Sound Selection: Catch Trending Audio Before It Peaks

Why Sound Choice Can Make or Break Your Short

Sound is half the story in short-form content.

A decent clip with the right audio can outperform a great clip with the wrong one. TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts all use audio as a discovery signal. If you pick sounds that are rising, not already saturated, you give your content a better chance to:

Land on more For You / Explore feeds
Get pushed to viewers who engaged with videos using the same sound
Fit into existing trend patterns the algorithm already understands

The problem is simple: most creators only notice a sound when it’s already massive. By then, it’s crowded, overused, and harder to stand out.

You want to spot audio while it’s just starting to pick up. That’s the sweet spot.

This guide breaks down how to do exactly that across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, plus how a workflow in ShortsFire can make it way faster.

The Life Cycle of a Trending Sound

Before you hunt for audio, understand the pattern most trends follow:

Early spark
- Few videos, but engagement is strong
- Mostly smaller or mid-size creators experimenting
- You see the same sound a couple of times in a week, not dozens in a day
Momentum phase
- Daily video count ramps up fast
- Big accounts start using it
- You see it across niches, not just one
Peak saturation
- Everyone uses it
- Results become mixed because you’re competing with thousands of clips
- The algorithm has massive choice, and your version has to be exceptional to stand out
Drop off or niche legacy
- Trend cools down
- Sound stays in a small subculture or disappears

Your target is stage 1 and early stage 2.

Core Rules For Picking Sounds That Will Work

Before we go platform by platform, use these filters. A sound isn’t “good” just because it’s trending.

Ask yourself:

Is this growing, not just big?
Look for “Recently used” counts going up over a couple of days, not just a giant number.
Can I build a clear format around it?
The best sounds come with a built-in structure: reveal, punchline, glow-up, before/after, point-of-view, etc.
Does it fit my audience and niche?
If you make productivity content-fans)-fans)-fans), trying to force a chaotic meme sound into your feed might confuse your viewers.
Do I have at least one strong idea for this audio right now?
If not, skip it. You’ll forget and by the time you return, it may be overused.

If a sound checks those boxes, save it and plan content around it.

TikTok: Your Best Early Warning System

TikTok is usually first to pick up audio trends. Treat it as your radar.

Step 1: Use the TikTok search bar the right way

Tap the search icon
Enter general phrases like:
- “trending sound”
- “use this sound”
- “viral audio”
Filter the results by “This week” or “This month”

You’ll often see creators literally telling you, “Use this sound right now.” Don’t just trust the caption. Check the audio page.

What to look at on the audio page:

Number of videos
- Under 1,000: very early
- 1,000 to 10,000: growing, often ideal
- 10,000 to 100,000: big but still usable if you have a strong angle
Recent videos
Scroll the first 10 to 20 clips:
- Are they all from the last few days
- Are engagement numbers (likes, comments, saves) strong relative to the creator’s size

If you see a sharp ramp in recent use, you’ve found a rising sound.

Step 2: Live on the For You Page with intent

Scrolling FYP can either be procrastination or research. Use it as research.

For 10 to 15 minutes:

Ignore “who” posted
Focus on which sounds come up more than once
If you spot the same sound twice in one session, tap the sound and check:
- Use count
- Video freshness
- Engagement

Save promising audio immediately to a “Trend Watch” playlist.

Instagram Reels: Catching Trends As They Spill Over

Reels usually picks up sounds after TikTok but still early enough to ride the wave.

Step 1: Look for the “trending arrow”

On Instagram Reels:

When you watch a reel, check the bottom left where the sound name appears
If you see an arrow icon next to the audio, it’s currently trending on Reels

Tap the sound and evaluate:

How many reels use it
What kind of creators are jumping on it
Whether it matches your niche or can be adapted

Step 2: Monitor your niche hashtags

Search and follow hashtags you already post in:

#reels, #reelitfeelit are noisy but can still show patterns
Niche-specific: #fitnessreels, #booktok (yes, some crossover), #codingreels, etc

When you browse a hashtag:

Look at the “Top” section
Compare the sounds used in the top 10 clips
Any overlap with what you’ve seen on TikTok is a strong signal it’s gaining real traction

Save the sounds that appear again and again.

