Adam Mosseri shares Instagram's latest updates on The Colin & Samir Show / Photography by Jesse Leon
Two years ago, Colin and Samir sat down with head of Instagram Adam Mosseri about the future for creators on the platform. During that interview, he told them:
“Connecting friends is an adjacent thing to short-form video. Short-form video is an adjacent thing to long-form video. But long-form video and connecting friends aren’t adjacent. The reason I am not interested in pursuing long form video in a meaningful way is because I don’t want to erode our heart, our core reason, to exist [connecting with friends].”
As of this morning, long-form video has officially arrived on Instagram (again).
Starting today, Instagram is rolling out “Features” on a test basis—allowing creators to upload horizontal videos like podcasts, vlogs, and interviews up to 90 minutes long.
“We want to be the most culturally relevant platform, and to do that, we need to show up where people are,” Mosseri told Colin and Samir in an exclusive interview.
Instagram introduces long-form videos to its home screen / Instagram
Here’s everything Instagram dropped today →
Features: Creators in the test group can upload long-form horizontal videos up to 90 minutes, which will appear on the Explore page and main feed.
Linked Reels: Select creators can post Reels to their feed that link to the full-length Feature. These clips act as top-of-funnel for long-form videos posted in app, creating a native pathway from short-form to long-form content that has historically been nonexistent.
IG for TV: Instagram is updating its TV app to prioritize Features, so creators can reach long-form audiences across Samsung, Fire TV, and Google TV—with Apple TV coming soon.
Here’s what’s coming soon →
Series: Instagram will gradually expand its test of a dedicated home for episodic Reels on a creator’s profile. For creators making series like Subway Takes and Brooklyn Coffee Shop, this makes it easier for audiences to binge content in order.
Second Screen: Soon, users will be able to use their phones as a remote for the TV app and save videos on mobile to stream on TV later. Users will also be able to pause Features on mobile, then pick back up on their TVs.
Background playback: As it stands, it doesn’t sound like Instagram will let users leave the app and keep listening to a Feature. Mosseri said it could be implemented in the future, which would open the door to a completely new audience relationship with the platform.
Here’s what’s not changing →
Monetization: Mosseri shared Instagram has no plans as of yet to implement a revenue sharing program across short- and long-form…although that may change.
Big picture. Long-form creator video has become the industry’s center of gravity, but the barrier for entry has always been platform-native discoverability.
Instagram has long been the place to build cultural relevance and a following, but moving that following to other formats has been challenging for many creators. Now, Instagram creators don’t have to build an audience from scratch to show them longer content.
Short-form video already travels through DMs and group chats. Now, a Reel sent to your friend acts as an in-app recommendation to a creator’s long-form video, too. With Features, your friends can go from short-form recommendation to long-form interaction in just one click.
Listen to Adam Mosseri talk through the updates on The Colin & Samir Show.
