Instagram Notes now allows you to easily share music with others. Additionally, you have the ability to view translations within the app

Instagram Notes is introducing its latest set of enhancements after its public debut in December 2022. Previously, Instagram Notes allowed users to share a status message exclusively with their Close Friends or mutual connections at the top of their inbox.

However, with the latest update, Notes will now support the inclusion of music and translations. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced these updates via his Instagram Broadcast Channel earlier today.

Before this update, Notes were limited to text and emojis. Now, users will have the ability to share a 30-second music clip as an additional means of self-expression. The idea is that people can utilize Music Notes to convey their moods, emotions, or simply share their favourite songs. Alongside the shared clip, users can also add captions to their Music Notes to express their thoughts, if desired.

The company has confirmed that song clips will be available in all global markets where Instagram holds music licensing rights.

Another notable addition in this update is Notes Translations. This feature allows users to tap on a “See translation” link beneath a note written in a different language to have it automatically translated into their preferred language.

Instagram already offers translation support for various sections of its app, including post descriptions, comments, and Reels. This update ensures that the same functionality is now available for Instagram Notes as well.

During the testing phase prior to its launch last year, Meta discovered that users appreciated having a light-hearted way to initiate conversations with their friends. Similar to how Twitter prompts users with “What’s happening?” on its platform, Instagram Notes invites users to “Share a thought…” Users can then compose a note containing up to 60 characters of text or emojis, which will be displayed at the top of their friends’ inboxes for 24 hours. Responses to these notes will be received through Direct Messages (DMs).

Although it may have flown under the radar due to limited adoption within certain friend groups, Instagram Notes has allowed the company to explore text-based updates ahead of the launch of its Twitter counterpart, which is currently in active development.

In fact, there were previous reports from The New York Times indicating that Instagram had considered leveraging Notes as a potential competitor to Twitter. However, with the imminent launch of Instagram’s independent, decentralized social app resembling Twitter, it remains uncertain how this will impact user adoption or the company’s investment in the less prominent Instagram Notes feature.

The new features will be gradually rolled out starting today to Instagram’s global user base. It is important to note that the updates may not be immediately visible to all users, as large-scale rollouts often require some time to reach everyone.