Meta is testing Instagram Features, a new long-form video format that supports uploads up to 90 minutes long. The move brings Instagram closer to YouTube’s territory after years of prioritizing short-form Reels.
Instagram announced the experiment Monday, Oct. 26, in a video featuring Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Vice President of Product Tessa Lyons. Testing began with selected creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small group in the United States.
The format supports longer content, including interviews, podcasts, comedy shows, and episodic videos. Instagram wants creators to publish complete productions without directing their audiences to competing platforms.
Instagram Features Connect Long Videos With Reels
The new format will operate alongside Reels rather than replacing them. Instagram is testing a companion tool called Clips as Reels, allowing creators to publish short excerpts linked to full-length videos.
Viewers can discover a short clip and continue watching the longer version within Instagram. Creators can also connect multiple Reels to a single video, helping audiences discover more of their content.
The company is developing a dedicated section for episodic Reels and improving discovery for live video. Its broader video strategy also includes television viewing through the Instagram for TV app, which expanded to Google TV earlier this year.
Mosseri previously opposed long-form video because shorter clips encourage sharing and private conversations. Lyons argued that creators need more flexibility to build deeper connections with their audiences.
This is not Instagram’s first attempt at longer videos. The company introduced IGTV in 2018 as a dedicated long-form video product. Instagram eventually discontinued the standalone app after it failed to gain lasting traction.
Can Instagram Compete With YouTube Creator Payments?
The biggest unanswered question is how Instagram will compensate creators for longer videos. YouTube already provides an established advertising revenue-sharing system through its Partner Program.
Eligible YouTube creators generally receive 55% of advertising revenue from their long-form videos. In 2025, YouTube said it had paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over four years.
Instagram’s current monetization options include subscriptions and other creator-earning tools. However, brand partnerships remain a major source of income, rather than direct payments tied to video views.
During an interview with Colin and Samir, Mosseri explained that Instagram’s performance-based payments have been expensive to operate. He said the company spends substantially more on those programs than it earns back.
Meta has not announced a YouTube-style advertising revenue split for Features. A company spokesperson said Instagram is exploring opportunities involving brands, fans and performance-based incentives. Specific payment arrangements remain undecided.
Longer videos could create additional advertising opportunities, but no plan has been confirmed to insert ads into Features. Creators therefore have no guarantee that the new format will generate revenue comparable to YouTube.
Limited Testing Begins in the United States
Instagram is expanding the Features and Clips as Reels experiments from Brazil to selected U.S. creators. The company has not announced a general release date or eligibility requirements for wider access.
The tests represent a shift in Instagram’s video strategy, combining short-form discovery with longer viewing experiences. Whether creators embrace the format will depend partly on its audience reach and eventual monetization options.
