Instagram Tests Videos Up to 90 Minutes Long in Challenge to YouTube
Instagram, owned by Meta, announced on Monday that it is testing “Features,” a new format allowing videos up to 90 minutes long. The move marks a shift after years of focus on short-form video.
Instagram, the social network owned by technology company Meta, announced on Monday that it is testing a new upload type called “Features,” which will let creators post videos up to 90 minutes long. Most social platforms, LinkedIn included, have spent recent years pushing short-form video, so the change is a notable strategic shift. It could position Instagram as a rival to YouTube, where creators generally earn the most.
How creators get paid
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said on the Colin and Samir Show, an interview programme about the creator economy, that creators can be paid by the platform, by fans or by brands. On Instagram, he said, creators are mainly paid by brands, some by fans, and the platform's own performance-based programme remains small. According to Mosseri, the company spends far more on it than it earns back, so scaling it up makes little sense.
YouTube's model is more straightforward: ads run on videos, and creators in its Partner Program receive 55% of the advertising revenue. The platform said last year that it had paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the previous four years. Short videos are harder to monetise because there is less room for ads.
What Instagram is planning
Mosseri acknowledged he had long opposed long-form video on Instagram, since shorter formats such as Reels generate more shares and direct messages. Tessa Lyons, Instagram's VP of Product, persuaded him to give long form another chance. The platform already tried longer videos eight years ago with IGTV, which no longer exists.
Instagram is also testing “Clips as Reels,” which lets creators turn long videos into Reels that link to the full version. Both features are being tested in Brazil, and a small test is now expanding to the United States. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it is too early to share a long-term monetisation model, but the company is exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives. Mosseri said the company is committed long term to supporting both formats in the mobile app and the TV app.
