Adding music, stickers, and other effects to Instagram and TikTok posts
Certain effects can’t be added through Buffer when using automatic publishing to send through posts, reels, or stories. This is due to limitations within the Instagram and TikTok APIs.
These include:
- Trending audio/music or sound effects from the platform’s music libraries
- Stickers, filters, and visual effects
- Interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or unique layouts
- Auto-generated closed captions
Using these effects is only available directly within Instagram or TikTok’s mobile app. That means they’re not supported when publishing posts automatically through Buffer.
If you’d like to use music or effects in your Instagram and TikTok posts, you'll need to use Buffer's notification publishing.
📝 Pro tip: Clicking "Music" and "Tag Products" reveals text boxes where you can add reminders of which music and products you'll add when Buffer pushes the posting notification to your mobile device.
How Notification Publishing Works
With notification publishing, you can still plan and schedule your content in Buffer. When it’s time to post, you’ll receive a notification on your phone. Tapping the alert will open the content in the Instagram or TikTok app, where you can finish your post with any desired effect.
For example, to add a collaborator to your Instagram post, you can schedule it as a notification in Buffer, open the notification when it's time to post, and then add the collaborator directly in the Instagram app.
👉 Learn more about using notification publishing in Buffer