captured instantly with the audio and video context preserved.
Add a quick note: the audio name and content type
Type a brief note like "trending audio: [song name] — good for fitness content" or "cooking reel — audio trending." This becomes the search text you'll use later.
When creating content, search your Sprink library
Type "trending audio," "music," your niche, or the song name into Sprink search. Every Reel and TikTok you've saved with trending audio comes up instantly — your personal searchable music research library.
Reference the saved Reel to find and use the audio
Open the saved post, see the audio name, and tap directly to use it in your Reel — or use it as inspiration reference while creating. Never lose a trending sound reference again.
Why Sprink Beats Saving to Native Apps for Music Research
The system in one sentence: Find trending audio everywhere, save the reference Reels and TikToks to Sprink with a quick note, and search your library when it's time to create. Never lose a trending sound to a forgotten scroll again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about finding and using legal music for Instagram Reels.
Where can I find trending music for Instagram Reels legally?
The best legal sources: (1) Instagram's built-in audio library — filter by "Trending," look for the (↑) icon. (2) Meta Sound Collection at business.facebook.com/sound — royalty-free, cleared for all account types. (3) Reels Explore — tap audio names on trending Reels to track sound usage counts. (4) TikTok For You — sounds trend there 2–5 days before Instagram. (5) Pixabay Music and YouTube Audio Library — completely free, no copyright issues.
How do I find trending audio on Instagram before it peaks?
Look for the (↑) upward arrow icon in Instagram's audio browser — this indicates a trending track. Tap any audio name on a Reel to see the usage count: under 50,000 Reels means you're early. Monitor TikTok daily — sounds typically cross to Instagram Reels 2–5 days after trending there. Follow 5–10 early adopter creators in your niche who consistently use trending audio first.
Can I use any song on Instagram Reels without copyright issues?
No. Copyrighted music used without licensing can get your video muted or removed. Instagram's built-in library is licensed for personal accounts. Business accounts have more restrictions and should use Meta Sound Collection or royalty-free platforms like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or Pixabay Music for full commercial safety.
How do I save Reels with trending music so I can reference them later?
Share the Reel to Sprink via the iOS share sheet instead of saving natively. Add a quick note with the audio name and content type. When planning your next Reel, search your Sprink library by the song name or topic — every music reference you've saved comes up instantly, searchable and organized, even if the original Reel was later deleted.
What free music can I use for Instagram Reels?
The safest free options: (1) Instagram's built-in audio library for personal accounts. (2) Meta Sound Collection — free and cleared for all Meta platforms. (3) YouTube Audio Library — many tracks cleared for social. (4) Pixabay Music — completely free, no attribution required. All of these are safe to use without copyright strikes.
Why does using trending audio get more Reels views?
Instagram's algorithm actively distributes Reels that use trending audio to people who have engaged with that sound — even if they don't follow you. When you use a trending track, your Reel appears in the sound's page results and gets recommended alongside other Reels using the same audio. This expands reach beyond your follower base significantly, especially when you join a trend early.
Never lose a trending sound reference again
Download Sprink free — save Reels and TikToks with trending audio to your searchable library. Add notes, set reminders, find everything instantly when it's time to create.
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