Instagram is going beyond short-form video with the introduction of a new feature that will allow some creators to make horizontal videos with up to 90 minutes of content on Instagram. It is a major change in the Meta-owned platform's video strategy.
The idea is that the content can be published in full-length by creators, including podcasts, interviews, comedy performances and other entertainment shows without splitting entire episodes into multiple short clips. But the feature is still being tested by a handful of creators and Instagram hasn't announced when it will be released to the public.
The new feature will also change the way people use Instagram. Instagram is well known for short videos, particularly Instagram Reels with great content and fast response to those videos - users can quickly find a video with fun, interesting clips, trends and creativity.
With the introduction of Features, Instagram is looking to make short and long video consumption accessible. Instead of asking users to leave Instagram to watch a complete podcast or interview on another platform, the company expects them to stay in their own ecosystem.
The change is particularly meaningful to creators who already make longer videos and use other platforms to share their whole episodes.
Instagram first tested the 90-minute video format with creators in Brazil as part of a pilot program before it will be expanded to creators in the U.S.
The company is targeting established creators including podcasters, comedians and other personalities whose content extends far beyond a typical Reel. Longer videos will be available on users’ main feeds and on Explore page, giving people more opportunities to see longer pieces of content.
The test will help Instagram gauge how people respond to longer videos and how the new format is integrated with the current content experience on Instagram.
As one of the most crucial aspects of the update is the connection between short clips and full-length videos.
Instagram is testing a feature where the creator can link Reels to their longer Features videos, such as a good moment you’re listening to a podcast and then get to see the entire episode on Instagram. This could make short videos a discovery tool for longer videos, and also make them more accessible to new viewers, so that interested viewers can just watch the whole programme.
Instagram is also working on ways to group related videos down into series so that users can find the connected episodes from the people they like best.
The expansion to long-form video is also evidence of Instagram’s growing interest in television viewing. The company has been developing Instagram for TV experience, which allows users to watch video content on bigger screens.
People who watch podcasts, interviews and comedy shows on televisions are more likely to prefer that to mobile phones. Instagram product leadership has made the point that short-form videos and long-form videos should be complementary, not divorced, so one format should be used in place of the other. That strategy would help the platform cater to a range of viewing habits: quickly scroll through Reels and settle down for the whole episode.
The update also puts Instagram in direct competition with YouTube for full-length videos, interviews, podcasts and creator-led entertainment. YouTube is a fertile ground for long-form content that creators can publish and create an audience to watch. Instagram’s advantage might be in its existing communities, social sharing and discovery tools.
And creators could draw on their followers of Instagram to promote longer content without sending viewers to a separate site. For audiences, shorter videos and entire episodes could be available in one place to discover and watch content. But the success of this strategy will depend on video recommendations, viewing experience and the opportunities for creators.
Monetisation is another big consideration. Most creators depend on brand partnerships, sponsorships and fan subscriptions in order to make money from their online content. And longer videos will bring in more sponsored segments, branded integrations and partnerships with advertisers.
Instagram has not announced, however, a long-term revenue-sharing model for Features. It has stated that it is looking for opportunities to make money from brands, fans and Instagram itself, but the arrangement and eligibility are unclear. So, content creators should not expect that uploading a 90-minute video will automatically generate direct payments from the platform.
This is not Instagram's first attempt to enter the long-form video marketplace. In 2018, the company launched IGTV for longer videos on Instagram but stopped the product in 2022 as its video strategy changed.
The new Features experiment is yet another step in this direction to integrate longer viewing with Instagram’s current social and short-video environment. Unlike a separate site, the new format will be incorporated along with Reels and other formats for users.
For now, the 90-minute upload option is still a trial on Instagram and not a feature for every Instagram account. The wider rollout timeline, eligibility criteria and monetisation of the experiment have not been finalized yet. If the experiment works, then it will give podcasters, interviewers, comedians and other digital creators another way to spread their work and reach an audience.
Instagram’s move is part of a wider trend to be a site not just for quick entertainment and social sharing but also for longer video experiences that keep people on Instagram.
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