When I'm putting together an Instagram carousel, choosing the photos is rarely the hardest part. Picking the song? That's where I lose an embarrassing amount of time.
It's a modern day dilemma. To be fair, Instagram does a pretty good job of serving up audio recommendations based on your taste, alongside whatever track is currently dominating everyone's feed. But music is deeply personal. The soundtrack can make or break the mood of a carousel, and finding the perfect fit isn't always as easy as the algorithm would have you believe.
Thankfully, if you're as indecisive as I am, Instagram has finally delivered the update we've all been waiting for. In what one user is already calling its "best update yet", you can now change the music on a carousel after you've posted it.
If you're wondering how it works, here's everything you need to know about Instagram's latest feature.
When does the update roll out?
View this post on Instagram
As of July 22, the update has started rolling out. However, like most Instagram updates, it can take up to a week to reach everyone. Keep checking your app daily (and also make sure you're using the latest version) – it should be available by the end of the week.
What are the benefits of this update?
One of the major benefits of this feature is that it takes the pressure off posting. If you change your mind later, don't worry – your choices can easily be edited.
For businesses and content creators, this is a game changer. It allows you to stay relevant by updating older or existing posts with current trending audio, giving your content a fresh push in the algorithm to boost visibility.
This feature at the moment only applies to both single posts and carousels. However, as far as we know, it doesn't work on Reels – which makes sense, considering video timing is usually structured around a specific song. Best of all, you can even go back to posts published prior to this update and swap out their music to give them new life.
Will this impact the posts I have already put up?
Instagram have assured us that the update is as simple as it sounds. If you decide to change your music after it has been posted, you go to edit post and change the music. There's no indication that doing so will impact the likes, engagement, comments or shares your post has earned.
