Instagram Tests 90-Minute Videos As It Looks To Challenge YouTube And Keep Creators: What Is A “Feature”? | Today’s news
Instagram is taking another step toward becoming a destination for long-form video content, testing a new feature that will allow select creators to upload horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes.
Instagram is testing 90-minute videos to compete with YouTube
The move represents a significant change for the Meta-owned platform, which has built its video strategy on short-form content through Reels in recent years.
The new format, the so-called Featuresis being tested with select creators in Brazil and the United States. It aims to give creators more room to publish podcasts, comedy shows, interviews and other videos that require more time than conventional Reel allows.
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The development could also help Instagram compete more with YouTube, where longer videos remain central to the viewing experience.
According to reports from Moneycontrol and TechCrunch, Instagram is also testing ways to link short clips to their full-length versions, potentially allowing users to discover and watch the entire program without leaving the app.
How Instagram’s new feature format will work
The feature will allow creators to upload videos in a horizontal format, making the content better suited for interviews, podcasts and other productions traditionally associated with YouTube.
One of the main ideas behind this feature is to connect Instagram’s established audience of short videos with longer content. Creators will be able to share shorter clips from their feature videos as reels, connecting viewers to the full version.
For example, a creator who publishes an hour-long interview could share an interesting section as a Reel. Viewers who want to watch the entire interview could then go directly to the longer video on Instagram.
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This approach could help creators reach audiences through different formats while keeping viewers on the same platform. It can also reduce the need for creators to direct viewers to YouTube whenever they want to share a full interview, podcast episode, or other long-form production.
Instagram boss Adam Mosseri and VP of product Tessa Lyons introduced the change as an attempt to make short and long videos work together rather than compete for attention.
The strategy reflects how people are already using the platform. Reels can introduce viewers to creators, while longer videos can give interested viewers more time to engage with their work.
Instagram challenge in competition with YouTube
The move is significant because Instagram has traditionally focused on quick and easy-to-share content. Reels helped the platform compete in the short video market, but creators producing longer programs often relied on other services to host their full videos.
Meanwhile, YouTube has built an established audience for podcasts, interviews, video essays, comedy specials and other formats. It also offers a share of advertising revenue to eligible creators through the YouTube Partner Program, giving them a direct financial incentive to publish content on the platform.
Instagram’s approach to creator earnings is different. Brand partnerships remain an important source of income for many creators, along with subscriptions and other monetization options.
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Meta has not announced a long-term ad revenue sharing model specifically for features.
Wider pressure to watch TV
The introduction of the features also fits with Instagram’s efforts to expand beyond mobile screens.
The company is developing Instagram for TV, which allows users to watch its video content on larger screens. The service has expanded across television platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung TV, and Apple TV in the United States.
Longer videos could make this offering more useful for people who prefer to watch interviews, podcasts, and other creator-led programming on TV rather than on their phone.
Instagram has tried to make inroads in long-form video before. Its IGTV service, which launched in 2018, failed to gain the traction it needed to compete effectively with YouTube and was eventually discontinued as a standalone product.
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For now, the rollout remains limited, and Instagram hasn’t confirmed when the feature will be widely available.
