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Instagram Tests 90-Minute 'Features' Videos in Shift Away From Short-Form
Instagram is testing a long-form video format called Features that lets creators upload clips of up to 90 minutes, a break from the short vertical video that has defined the platform. The move puts the Meta-owned app in more direct competition with YouTube over creator payouts.
The test, announced on Monday, will allow creators to publish videos far longer than the Reels-style clips that have dominated Instagram in recent years. The format is capped at 90 minutes.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri discussed the change on the Colin and Samir Show, a programme focused on the creator economy. He described three routes by which creators get paid: directly from the platform, from fans, and from brands.
On Instagram today, the brand route is the main one, according to Mosseri. Some creators also earn from fans, while the platform does not typically pay on a per-view basis.
Mosseri also indicated that a broader shift toward direct platform payouts would be costly. He said the company spends considerably more money than it makes back, and that scaling up such spending would amount to burning capital.
Long-form video has been YouTube's territory, and the platform has long been regarded as the most lucrative option for creators who want to be paid for their work. Instagram's parent Meta has offered monetisation tools such as subscriptions, but not the per-view payments that YouTube provides.
The test marks a notable strategic turn for Instagram, which along with other social platforms had spent years pushing short-form video.