Back to Blog
Platform Tips

How To Use Trending Audio To Boost Your Reach

ShortsFireDecember 11, 20251 views
Featured image for How To Use Trending Audio To Boost Your Reach

Why Trending Audio Works So Well

Audio is one of the strongest signals on short form platforms. When you use a trending sound, you plug into a content wave that algorithms already know viewers enjoy.

Here’s what trending audio does for you:

  • Puts your video into an active “cluster” of content using the same sound
  • Taps into an existing audience that is already engaging with that trend
  • Lowers the barrier for viewers to stop scrolling and watch
  • Gives your content instant context, mood, or joke setup

You’re not just chasing a fad. You’re riding traffic that already exists and redirecting some of it to your brand.

The key is to use trending audio with purpose, not randomly. You want the sound to support your message, not drown it out.

Step 1: Find Trending Audio On Each Platform

Your first job is to spot audio that’s already proving itself.

On YouTube Shorts

YouTube is still catching up to TikTok as a trend engine, but Shorts has its own audio ecosystem.

Try these:

  1. Use the Shorts feed

    • Scroll the Shorts tab and watch what repeats
    • Notice sounds you hear more than twice in a short session
    • Tap the sound icon at the bottom right of a Short to see:
      • How many videos use it
      • Recent uploads with that audio

  2. Search by keywords

    • In YouTube search, try phrases like:
      • “shorts trend”
      • “viral shorts audio”
      • Your niche + “shorts sound” (for example: “fitness shorts trend”)
    • Check recent upload dates so you’re not grabbing a trend that died 6 months ago

On TikTok

TikTok is the trend factory for the rest of the internet.

Use:

  1. The For You Page

    • Scroll and watch patterns
    • Notice:
      • Same sound across many creators
      • Sounds with lots of views in your niche
    • Tap the spinning record icon on the right:
      • View “Use this sound”
      • See how many videos use it
      • Scroll for recency and variety

  2. TikTok search

    • Type “viral sound”, “trending sound” or niche terms like:
      • “booktok sound”
      • “gymtok sound”
      • “coders sound”
    • Filter by “This week” if available, or check upload recency manually

On Instagram Reels

Instagram is heavily audio driven, especially for Reels.

Use:

  1. Reels tab

    • Scroll Reels and look for a small arrow next to audio names
    • That arrow icon means “Trending”
    • Tap the audio name at the bottom:
      • See how many Reels used it
      • Save the audio to your library

  2. Instagram audio search

    • Go to the Reels camera, tap “Audio”
    • Browse “Trending” if your account has it
    • Search words like “viral”, “trend”, your niche, or moods like “motivational”, “sad”, “funny”

Step 2: Decide If A Sound Is Worth Using

Not every trend is worth your time. Before you jump on a sound, check three things.

1. Volume vs timing

Ask:

  • Is it too early?

    • Only a handful of creators use it
    • Risk: you spend time on a trend that never takes off

  • Is it in the sweet spot?

    • Thousands of uses but still growing
    • Content is recent and varied
    • This is usually best

  • Is it too late?

    • Millions of uses, but new uploads are low engagement
    • Videos all feel repetitive or stale

Aim for sounds that are clearly growing, not sounds that already peaked.

2. Fit with your brand

A sound can be huge and still be wrong for you.

Check:

  • Does the vibe match your content?
    • Serious, playful, sarcastic, inspiring, chaotic
  • Can you make it relevant to what you post?
  • Would your audience share it without feeling confused?

If you need mental gymnastics to make a sound fit your niche, skip it.

3. Context and culture

Before you use any audio:

  • Check the original source
  • Look at how people use it
  • Watch for:
    • Sensitive themes
    • Hidden jokes or double meanings
    • Sounds tied to specific communities or issues

You don’t want to accidentally step into a meme or topic that clashes with your brand values.

Step 3: Use Trending Audio The Right Way

Once you pick a sound, how you use it matters more than the audio itself.

Match the “hook” to the first 1-2 seconds

The strongest part of the audio should line up with your first visual hook.

Examples:

  • Punchline in the audio → show your most surprising clip at that exact moment
  • Beat drop → sync a cut, transformation, or text reveal to it
  • Spoken line → match the line to a reaction shot or text that twists the meaning

If the first 2 seconds are weak, the trend won’t save you.

