According to Business Insider, Instagram is testing Templates, a new tool that will allow Reels makers to utilize the same framework as other videos. The functionality is presently under beta testing and only available to a select set of creators. It’s comparable to TikTok’s Templates, which allow users to upload their own photographs and have them automatically formatted.
“We’re continuously looking into new methods to make creating Reels easier. In an email to TechCrunch, a Meta spokeswoman said, “We’re testing the possibility for you to construct a reel utilizing an existing Template from another reel.” In January, developer Alessandro Paluzzi noticed this functionality in reverse-engineered versions of the app’s code, and in March, influencer Josephine Hill tweeted about it.
“One thing I’ve been hoping for, especially with Instagram Reels,” Hill told Business Insider, “was something that resembled TikTok’s audio sync, where the clips line up precisely to the beat of the song.” She went on to say that she used to rely on tutorials for guidance with video editing, especially when it came to aligning films with sound, and that the spaces for bringing in your own clips differed per template.
Other firms, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, are attempting to compete with TikTok’s success by creating their own versions of short-form video applications. Creators frequently prefer to submit TikToks to Reels rather than develop material for Instagram, but this might change that or at the very least level the playing field. Reels have already added features comparable to TikTok’s, such as Remixes, which debuted last year. TikTok updated the tool earlier last year to allow users to remix any publicly uploaded video, not only Reels.
Instagram today announced the debut of Remix, a new tool that allows you to record your Reels video alongside a video from another user. The function is comparable to TikTok’s current Duets feature, which allows users to respond to or engage with other people’s videos while producing their own. Because Instagram’s new functionality was previously in public testing, some Instagram users may have already had access. We previously reported on Instagram’s intentions for Remix, as well as the fact that Snapchat was working on its own Remix function. Under fact, Snapchat’s TikTok Duets competitor, which is presently in development, is called “Remix.”
Duets are an important aspect of TikTok’s effort to make the app seem more like a social network than a passive video-watching experience. Duets allow users to sing, dance, joke, or act alongside the video of another user. To give themselves a boost, they will make someone else’s meal, create a response video, or just watch a video from a lesser producer.
Meanwhile, competitors to TikTok, such as Instagram Reels, Snapchat’s Spotlight, and YouTube’s Shorts, have debuted their short-form video experiences without the complete range of engagement or editing options that TikTok provides, making their applications appear like pale knockoffs of the original. By offering users at least one crucial way to interact and contribute with their fellow creatives, Remix on Reels is a first step toward altering that attitude.
