Instagram embraces up to 90-minute videos to challenge YouTube
Instagram now allows creators to upload videos up to 90 minutes long and tests new features connecting short clips to long-form content.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Instagram now enables creators to upload long-form videos up to 90 minutes.
- Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri initially opposed long-form content on the app.
- The platform is testing a feature that turns long videos into short promotional Reels.
- Meta could potentially introduce ad revenue sharing to compete with YouTube.
Years after shutting down its dedicated long-form video experiment IGTV, social media platform Instagram is reversing its strategy by encouraging creators to upload longer videos of up to 90 minutes. This major pivot signals a direct challenge to established video giants like YouTube.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, explained in a video announcement that he had long been resistant to bringing long-form video formats to the platform. He noted that shorter content types, such as Reels, historically drove significantly higher engagement through user shares and direct messages.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Despite his initial hesitation, Instagram VP of Product Tessa Lyons successfully advocated for the shift, convincing Mosseri to give long-form content another chance. The core objective is to keep users within the Instagram ecosystem rather than losing them to YouTube when they seek in-depth or extended viewing experiences.
Instagram's push into 90-minute videos marks a strategic escalation in the creator economy wars. YouTube has long dominated long-form viewing and its YouTube Partner Program, which famously paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over a four-year period. If Meta implements a competitive monetization model for these longer uploads, it could finally mount a serious challenge to YouTube's creator dominance.
To bridge the gap between formats, Instagram is currently testing a feature called "Clips as Reels." This tool allows creators to generate promotional Reels out of their long-form uploads, complete with direct links to the full video. Additionally, viewers can save longer videos to watch later through the Instagram app on their smart TVs.
Source: TechCrunch
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