Instagram launches Features: Long-form video update to compete with Youtube, Tik Tok

Instagram is taking aim at YouTube with the launch of a new feature allowing creators to upload videos up to 90 minutes long.

The Meta social media platform has begun rolling out the new tool, called Features, marking a major shift away from the short-form videos that have dominated Instagram in recent years.

Unlike Reels, which are designed for quick viewing, Features will allow creators to publish longer videos in a horizontal format.

Instagram’s vice-president of product, Tessa Lyons, said the move was aimed at giving creators more freedom to experiment with different types of content.

“Instagram is all about connecting people over creativity. And creativity is so much more than just short-form video or posting carousels,” she said in a video announcing the update.

The platform will also use its popular Reels feature to help audiences discover longer videos.

Creators will be able to share short clips from their full-length videos as Reels, with viewers given the option to click through and watch the entire production.

The move could see Instagram compete more directly with YouTube, which has long dominated the market for extended video content.

However, Australian users will have to wait to try the new feature.

Features began rolling out to selected creators in the United States on Monday, October 26, following earlier testing in Brazil.

Instagram has not confirmed when the feature will become available to Australian creators or whether it will eventually be released to all users.

For now, Features will only be accessible through Instagram’s mobile app, although the company is also looking to expand its presence on television screens.

Meta has already announced plans to bring Instagram to Samsung Smart TVs and Apple TV in the United States, potentially giving viewers another way to watch longer videos.

“We think the best viewing experience for longform horizontal content is on a big, horizontal screen, and so I think that is where we will expect a lot of the deep consumption to happen over time,” Lyons said.

One major question remains unanswered: whether creators will be paid for producing longer videos.

Users were quick to comment on the post. The two top-liked comments include: “Why would anyone post an unpaid long video on Instagram if we can just post it on YouTube and actually get paid for the effort?”

While another user wrote: “People post on YOUTUBE and use instagram to drive traffic there because youtube PAYS them”.

YouTube offers eligible creators a share of advertising revenue, with some receiving up to 55 per cent of the money generated from ads on their videos.

Instagram has not announced an equivalent revenue-sharing arrangement for Features.

Instead, Lyons said the company was considering several ways for creators to make money from the new format.

“We’re exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives,” she said.