What happened
Instagram announced on Monday, October 26, that it is testing a new video format called “Features” that lets creators upload videos up to 90 minutes long. The test is already running in Brazil, and Instagram said it will now expand to the United States in a small test.
The move is a sharp turn for a platform built on short clips. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he had long opposed long-form video on Instagram because short Reels drive more shares and direct messages. He said Instagram VP of Product Tessa Lyons pushed for the change and finally convinced him to try it.
“Reels is still going to be a core part of Instagram,” Mosseri said in the announcement video. The idea, he said, is that fans should be able to go deeper with creators they already follow without leaving Instagram for another app.
Instagram is also testing “Clips as Reels,” which lets creators cut short Reels from their long videos. Those clips link back to the full video, and viewers can save the longer video to watch on the Instagram TV app. The company is also working on better discovery for Live video and a profile hub for episodic Reels, a series of connected short videos.
Why it matters
Short video defined the internet in the 2020s, but it has a money problem for creators. Short clips leave little room for ads, and Instagram does not typically pay creators per view. Mosseri said Instagram creators mostly get paid by brands, some get paid by fans, and only a small performance-based program pays from the platform itself.
YouTube works differently. Creators in its Partner Program get 55% of the ad revenue YouTube earns from their videos. YouTube said last year it had paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the previous four years, according to TechCrunch. That gap is why many creators treat Instagram as a shop window for their YouTube channels rather than a place to earn directly.
Long videos change that math. A 90-minute video has room for multiple ad breaks, which is exactly what short Reels lack. Instagram has not said it will put ads in Features videos, and a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it was too early to share a long-term monetization model. The company said it is exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives. That is not a promise, but it is also not a no.
This is not Instagram's first try at long video. It tried before with IGTV about eight years ago, a product it has since shut down. The difference this time is the plan to tie long and short video together, so a Reel can pull viewers into a full-length video instead of competing with it. [Meta](/article/meta-cuts-ai-training-clause-from-business-terms) has been reshaping how its platforms treat creators and their content, and Features fits that wider push to keep creators inside its apps.
What it means for the US
US creators are first in line for the practical effects. The US test is small for now, but American creators who already build audiences on Instagram will be among the first who can try full-length videos without sending fans to YouTube. That matters in a market where YouTube has long been the default place to earn from video.
If Instagram does add ads to long videos, US creators could gain a second paying platform for the same work, and US viewers could watch more long-form content inside an app they already open daily. The open question is pay. Until Instagram spells out rates or a revenue split, US creators cannot judge whether Features will pay like YouTube or simply give them a longer free stage. [Meta](/article/meta-hit-25-billion-penalty-cambridge-analytica) remains under close scrutiny in the US, so any new monetization program will likely face questions about terms, data and creator control from the start.
What happens next
Watch the size of the US test. Instagram said the expansion is small, so most US creators will not see Features right away. The next real signals will be whether the test widens, whether ads appear in long videos, and whether Instagram announces a revenue split for creators.
Mosseri said the company is committed to long-form video for the long term, including on its TV app, which he acknowledged will take time to get right. If the test holds, expect more creators to publish full episodes, interviews and documentaries on Instagram instead of using it only as a trailer for YouTube.
