Boosting Brand Engagement on Instagram Using Viral Music

Scroll through Instagram today, and you’ll notice something consistent: the most engaging Reels are powered by popular music. From trending Bollywood beats to viral indie hooks, audio has become a powerful tool for brands to connect with audiences. As Reels continue to dominate user attention, marketers are no longer just creating visual content—they’re curating sound-led experiences to drive deeper engagement.

Instagram has evolved from a photo-sharing platform into a sound-driven video playground. With billions of Reels watched daily, music is no longer an add-on—it’s the heartbeat of performance content.

Key Trends and Insights

Shift to Audio-Visual Storytelling: Brands are moving from static posts to immersive storytelling using music and visuals together. This approach appeals to today’s short-attention-span audience, delivering the message in seconds—backed by mood, emotion, and rhythm. 

• 48% more views on video posts vs. static images—users are more drawn to motion.
• Video ads drive ~30% higher click-through rates than static image ads on Meta.
• Social-media video posts see 48% more views and are shared 1,200% more than text + images.
• Instagram Reels generate 55% more interactions vs. single-image posts, and 29% more than standard video posts.
• 93% of brands report acquiring new customers via social videos.

Trending Music Enhances Performance: Reels using music—especially trending tracks—perform significantly better. According to multiple studies and platform insights, music-driven Reels see up to 200% more engagement, 35–70% more views, and 17% higher reach. Over 80% of Reels are watched with sound on, making audio a key factor in capturing attention. Sound enhances memorability, emotional impact, and shareability—making your content not just watched, but remembered.

Brands Now License Music Intentionally: With India’s content industry booming, over 80,000 brands and 550,000 creators are producing content daily. Alarmingly, 87% of them are knowingly violating music copyright in the process. In response, more companies are now opting to license trending music legally—not only to avoid legal risks but also to stay aligned with what’s culturally relevant and resonates with today’s audiences.

Why Music Licensing Matters

Music licensing isn’t just a legal technicality—it’s a brand safety necessity. Using unlicensed music can get your Reel muted, removed, or worse—flagged for copyright infringement. For businesses, this can harm credibility, derail campaigns, and even impact long-term platform trust. A recent example is the Sony Music vs. Myntra lawsuit, where the use of unlicensed music led to legal action and significant reputational risk—highlighting just how critical it is for brands to stay compliant.

That’s why understanding and prioritizing music licensing is essential. Licensing gives you the legal rights to use music in your content—protecting both your brand and your budget. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts are increasingly strict, making it more important than ever to use copyright free music or properly licensed tracks.

And there’s a bonus: when you license music, you often get access to high-quality, original tracks that haven’t yet saturated the market—helping your content stand out even more.

About Hoopr Smash

This is where Hoopr Smash comes in.

Built for modern brands, creators, and agencies, Hoopr Smash offers a wide catalog of 18,000+ pre-cleared tracks—from viral Bollywood hits to Reels-friendly indie and regional beats. Every track is legally licensed and ready to use across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and more—no copyright concerns, no takedowns.

A key highlight is Hoopr Smash’s partnerships with top music labels, including YRF Music, Merchant Records, and regional giants like Saga Music and Amara Muzik. The platform also includes tracks from rising independent artists like Panther, Unluv, Arham, Triv, Punya and many more.

This means access to music from over 380 popular Indian artists tracks, featuring icons like A.R. Rahman, Badshah, Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Diljit Dosanjh, Vishal and Sheykhar, and Amit Trivedi.

More than just access to great music, Hoopr Smash offers peace of mind—with every track available to license in just a few clicks. Designed like an e-commerce platform, it lets users search by mood, occasion, or use case, and license music in under 15 minutes. With prices starting at just ₹599, it’s an affordable, hassle-free solution for everyone—from solo creators to major brands—to stay legal, relevant, and on-brand.

Ready to take your Instagram Reels to the next level? Don’t risk your content with unlicensed tracks. Explore trending, copyright safe music and legally license viral hits on Hoopr Smash. Boost your engagement, stay compliant, and let the music do the talking.