In this month’s iteration of Random Labs, we continue exploring all aspects of Instagram. After evaluating SEO implications, geotagging, and more (check out our previous blogs here), we now analyze the potential impact of audio on Instagram content performance.
Specifically, do reels with an original audio experience impact performance changes compared to reels that utilize Instagram’s native music features?
The focus of this experiment will be reels, as video content has seen a definitive rise on the platform over the years—almost to the point where Instagram is transforming into a video-dominant platform.
The way we will separate our comparative data among Instagram reels will include one basic factor. Under the profile portion of a posted reel, there is currently a label that indicates the audio being used for the content. We want to compare reels that are labeled with “Original Audio” vs. those with named music. Here are the key differences:
Once again, we will evaluate our own content here at Random! The following are some examples from a couple reels that quickly helps you identify each type.
Reels with Original Audio:
Reels with Overlaid Music
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When it comes to hypotheses, it’s safe to say that no definitive claim has been made regarding whether original reel audio or native named music performs better on Instagram Reels. There have been arguments in favor of both, with some suggesting one leads to higher engagement and reach. This underscores the importance of analyzing your own content, which we routinely do at Random.
This test comparing both types of reels is relatively simple and not overly demanding in terms of statistical methodology. We begin by organizing our dataset, which includes only reels from the last six months. Next, we create a binary outcome variable to indicate whether a reel contains original audio or named music. Finally, we conduct two separate t-tests to analyze differences in reach and engagement.
A t-test is a statistical tool that helps us determine if there's a meaningful difference between two groups. Imagine you're comparing two groups of people - let's say men and women - to see if there's a real difference in their average height. A t-test is like a mathematical referee that decides whether the difference you observe is significant or just a result of random chance. So in our example, we are going to see if the difference in either engagement or reach for both types of reels contains a significant difference.
We can formulate the following table of p-values after conducting our t-tests:
| Engagement | Reach | |
| Reels w/ Original Audio | 8.00 | 142.87 |
| Reels w/ Named Music | 10.08 | 149.67 |
| p-value | 0.1449 <0.05 | 0.8681 < 0.05 |
| Conclusion | No significant difference | No significant difference |
We once again tested at a confidence level (α) of 0.05, meaning the statistical test would be significant if falling under this threshold. This value is set to determine a tolerance for meaningful results (see our previous blog on Instagram Geotagging for a quick and free statistics lesson and application).
Based on our results, there were no statistically significant differences (at a 95% confidence level) between reels with original audio vs. named music in their effects on engagement or reach. This means, we did not find any significant impact on post performance when using one type of audio over the other for Instagram reels.
This result is what we expected for this analysis, primarily because of how many other dimensions there are in evaluating reels as a content type. There are likely other aspects of a reel that contribute to post performance at a higher magnitude, such as visual appeal, captions, timeliness, and trends.
This also does not mean that using original audio or Instagram's audio has zero impact. Leverage can certainly vary based on how things align for the overall post. Brand-specific or voiceover content may find better leverage with original audio while trend-based or emotional content may very well work better with Instagram’s music. There's no one-size-fits-all approach for each individual piece of content.
Ultimately, the choice between original audio and named music should depend on the specific content and goals of each reel. Experimenting with both and analyzing performance can help determine what works best for your audience. It's important to make assessments based on evaluation that best tailors to your profile and leverage your own data.
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