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Industry

What Are Instagram Broadcast Channels? How to Create, Join, and Use Them to Broaden your Reach

Jourdan Aldredge

 A range of Broadcast Channels on Instagram are displayed on a pink screen.

Jan 30, 2025

 

As Instagram continues to evolve far beyond its original check-in app design, the Meta-owned social photo and video-sharing platform is still innovating new ways for creators to post, share, and even broadcast content.

If you’re a brand or content creator looking to stay up on the latest features and services offered by Instagram, then you need to check Instagram’s new Broadcast Channels feature. 

Designed as a way for creators to deepen connections with followers, Broadcast Channels are a public, one-to-many messaging tool for creators to invite all of their followers into and engage with their most interested fans.

If you are wondering, “What are Instagram Broadcast Channels?” Let us give you the full context, share some insights into how creators can utilize Broadcast Channels to continue growing their audiences, and explore how they could work for you.

What are Instagram Broadcast Channels

 

Fittingly enough, Mark Zuckerberg announced Broadcast Channels on Instagram with his own “Meta Channel” in February 2023. However, since then, Instagram’s Broadcast Channels feature has continued to evolve and add new functionalities.

At its core, though, Instagram Broadcast Channels is a feature designed to offer creators a casual, quick way to keep followers up-to-date on their activities. Instagram users can use text, photo, video, or voice notes to share their latest updates, behind-the-scenes moments from their day, or even create polls to crowdsource fan feedback.

At launch, Instagram Broadcast Channels were a one-way channel with followers only able to react or respond to polls. However, Instagram has recently expanded Broadcast Channels to allow creators to allow for replies if they choose.

How do Instagram Broadcast Channels Work?

A screenshot shows the page where you can join a broadcast channel on instagram, and the messaging center associated with the broadcast channel.

If you’re wondering how Instagram Broadcast Channels work or how to start a Broadcast Channel on Instagram, here are the steps to follow.

Once a creator gets access, they can start a Broadcast Channel directly from their Instagram inbox. Upon sending their Broadcast Channel message, their followers will receive a one-time notification to join the channel. As soon as the broadcast channel is live, creators can encourage their followers to join by using a “join channel” sticker in their Stories or by pinning the channel link to their profile.

Keep in mind, though, that when you share organic branded content on a broadcast channel, Instagram's branded content policies require that you use the paid partnership tool to indicate when a commercial relationship has influenced a message.

Also, your Broadcast Channels must also still follow all of Instagram’s rules and regulations surrounding music copyrights, so if you’re looking to use music or sound effects in your Broadcast Channels, be sure to follow our full guide on how to use copyrighted music on Instagram

How to join an Instagram Broadcast Channel

A screenshot shows how to start a broadcast channel on instagram, including the freshly created page, and the tours and updates center.

If you’re looking to simply join a Broadcast Channel on Instagram (or would like to better direct your followers as to how to join), the steps are quite simple as well.

Instagram users can access the link to the broadcast channel on their mobile devices via a creator’s Story sticker, the link pinned to their profile, or, as existing followers, a one-time notification sent when a creator starts a new channel.

From there, users need only tap the “Join broadcast channel” button. Once they have joined the channel, it will appear in the Instagram inbox next to other message threads. Your followers can then react to content by voting in polls and sending replies when enabled. They can also share a link to their favorite creators’ broadcast channels so friends can follow and join.

How to turn on replies in Instagram Broadcast Channels

A screenshot shows how to turn on replies in the messaging center when you broadcast on instagram.

As mentioned above, Instagram has now added the ability for creators to turn on replies in their Broadcast Channels. This option allows creators to have a back-and-forth conversation with their followers on their channel by nesting the replies within the original message (which helps to keep things organized).

Just like with comments, users can delete or report any replies so that they can continue to maintain control over their Broadcast Channels.

Here’s how to turn on replies in Instagram Broadcast Channels:

  • Tap your channel name at the top of your channel
  • Select “Channel controls”
  • Enable “Allow members to reply to messages”

When your fans reply, users see them in their direct messages, where they can respond to them later. (Replies can be viewed by tapping the arrow icon below a message in the channel.)

How to invite others to join Instagram Broadcast Channels

A messaging center shows where fans’ messages are received when they respond to a broadcast on instagram.

From there, Instagram users will also have the ability to invite others to join their Broadcast Channels by sharing one of the following:

  • Sharing an invite link to your channel. Note: The invite link to your broadcast channel can’t be turned off. However, you can reset it to generate a new link at any time.
  • Adding the channel to your stories. As the creator and admin of a broadcast channel, you can share your channel to a story. Learn more about what admins of broadcast channels can do on Instagram.
  • Sharing a message from the channel to a story by tapping and holding a message in the channel, then tapping Share to story. Your story will include an image of the message. People who can view your story can tap the image of the message to find and join the broadcast channel.
  • Sharing a QR code by tapping the channel name at the top of the channel, then tapping the QR code. People can scan the QR code with their mobile device’s camera to join the broadcast channel.

If you have more questions about how Instagram Broadcast Channels work or how to get started yourself, you can follow this full guide on Instagram’s website here.

Rules to follow on Instagram Broadcast Channels

As is the case with all features on Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook, privacy and safety are a top priority for the company. To help users feel safe and welcome, Instagram Broadcast Channels are subject to Instagram’s Community Guidelines, and users can report both the Broadcast Channel itself and specific content shared in the channel, which can be removed if it goes against Meta policies.

Furthermore, Broadcast Channels are designed for public and discoverable messaging experiences, so they are treated differently from private chats on Instagram. There are tools and reviewers in place to help Instagram identify, review, or remove content in broadcast channels that may violate our Community Guidelines – often before anyone sees it.

To learn more about the differences between channels and private conversations on Instagram, check out Instagram’s Help Center.

More Instagram articles and resources

A purple and orange Instagram logo appears when you start a broadcast channel on instagram.

Hopefully, this article on Instagram Broadcast Channels can serve as a helpful guide to getting started with this new feature on Instagram. However, if you’d like to keep exploring how you can better leverage platforms like Instagram to grow your channels and promote yourself and your brands, here are some additional articles and resources to boost your Instagram accounts.