Instagram has begun testing a new long-form video format called Features, allowing select creators in the US to post videos of up to 90 minutes. Announced Monday by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and product vice president Tessa Lyons, the test is meant to give creators fresh ways to engage audiences while keeping people in the app longer.
Podcasts, Vlogs and Interviews Get a Home
Instagram says Features is designed for extended formats such as podcasts, vlogs and interviews, and could open up new revenue and partnership options for creators. The company has already tested the format with creators in Brazil, and plans to widen the US rollout in the coming months.
Alongside it, Instagram is expanding Clips as Reels, which lets creators link up to eight Reels clips back to a longer video. A separate Series option, tested since June, will let creators group Reels under one theme to encourage sustained viewing. A global rollout is being prepared.
Chasing YouTube and TikTok
The move appears aimed at keeping pace with YouTube and TikTok. Nielsen data shows YouTube is now the largest streaming provider in the US, and the platform says viewers watch over a billion hours daily on home TVs. Instagram is also leaning into connected TV, and will soon let users control its TV app from their phones.
History and money remain hurdles. Instagram’s earlier long-form effort, IGTV, launched in 2018 and was shut down in 2022 after failing to catch on. Monetization is another gap: VidIQ estimates YouTube pays $1 to $10 per 1,000 long-form views, while Instagram view-based earnings are effectively zero without a brand deal. Top creators reportedly earn about $50,000 monthly on YouTube versus $5,000 to $15,000 on Instagram.
Without stronger incentives, Instagram’s renewed long-form ambitions may face an uphill climb.