Instagram Experiments With Reels’ Dancify Option, Which Syncs Video And Music Automatically

Instagram is still playing catch-up to TikTok, with app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi revealing a new feature in beta that allows users to 'dancify' own Reels footage to any song.

What exactly does 'dancify' imply?

This appears to be the same as TikTok's auto-sync feature, which allows users to sync their uploaded videos with any music track they like. The automated procedure syncs the beats of the music to the footage, resulting in a higher-quality clip. It doesn't always work out that way, but that's the intention, and it appears that Instagram is going for the same concept with this new Reels feature.

Instagram doesn't seem to think its users will understand what 'auto-sync' means, so it's experimenting with 'dancify' as a functional name instead. It isn't final yet because Instagram hasn't posted it, and the name may be modified or not revealed at all.

When we queried Instagram about 'dancify,' it responded with the following:

"This is an early prototype that is not being tested on Instagram right now."

So far, there's nothing to report because it's not in its final form. However, you can see where it's going. It would be the latest in a long series of TikTok features that Instagram has cloned in an attempt to stifle the app's growth and prevent users from transferring to the platform. Which hasn't worked: TikTok now boasts a billion active members, while Instagram's growth pace has slowed as the social media platform loses its cool factor.

Replication, which has previously been a winning strategy for Instagram, appears to be less effective this time around - but, at the same time, Reels usage is growing, and if Instagram can build on that with new features, copied or not, it makes sense to at least test them out where it can.

Though it's unlikely to help Instagram reclaim its youthful audience. The trouble with imitation is that it means you're always a step behind, whereas the brands that win the day are the ones who grab the reins as cultural leaders, with all the credibility that entails. Instagram used to be that, but TikTok now appears to be in the driver's seat. Instagram needs to come up with fresh, creative features that catch on and become significant debate points among young audiences so that people feel forced to open Instagram and try them out for themselves to reclaim the momentum.

Of course, this is easier said than done, and although limiting possible audience losses with TikTok-style features may work in some cases, it won't help Meta's overall push to reclaim the youth. But maybe I'm wrong, and 'dancify' is some fantastic new word that will help Instagram regain its cultural momentum.

Maybe. Most likely not.