Spark AR Launches New Augmented Reality Features for Instagram

Spark AR continues to expand Instagram’s digital creative canvas with its new augmented reality features and capabilities. They simplify AR creation, giving brands and online users fresh creative opportunities.

One of the world’s leading mobile AR platforms is expanding the creative canvas with music and effects. Moreover, it makes content creation so much easier for users with fun, quick, and easy templates.

Let’s delve deeper into their latest updates for AR creation.

Expanding Creative Possibilities With Augmented Reality

Instagram users can now create augmented reality experiences that respond to music. You can import legally licensed music, or select free tracks from the platform’s vast library. As of this writing, it is available on Android and should roll out soon on iOS devices.

“AR music capabilities are open to any third-party creator,” a representative of the company said in a statement. “Spark AR brand policies still apply.”

Aside from music, Spark AR has added new AR effects. You can apply them to existing photos and videos in your media library or those that are captured with the Instagram camera. It’s an exciting way to spice up old photos. Moreover, it provides users with enormous opportunities to express themselves creatively.

Spark AR takes these experiences a step further through their Gallery Picker update. It enables creators to publish green-screen style effects on Instagram. Other users can join in on the fun by personalizing the effects with their images and videos.

With Gallery Picker, the only limit to your creativity is your imagination. For instance, you can transport yourself to any environment. Let’s say you want to place yourself digitally in a city you’ve never been to. Or perhaps you want to be in an environment that not many have explored. Whether it’s space or the depths of the ocean, you can do all of that using this augmented reality feature.

Making Augmented Reality Creation Easier

We asked Spark AR if creators of all skill levels can use the latest AR features. A representative from the company confirmed this. In a statement, they said:

“Our new features and capabilities in the release of version 89 of Spark AR Studio help simplify and ease AR creation and continue our efforts to reach creators of all levels.”

Last year, the company introduced Spark AR Studio templates. This gave creators of all skill levels user-friendly tools, making augmented reality creation so much faster and easier. Along with the recent update, they’ve rolled out templates for 2D and 3D stickers. You can now make effects with so much ease. Using plane tracking, you can conveniently add images and objects to a specific scene.

Since the new templates use IG’s Native UI Picker, you can choose from a variety of stickers. You can browse the latest additions from the Create New tab of Spark AR Studio.

Bringing Greater Visibility to Creators

Other than expanding your creative toolkit, Spark AR has improved your creation’s visibility. Effect Stories is a new feature that allows you to discover accounts with published effects. Hence, it makes it easier for you to see how people are using AR creatively.

Effect Stories can highlight 25 stories from people using a specific effect. You, too, can easily browse your own creations from the Effects tab of your IG page.

Another addition is the Effect Gallery. It showcases various AR effects from creators. You’ve probably already seen this in April when it was used to promote IG’s Stay Home initiative. In addition, it was used to promote graduation celebrations.

Spark AR intends to further expand AR tools on IG with future updates, making the creation process more user-friendly. Furthermore, they are working on culturally relevant themes and moments.

“We’re beyond excited for the future Spark AR features and capabilities to support existing and budding creators. Stay tuned!” the company told ARPost.