Instagram leaves videos edited on Reels and then downloaded for posting on TikTok without sound

To the exasperation of Instagram administrators, the effort to develop a powerful video editor designed to convince content creators to choose Reels over rival TikTok has only resulted in the benefits being exploited, with creators simply editing their video creations using the tools provided by Instagram, then downloading them to post them to TikTok as well.

YouTube is also facing similar issues, with Google recently announcing that it will apply a logo over all videos downloaded from the YouTube Shorts platform, in a bid to show future viewers that they can find more of this type of content if they just log onto the Google-owned platform.

But Meta begs to differ, taking a trenchant decision to “sabotage” creators who come just to take advantage of the editing facilities developed for Instagram Reels, simply leaving clips prepared with the Reels editor and downloaded for offline use without sound. Of course, creators with enough determination can overcome this hurdle by first distributing the clip in question on Instagram Reels. It then remains to download the posted clip to extract its soundtrack, which they can eventually add to the previously downloaded soundless clip. All of this involves the use of specialised software and a lot of hassle, and it is more likely that amateurs of such tricks will simply give up.

For example, one of the reasons TikTok stars choose to edit their videos first using Instagram Reels services is the Green Screen filter, which they can apply without much fuss by selecting a background of their choice.

In the opposing camp, the editing tools provided by TikTok are rather primitive, not useful for advanced editing. In addition, TikTok doesn’t allow you to access all the image filters for footage shot with external devices (e.g. GoPro, or professional video cameras), pressing users to turn to the mobile app’s built-in capture feature. And since it only runs on smartphones or tablets, the shooting possibilities are rather limited. At the same time, unlike rival platforms, ByteDance’s administrator has long applied the mandatory watermark and pre-posting rule on TikTok, blocking any possibility of using the platform’s services for other purposes.