Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), has launched a long-form video platform called Features that allows creators and podcasters to publish videos up to 90 minutes long, expanding the social media company’s presence beyond short-form content.
The platform began rolling out Monday and is designed to help Instagram compete more directly with YouTube and TikTok while entering a segment of digital entertainment that also includes streaming services such as Netflix and Disney.
Features introduces a viewing format in which users encounter a short preview of a longer video and can either continue scrolling or select a link to watch the full program. Videos will also appear in Instagram’s Explore recommendations and other areas of the app.
The approach allows Instagram to introduce longer programming
The approach allows Instagram to introduce longer programming through its existing content discovery system, which has traditionally emphasized short videos and personalized recommendations.
The new format is intended to attract creators producing podcasts, interviews and other extended video content that typically appears on platforms such as YouTube.
Unlike YouTube, which offers established creator compensation programs, Instagram will not initially provide a comparable payment system for Features content.
Instead, the company is developing individual arrangements
Instead, the company is developing individual arrangements with early participating creators Instagram’s vice president of product
Creators will be permitted to distribute their videos across other platforms rather than making the content exclusive to Instagram. They can also retain existing advertising and sponsorship arrangements associated with their programming.
Lyons told The Hollywood Reporter that Instagram sees opportunities to support both established creators with existing commercial relationships and those who have not yet developed their own advertising operations.
For established creators who already have those relationships,
“For established creators who already have those relationships, they can bring that content with those placements and that branded content,” Lyons said. “And we also think that there’s a big opportunity for us to help creators who don’t yet have that infrastructure and that business behind them.”
Allowing creators to maintain outside distribution and advertising relationships could make the platform more accessible to video producers who already publish content elsewhere.
The launch also represents a shift in Instagram’s video strategy by adding support for programming substantially longer than the short clips commonly associated with its Reels format.
For Meta, the expansion creates another opportunity
For Meta, the expansion creates another opportunity to compete for viewing time and creator-produced entertainment against Alphabet-owned YouTube and TikTok.
The company has not disclosed how many creators will participate in the initial rollout, whether Features will eventually introduce a broader revenue-sharing program or when the platform will become available to all Instagram users.
The initial launch focuses on distributing longer videos through Instagram’s existing discovery features while the company explores additional commercial arrangements with participating creators.
