How to turn a video into a Boomerang
What is a Boomerang video, exactly? Learn how to turn a video into a Boomerang on Instagram, TikTok, and more.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth
Date: Feb 6, 2024 • 5 min read
Boomerang video was a super-popular format in the mid-2010s. Keep reading to learn all about this peculiar editing trick, plus how to turn a video into a Boomerang on Instagram, TikTok, and more.
We'll cover:
What does it mean to 'Boomerang' a video?
Does the Boomerang app still exist?
How do you Boomerang a video on Instagram?
How do you Boomerang an existing video on Instagram?
How do you Boomerang a video on TikTok?
How do you make a Boomerang for other social media platforms?
How do you add music to a Boomerang video?
What does it mean to ‘Boomerang’ a video?
Boomerang was an iOS and Android app first introduced by Instagram in 2015. The app allowed users to record short bursts of five photos, stitching them together into a one-second, silent video. Think of it like stop motion animation, or a GIF.
Then, the video would be looped back and forth, creating a never-ending ‘boomerang’ video effect. The Boomerang video app also saved content automatically to the user’s camera roll, meaning they could publish and share their creations across various social media platforms.
Does the Boomerang app still exist?
As you might have guessed, we’ve been referring to the Boomerang video app in the past tense for a reason: it doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a crying shame, given how nice the app was to use, and the fact that you didn’t even need an Instagram account to access it.
How do you Boomerang a video on Instagram?
Dry your eyes. Even though the Boomerang app was deleted in 2022, you can still create Boomerang video content directly through Instagram. Here’s how:
Open your Instagram mobile app, then click the ‘+’ icon at the bottom of the screen.
Select the ‘Story’ option, then click the ‘Boomerang’ symbol on the left-hand side. The symbol looks like the infinity sign: ‘∞’
You’ll see the ‘∞’ symbol at the bottom of the screen, acting as the ‘Record’ button. Before you film anything, you can scroll through different effects to alter your Boomerang video. These effects can be found by swiping right on the ‘Record’ button.
Once you’ve decided whether to use effects or not, hold down the ‘Record’ button to start Boomeranging. Move your camera quickly, as you only have a second to capture your footage.
Your Boomerang video will then preview. If you want to shoot your footage again, hit the arrow in the top-left corner of the screen.
Add extras and effects to your Instagram Boomerang, if you feel like it. These options are housed in the top-right corner of the screen, and allow you to add captions, slo-mo effects, and more. You can also add music from Instagram’s catalog at this stage.
Once you’re happy with your Boomerang, you can publish it. Click ‘Your Story’ to share publicly on your Instagram Story, or ‘Close Friends’ to share with a select few. You can also save the Boomerang to your device. It’s worth noting that if you include music from Instagram in your Boomerang, the track won’t appear in your downloaded version. The music provided by Instagram is only available on Instagram.
How do you Boomerang an existing video on Instagram?
Can you turn a video into a Boomerang? As in, can you take existing footage and slice it up into a second-long sandwich for Instagram? Yep, you can. In fact, there are several video editing apps and software that go out of their way to help you make Boomerangs.
Some of those include:
Clideo: A paid-for, online tool that requires no software or app installation
FlexClip: Another web-based tool that allows users to work on 12 projects for free before upgrading
Boomerang Video Maker Loop: An app dedicated to Boomeranging — it’s free to use if you keep the watermark
Once you’ve created your Boomerang video outside of Instagram, you can upload it to your Story — or as a regular post — like you would with any other video file.
How do you Boomerang a video on TikTok?
Can you create Boomerangs for TikTok? Yep. You can fiddle around by recording and reversing clips, but that’s a hassle. You’re better off using one of the Boomerang-specific editors we mentioned earlier, then uploading it to TikTok.
Once you’ve done that, you can go wild with all the effects, captions, and music, editing your Boomerang in TikTok as you would a regular video.
How do you make a Boomerang for other social media platforms?
If you want to create Boomerang videos for Facebook Stories, YouTube Shorts, Lemon8, or something else entirely, fear not. Create your Boomerang video with a third-party program, then edit and upload as usual.
How do you add music to a Boomerang video?
If you upload your Boomerang video to a social media platform with a built-in music collection, and choose music through said platform, you’re good to go. As long as you’re only using it on that platform, you’re working within the rules and won’t run into any trouble.
However, if you want to use a specific track that’s not available on platform, you’ll have to edit your Boomerang in a third-party app, add the music, then upload the finished article to social media.
If you’re doing this, it’s important to have the correct license for the track you’re using. Otherwise, you could risk losing the right to monetize your content on certain platforms, and in some cases, your Boomerang video could even be removed.
Let us handle it. Our catalog is high-quality, affordable, and safe. An Epidemic Sound subscription goes beyond royalty-free music, removing the headache of licensing and freeing you up to do what you do best. You can enjoy the safety of our license hand-in-hand with our massive catalog of 50,000 tracks, covering just about every genre you can think of. You’ll also gain unlimited access to our advanced search functions — finding the right sound’s never been easier.
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