YouTube Shorts: Translating Trends, Not Just Copying

YouTube Shorts usually lags behind TikTok trends but has its own behavior. You can win by bringing strong sounds from other platforms early.

Step 1: Use TikTok and Reels as your discovery engine

Your workflow can be:

Find rising sounds on TikTok
Confirm trend movement on Reels
Search the same sounds or equivalent music on YouTube Shorts

If you don’t find many Shorts using a sound that’s already performing on TikTok/Reels, you have a chance to be first on YouTube.

Step 2: Pay attention to YouTube’s own audio library

When you upload a Short:

Use the “Add sound” feature
Notice the curated sections such as:
- Trending
- Recommended for you
- Popular

Pick a few from “Trending” and quickly search them in Shorts:

Check how many videos exist
Look at the most recent 10 to 20
Confirm engagement looks real, not just from giant channels

Again, save the sound if it seems to be on the rise, not stale.

Using ShortsFire To Systematize Sound Selection

ShortsFire is built to make this whole process less random. While exact features can change as the platform grows, here’s a smart way to use it in your workflow.

1. Start your session by checking top-performing Shorts

Inside ShortsFire:

Filter videos by niche or topic
Sort by recent performance, not just all-time
Note which sounds keep showing up in high-performing clips

You’re looking for:

Repeated audio across different creators
Strong performance in the last 7 to 14 days

Add those sounds to a dedicated “Sounds to Test” list inside your content planning doc or system.

2. Track whether a sound is still early

Once you’ve picked a sound from ShortsFire:

Go back to TikTok and Instagram Reels
Search the same sound or song
Confirm it’s still in the early or momentum phase, not fully saturated

If it’s already completely everywhere, only keep it if you have a very strong, unique angle.

3. Plan content formats around each sound

For every saved sound, write down at least one of these:

Hook idea: “The moment you realize …”
Visual pattern: before/after, transformation, reaction, side-by-side, text-heavy
Niche angle: turn a general meme into your topic

ShortsFire can help by:

Showing different creative executions using the same or similar audio
Letting you spot which formats the algorithm seems to favor

The goal isn’t to copy, but to see what structure works and then adapt it to your style.

A Simple Weekly Routine For Sound Hunting

To avoid scrambling every time you want to post, make sound selection part of your weekly workflow.

Twice a week, 30 minutes each:

TikTok (10 minutes)
- Search trend phrases
- Scroll FYP with intention
- Save 5 to 10 sounds that seem early-stage
Instagram Reels (10 minutes)
- Check Reels trending arrow sounds
- Browse your niche hashtags
- Save 3 to 5 sounds that overlap or feel adaptable
YouTube Shorts + ShortsFire (10 minutes)
- In ShortsFire, review recent high performers
- On Shorts, check if those sounds are early or crowded
- Pick 3 to 5 to test for the upcoming week

End each session with a short list of sounds and at least one content idea per sound.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Even experienced creators fall into these traps:

Using a sound just because it’s huge
If it has millions of uses, you need a very strong creative spin. Otherwise, it blends in.
Ignoring audio quality
Distorted, low-quality, or weirdly cut clips can hurt your content even if the song itself is trending.
Forcing trends that don’t fit your audience
Some sounds just don’t match your brand or topic. It’s fine to skip them.
Waiting too long to act
If you find a promising sound, try to create with it within a few days. Trends move fast.

Turn Trend Hunting Into a Habit, Not a Gamble

Finding “trending” audio before it peaks isn’t a secret trick. It’s a habit:

Watch like a creator, not just a consumer
Track patterns across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts
Use tools like ShortsFire to shortcut the research
Act quickly while a sound still has room to grow

If you build a simple weekly routine and keep a living library of rising sounds, you won’t be chasing trends after they explode. You’ll be there early, with content ready to ride the wave.