How to Edit Reels Using Instagram’s Built-In Editor

Ever since TikTok introduced short-form content, the internet has never been the same. Social media platforms jumped on the bandwagon, and the most prominent competition for TikTok is Reels by Instagram. With every update, Instagram strives to make Reels the best short-form content platform. A recent update lets you edit Reels using Instagram’s built-in editor, and we’re here to show you everything about it.

In this article, we’ll look at all the features that let you create, edit, and publish Reels within the Instagram app. With 2.35 Billion users interacting with Reels monthly, every creator wants to showcase their content with Reels. Therefore, tools like these only make the process easier. Here’s everything you need to know about the built-in Reels editor on Instagram.

Also Read: How to download Instagram Reels

What Is the Built-In Tool to Edit Reels on Instagram

Instagram’s new built-in Reel editor packs more editing tools than the previous one. We also found it to be user-friendly, given the timeline-based editing tools, providing you greater control over the Reel. Here’s everything you can do using Instagram’s built-in editor.

• Add Music to clips.
• Reorder, trim, and split clips.
• Add smooth transitions.
• Add text and text-to-speech for clips.
• Add a voiceover for clips.
• Add stickers and effects to clips.

We’ll elaborate and show you how to edit Reels using Instagram’s built-in editor in the following section.

How to Edit Reels Using the Built-In Editor

First, select all the photos and videos you want to use in the Reel. Each photo or video is called a ‘track’ – you can trim, split, and reorder these tracks to position text, music, stickers, and more in the right places. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and tap on the Create button at the bottom.

Step 2: Tap on Reel.

Step 3: Select all the videos and pictures you want to add to the Reel.

Step 4: Tap on the next button.

Step 5: Tap on Skip when Instagram prompts you to add music – we’ll do that later.

Step 6: Tap on Edit video.

Now that you are ready to create your Reel, let us look at all the features you can use to edit it.

How to Trim the Length of Clips on Instagram

Let us look at how to trim your clips on an Instagram reel. This allows you to cut down on the duration for clips with details you do not want inside your Reel.

Step 1: After uploading the photos and videos to Instagram, tap on the Edit button.

Step 2: Now, tap on a track to trim.

Step 4: Drag the yellow handles at the beginning and the end of the track to adjust and trim the track.

You can also use the Adjust Selection feature to trim your tracks accurately.

How to Split the Clips for Your Reel

Splitting your tracks can help you add different text, music, and effects to your Reel at the right place. Here’s how to Split the tracks.

Step 1: After uploading the photos and videos to Instagram, tap on the Edit button.

Step 2: Drag the video slider – the thin white bar to where you want to split the track.

Step 3: Tap on Split. Your track will split into two parts. You can further split the tracks by repeating the process.

How to Reorder Clips on Instagram Reels

Once you split the tracks, here’s how to reorder them if needed.

Step 1: Tap on Reorder.

Step 2: You will see all the different tracks in your Reel. Drag and reorder them as per your liking.

How to Add a Transition Between Clips

Once you have added all the tracks and reordered them, here’s how you can use transitions between the tracks.

Step 1: Tap on the Edit button.

Step 2: Tap on the white handle where a track is ending to add a transition to the next track.

Step 3: Select and preview a transition and tap on Done once you have made your choice.

Tip: If you want the transition to be added for all tracks, tap on the ‘Apply to All’ option as well.

How to Add Music to Instagram Reels

While Instagram did not intend to do this, Reels have helped us discover catchy music and often bring popularity to some hidden and underrated gems. Here’s how you can add music to your tracks on an Instagram Reel.

Step 1: Tap on the Edit button.

Step 2: Tap on ‘Tap to add audio’

Step 3: Search and select a song from Instagram’s music library.

Note: You cannot add multiple songs to a Reel.

Step 4: Choose the part of the song to add to your Reel.

That’s it! The song will be added as an audio track.

How to Adjust and Enhance Audio Volume Levels on Instagram Reels

If the clips that you have added to your Reel have audio, you can mix them along with the audio you added from Instagram’s library. This will allow you to add multiple audios in one Reel. Here’s how.

Step 1: Once you’ve added the song from Instagram’s library – tap on Replace.

Step 2: Tap on Controls.

Step 3: Adjust the volume levels for the original audio of the clips and the audio added from Instagram’s library. Tap on Done.

Step 4: You can also improve the audio quality of the clip using the Enhance option. This reduces the background noise and improves the clarity of the audio.

Step 5: Further, you can also add a voiceover to your clips on an Instagram reel. Select Voiceover and add a voiceover wherever necessary.

Step 6: You can also add sound effects to the clips. Tap on the Sound Effects button. Select the sound effect and use the slider to position it in the clip.

How to Add Text to Reels on Different Frames

Adding text to your Reels can effectively act as subtitles or descriptions for tracks to offer a wholesome viewing experience. Here’s how you can add text to different places on your Reel.

Step 1: Scroll to where you want to add text.

Step 2: Tap on Text.

Step 3: Add your text. Customize and position your text using the available tools.

You can add text to other parts of your Reel and then using the timeline, adjust the duration for which the text appears.

Add Text-to-Speech on Instagram Reels

If you want your Reel to speak out the added text, here’s how you can do it. However, text-to-speech is quite robotic. Therefore, we recommend you add a voiceover for better results.

You can tap on the ‘Text-to-speech’ button to add a voiceover for your text. You can select between the two voices.

How to Add Stickers on Instagram Reels

Instagram has a plethora of stickers that let you add more information and context to your Reel. Here’s how you can add them to your tracks on a Reel.

Step 1: Slide to the position in the timeline where you want to add a sticker. Next, tap on the Sticker button.

Step 2: Select and add the sticker.

Step 3: Tap on the Sticker in the timeline and adjust its duration accordingly.

How to Add Effects on Instagram Reels

Lastly, you can add a few effects and filters before you publish a Reel. Here’s how you can do that while you preview your edited Instagram reel.

Step 1: Tap on the bottom-facing arrowhead to enter preview mode.

Step 2: Next, tap on the Effects option.

Step 3: Add the effect of your choice.

That is everything you need to know to edit Reels using Instagram’s built-in editor. If you have any further questions, look at the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Editing Instagram Reels

Edit Reels Like a Pro

We hope this article helps you edit Reels using Insatgram’s built-in editor on iPhone and Android. Go ahead and use these editing tools in the best way possible. Here’s hoping that your Reel ends up on Instagram’s Explore page for millions of users around the world.