Use on-screen text to frame the audio

Trending sounds rarely explain your content by themselves. Viewers need context.

Use big, clear text to answer one of these questions:

  • “What’s in it for me?”
  • “Why should I care?”
  • “What’s funny or surprising here?”

Strong examples:

  • “POV: You tried to edit 10 Shorts in one night”
  • “This is why your Reels keep flopping”
  • “What clients think I do vs what I actually do”

Pair that with the audio so the meaning clicks in the first second.

Keep it short and tight

Most viral clips with trending audio are 7-15 seconds long. That is often enough.

You don’t need to use the full sound. You only need the section that:

  • Sets the mood
  • Delivers the joke
  • Carries the hook

Trim ruthlessly so there is no dead time before or after the key moment.

Step 4: Make Trends Your Own

Copying trends beat for beat rarely builds loyal fans. You want to echo the trend, not blend into it.

Here are ways to stand out:

Add a niche specific twist

Map the general idea of the trend to your world.

Examples:

  • You run a marketing agency

    • Trend: “How it started vs how it’s going”
    • Twist: Early low-budget ads vs your latest high performing campaign

  • You’re a fitness coach

    • Trend: Audio about “I’ll start on Monday”
    • Twist: Overlay text roasting common excuses and then cut to a simple home workout

  • You teach coding

    • Trend: Relatable “this is fine” chaos audio
    • Twist: Show messy bug fixing, then final working product

Mix popular audio with original content hooks

Use the trending sound, but hook viewers with:

  • Strong educational promise
    • “Stop doing this in your Reels if you want views”
  • Quick tutorial
    • “3 hooks I use to make Shorts go viral”
  • Personal story
    • “The one mistake that killed my first channel”

You ride the audio wave while still building your own brand identity.

Step 5: Cross Post With Care

Shorts, TikTok, and Reels share a lot of the same trends, but the audio libraries are different.

If you edit inside ShortsFire or another editor, here’s how to handle it:

  1. Export your video without the platform audio

    • Keep your visuals, edits, and timing
    • Add the audio natively on each platform

  2. Search for the same sound on each app

    • Often the same track exists across platforms
    • Choose the version that already has traction

  3. Align your timing manually

    • Use the platform’s editor to sync your cuts or captions with the beat or voice line
    • Watch at least twice before posting to make sure it matches

This way each platform recognizes the sound as its own, which increases your chance of being pulled into that trend’s content pool.

Step 6: Track What Actually Works

You don’t want to chase every sound forever. Use your own data to shape your audio strategy.

Watch these metrics for videos that used trending audio:

  • View velocity
    • How fast did views grow in the first hour, 24 hours, 3 days
  • Watch time and average view duration
    • Did viewers stay until the main moment in the audio
  • Shares and saves
    • Strong sign the trend + content mix landed
  • Comments
    • Are people referencing the audio, the idea, or both

Patterns you might notice:

  • Certain moods work better for your niche
  • Certain audio lengths keep people watching longer
  • Some trends drive views but not followers

Use that feedback to refine which sounds you chase next.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Plenty of creators use trending audio and still get no reach. Often they hit one of these traps:

  • Using a trend that’s already over

    • You copy a sound weeks after its peak when viewers are tired of it

  • Ignoring your niche

    • You pick sounds only because they’re viral, not because they fit your audience

  • No clear hook

    • Great audio, boring visuals
    • No strong text or framing at the start

  • Cluttered edits

    • Too many cuts, effects, or text lines fighting against the audio

  • Copying without adding anything

    • You create the same video everyone has already seen

Focus on what your viewer feels in the first 2 seconds. Sound, visuals, and text should work together to trigger curiosity or recognition.

Putting It All Together

Using trending audio is not about chasing every sound you hear. It’s about:

  1. Spotting audio that’s actually growing
  2. Checking if it suits your brand and audience
  3. Framing it with strong hooks and clear text
  4. Giving the trend a twist that fits your niche
  5. Cross posting smartly across Shorts, TikTok, and Reels
  6. Tracking which sounds lead to both views and follows

When you treat audio as a strategic tool instead of a shortcut, you stop guessing and start building repeatable performance.

Use trends to open the door. Use your message and style to keep people inside.

Platform TipsContent StrategyShortsFire