Reels Ads With Sound: Meta's 4.8% Lower CPA Claim From 2023
Meta's October 2023 Reels update reported 4.8% lower CPA and 5.1% higher CTR for vertical sound-on video. Here is how to add sound with Sume music and captions.
What did Meta report in 2023?
Meta's Reels ads update post, dated October 10, 2023, says direct response campaigns using vertical, sound-on video saw 4.8% lower cost per action, 5.1% higher click-through rate and 2.9% higher conversion rate. It also says Reels ads with music and voice-over earned a 15-point higher positive response score than ads with no sound. I read the page on 2026-10-03. These are Meta's own figures from 2023, and I have not checked them against any account.
| Claim | Figure |
|---|---|
| Cost per action | 4.8% lower |
| Click-through rate | 5.1% higher |
| Conversion rate | 2.9% higher |
| Positive response score, music and voice-over vs no sound | 15 points higher |
Why mention a three-year-old post?
Because it is the source on Meta's own pages for a sound-on claim, and because newer pages cite different numbers. Quote the date next to any figure. A statistic without its year invites the reader to assume it is current.
How do I add sound to a silent clip with Sume?
Generate a track with POST /v1/music-1.0/generate ($0.125 per generation). Then place it under the clip with the timeline's soundtrack object, where duck_db (0 to 20) lowers the music under speech and gain_db sets the level. The same post says Meta added music optimization for single-image Reels ads; for your own files, you control the mix.
For voice, Sume's captions endpoint ($0.20 per job) puts the spoken words on screen, which helps when the viewer has the sound off.
- Generate with a mood prompt, not a song title.
- Duck the music under any voice.
- Burn captions in for the muted viewer.
How do I check the claim on my account?
Run a muted and a sound-on version of the same clip as two ads with the same budget. Compare cost per action after a fixed spend. The only number that matters is the one from your own account.
Sources
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