San Francisco, Jul 17 (IANS): Instagram is aiming to roll out its new video-music remix feature Reels which offer TikTok-like functionalities, first in the US and followed by 50 other markets in early August.

A Facebook spokesperson did not provide a specific date for the US rollout but did confirm that it was going to be launched in other countries as well in early August, reports TechCrunch.

Facebook-owned Instagram earlier this month announced the extension of the testing of Reels, which allows users to record, edit and share short multi-clip videos, to India.

Reels' official launch comes at a time when TikTok has been banned in India, while the US has said it is suspicious of the Chinese app.

With Reels, Instagram users can share 15-second videos with their followers on Feed and, if they have a public account, make their reels available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.

Instagram is used by over a billion people globally across many surfaces -- Feed, Stories, IGTV and Live.

With Reels, people can express themselves while entertaining others, whether that's by trying out a fun new dance or spreading the message on something they care about.

People can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools on Reels.

"Instagram has always been a place where culture is created, because people come to share the things they care about and be entertained.

"We're constantly listening to our community, and have heard that they want to make and watch short-form videos on Instagram and have the opportunity to be discovered by our broader community," Vishal Shah, Vice President of Product, Facebook, said recently.

Google-owned YouTube is also working on a TikTok rival called Shorts, to be introduced by the end of this year.