Instagram Tests 90-Minute Horizontal Videos to Challenge YouTube

Instagram is testing a new long-form video format called Features, allowing creators to upload horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long. The move marks a strategic shift for the platform, which has long prioritized short-form Reels, and positions it to compete directly with YouTube for creator content and viewer attention.

What is Features?

Features are widescreen videos that can run up to 90 minutes, designed for podcasters, comedians, and other creators who want to share full-length shows on Instagram Source: The Next Web. The test is currently live with a small group of creators in the US and Brazil Source: The Verge. Instagram is also testing Reels that link to a full Feature, and a "Series" tool that groups related Reels into episodic content Source: Wired.

Why the shift?

Instagram head Adam Mosseri had long resisted long-form video, fearing it would reduce sharing and connection between friends Source: The Verge. However, VP of Product Tessa Lyons convinced him that short and long formats can be "symbiotic" Source: TechCrunch. The company aims to make Instagram the "best place for social entertainment" and avoid the mistakes of IGTV, its failed 2018 long-form app that only allowed vertical videos Source: Wired.

Monetization and competition

Unlike YouTube, which pays creators 55% of ad revenue, Instagram currently has no ad-revenue sharing plan for Features. A Meta spokesperson said the company is "exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans, and Instagram, including performance-based incentives" Source: TechCrunch. This uncertainty leaves YouTube's Partner Program as the more lucrative option for now.