Making Instagram Reels Easier, Faster & Scalable

Wondering how to create Instagram Reels faster without losing quality or reach? Want to know which new Instagram and Edits features help you edit, analyze, and scale Reels? ​In this article, you'll discover how to use First Draft, the Edits app, Reels analytics, pinned posts, and translations to make Instagram Reels easier to create, faster […]

#1: How to Make Instagram Reels Faster Without Sacrificing Quality

Instagram's newest editing tools shorten the time it takes to produce an Instagram Reel, but Elizabeth Marberry says they don't yet replace human editing judgment. The time they save pays off only when it goes toward publishing enough Reels to learn from while keeping each one good-enough to hold its reach.

How to Use Instagram's First Draft Tool to Speed Up Reels Editing

First Draft is a one-tap auto-editing tool built into the native Instagram app, so there's no need to switch to the Edits app to use it. Once the clips for a Reel are selected, a single tap removes pauses and trims the clips, generating an initial video in about 10 seconds. There's no prompt box for instructions. The single tap is the entire interaction.

​Elizabeth says Instagram named the feature accurately because it produces a first draft, not a finished Reel. 

When she tested it on a scripted yapping video, a direct-to-camera video of the creator talking, it missed how she records. She often repeats a line to deliver it in a more enthusiastic or more grounded tone, and First Draft didn't recognize the repeated line, so it left both takes in. It also kept moments where she coughed and rubbed her nose, treating them as part of the video. First Draft works best for creators who leave long, clean pauses and never clear their throat on camera.

​The Cut Silences feature in the Edits app handles one sequence at a time, while First Draft works across a batch of clips. First Draft also works on B-roll, not just direct-to-camera footage. Elizabeth tested it on B-roll her husband filmed of her walking through an open house. It picked a few good shots, but the result was lackluster because the cuts ran too long. A B-roll video like that needs an edit every 2 seconds.

​She hasn't tested First Draft on voiceovers. Because the tool lives in the Instagram app, the way to test it is to record a voiceover in Edits, upload it to Instagram Reels, and run First Draft to see whether it tightens the audio.

​A busy business owner can't yet record a talking-head video, tap First Draft, add captions, and publish. Even the Cut Silences feature in Edits leaves clips that still need a little more trimming by hand.