HOW TO USE AUDIO ON INSTAGRAM: BEST TIPS FOR FOOD CONTENT CREATORS
When Instagram first emerged over a decade ago, it was mainly a visual platform, making it the perfect space for food photographers and food bloggers to share their work. Still photos ruled the feed, and lengthy captions allowed creatives to share their food stories while building deep connections with their online communities.
Fast forward to 2025 and Instagram is almost unrecognisable. Videos in the form of Reels have taken top spot on the platform and are undoubtedly the algorithm’s favourite, with carousel posts following closely behind. While many food photographers, myself included, miss the golden era of still photography, the rise of video content has opened up exciting new ways for creatives to express themselves.
Not only can we tell more intricate food stories through moving visuals AKA video, we now also have another medium we can use to share our hearts, our thoughts and our own unique style: audio! In fact, Instagram not only enables users to add music to Reels, but also to still images and carousel posts, highlighting just how important sound has become in crafting engaging content.
So the question is, as food photographers and food content creators, what sound should we use to enhance our storytelling, stand out, and create a truly immersive experience for our audience?
In today’s blog post I’ll share the best Instagram audio ideas for food photographers and food bloggers to help create unforgettable content!
1/ MUSIC MATTERS!
Adding the right music to your Instagram content can make a huge difference to how it’s received and how well it performs. That’s why it’s essential to choose music thoughtfully, ensuring it complements your visuals and enhances your storytelling.
Interestingly, when Reels first emerged, creatives tended to prefer using trending songs and sounds as they appeared to have some beneficial effect on reach and engagement. PLUS, at the time the Instagram music library was more limited. However, as the platform has evolved and the music library has been extended, trending songs don’t seem to matter as much. Instead, choosing music that genuinely suits your content and reflects your and your brand’s personality has the potential to make a much bigger impact.
Experienced food creators take this a step further by using music to set the pace of their content, often syncing their edits to the rhythm of the track. This approach results in a more polished, cohesive Reel. Additionally, music can set the mood and convey an emotion too, which further helps tell your food story and helps you stand out from the crowd.
The lesson?
Rather than solely following music trends, explore selecting music that enhances your visuals, matches the energy of your content, and helps convey your unique brand identity. The right song can totally transform a simple video into an engaging, standout piece!
2/ ASMR FOR THE WIN!
ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) refers to the tingling, satisfying reaction we experience from certain natural sounds. In the world of food content, ASMR highlights the irresistible sounds that ingredients make like the crunch of cutting into a crusty bread loaf, the sizzle of tofu hitting a hot pan, or the crisp pour of water into a glass. All these sounds can enhance your Reel’s audio and make your content more immersive and captivating.
To maximize the impact of ASMR, use a microphone to capture clear audio, especially for subtle or particularly delicious sounds! It’s important to note that many creatives also exaggerate certain movements when filming their food reels to create sounds that normally wouldn’t be there or wouldn’t be as pronounced, such as sliding a bread across a chopping board or slamming cheese slices onto a sandwich.
ASMR has been a part of food reels from the get go and looks to be here to stay for good. Now the key question is: How can you best incorporate ASMR into your food content in a way that feels unique and utterly scrumptious?
The takeaway?
High-quality ASMR can make your food content more engaging, memorable, and shareable. Experiment with different sounds, invest in a mic, and find creative ways to make your food sound as delicious as it tastes!
3/ TAKE YOUR FOOD CONTENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH VOICEOVERS!
One of the most powerful ways to make your content stand out is by adding a voiceover. No one else has your voice, your tone, or your way of speaking making voiceovers the most unique and personal audio addition to your Reel.
Many food content creators use voiceovers to break down recipes step by step, guiding viewers through the cooking process. This approach is especially helpful for those who learn best through a combination of visuals and audio or need extra clarity on specific steps within the recipe. If you're an educator in the food or food photography space, like I am, a well-structured voiceover can be a game-changer for your audience by delivering clear and helpful instructions.
Some food content creators use voice overs to tell meaningful, personal anecdotes that are often only loosely connected to the recipe they are sharing. This approach to voice overs undoubtedly takes more work and often involves setting some time aside for scripting. It also requires good story telling skills and an openness to share a little bit more of yourself with your online community. It’s certainly not the easiest audio option, but can foster an incredibly deep bond with your audience and thereby make your content super memorable.
The takeaway?
Voiceovers are a fantastic way to add personality, clarity, and depth to your content. Whether you're teaching a recipe or sharing a heartfelt story, using your voice in addition to say, thinking about your camera angles and phone settings, can make your food content more engaging, unique and unforgettable.
4/ AUDIO THAT DOES IT ALL!
Why choose one when you can have them all? If you feel excited about all these different audio options, why not experiment with the different audio choices available to you? You can try a different audio overlay for each Reel you record, to see what resonates most with your audience. Why not try programming this in detail as part of your master plan for posting with sustainable and strategic consistency?
Alternatively, you can combine two to three audio options in one Reel; it’s a little more involved choosing the right music, including ASMR and also recording a voice over, but hard work usually pays off!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Before you go…
I truly hope this blog post was helpful to get you excited about crafting an Instagram strategy you’re proud of!
If you’re serious about wanting to further improve your Instagram Reels strategy and take your recipe Reels to the next level, why not order my new book, How to Make Your Food Famous, join my Food Reels Course OR join the waiting list below for our brand new Instagram Growth Masterclass, launching this Spring!