Just when you thought Instagram couldn’t get any more extra, they’ve gone and done it again. The social media giant is rolling out a feature that’ll let you add music to your profile. That’s right, folks – soon your Insta page will be serving looks and beats.
Remember MySpace? If you’re old enough to have had an account (and young enough to remember it), you might be getting some serious déjà vu right now. For the youngsters out there, MySpace was the OG of social media platforms, and one of its coolest features was the ability to have a song play automatically when someone visits your profile. Well, Instagram’s taking a page out of that book, but with a modern twist.
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So, how does this new feature work? Let’s break it down.
First things first, this isn’t a global rollout yet. Instagram is testing the waters by making this feature available to a select group of users. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll see a new “Music” option in your profile settings. Don’t see it? Don’t worry, your time will come. For now, you’ll just have to live vicariously through your more musically inclined friends.
If you do have access, here’s how to get your profile grooving:
- Head to your profile page and tap on “Edit Profile.”
- Look for the new “Music” option. It should be nestled in there with all your other profile settings.
- Tap on “Music” and you’ll be whisked away to a page where you can search for and select a song.
- Once you’ve found the perfect track to represent your vibe, select it and save your changes.
Voila! Your profile is now a tiny disco.
But wait, there’s more! Instagram isn’t just letting you add any old song to your profile. Oh no, they’re giving you options, baby. You can choose to display the artist and song title on your profile or keep it a mystery. You can also pick a specific part of the song to highlight – maybe that killer guitar solo or that verse that speaks to your soul.
Now, before you go wild and start planning your profile’s new soundtrack, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- This isn’t like the old MySpace days when your chosen song would start blasting as soon as someone landed on your page (much to the horror of anyone browsing social media in a quiet library). On Instagram, users will have to tap to play the music. So no need to worry about your boss getting an unexpected earful of death metal when they check out your profile.
- The music library available will likely depend on Instagram’s licensing agreements. So while you might not find every obscure indie track you love, you should have plenty of popular tunes to choose from.
- As with all things social media, use this feature wisely. Maybe don’t put “Bad Reputation” as your profile song right before a job interview, you know?
So, what’s the point of all this? Well, aside from giving us yet another way to procrastinate, this new feature is all about self-expression. Your Instagram profile is already a curated representation of who you are (or who you want people to think you are). Adding music to the mix gives you one more tool to paint a picture of your personality.
Are you a country music lover? A hip-hop head? Do you exclusively listen to sea shanties? (Hey, no judgment here.) Whatever your musical taste, now you can let it shine on your profile.
It’s also a neat way to discover new music. Imagine scrolling through profiles and stumbling upon a song that absolutely slaps. It’s like having a bunch of mini DJs in your pocket.
Of course, as with any new social media feature, there’s bound to be some eye-rolling. “Great,” some might say, “another thing to obsess over.” And they’re not wrong. You just know there are going to be people out there agonizing over which song perfectly encapsulates their essence.
But hey, that’s social media for you. It’s a never-ending quest to present the most curated version of ourselves. And now that curated version comes with a soundtrack.
So, there you have it. Instagram is bringing music to your profile, and the social media landscape just got a little bit louder. Whether you’re excited about this new feature or already planning to mute everyone, one thing’s for sure – Instagram just cranked it up to 11.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go decide whether my profile vibe is more “Dancing Queen” or “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
