Watch out, YouTube - Instagram goes from short-form to 90-minute videos
TechCrunch • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Instagram is testing a new video upload feature called “Features” that allows creators to share videos up to 90 minutes long, marking a shift from its previous focus on short-form content like Reels.
- Unlike YouTube, Instagram currently does not pay creators on a per-view basis, relying mostly on brand deals and fan support for creator monetization, though it is exploring performance-based incentives.
- YouTube remains the most lucrative platform for creators due to its straightforward ad revenue sharing model, having paid over $100 billion to creators in the past four years.
- Instagram aims to keep users engaged on its platform by combining short- and long-form content, introducing features like “Clips as Reels” to link short clips to longer videos and improve content discovery.
- The new features are being tested in Brazil and the U.S., with Instagram hopeful that long-form videos with potential ads could help it compete more directly with YouTube’s monetization model in the future.
