Once again Instagram wants to compete with TikTok and YouTube. Do you often publish educational videos or tutorials? The application tests the possibility of extending the duration of Reels internally…
3 to 10 minute Reels on Instagram
The feature was discovered by Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer known for tracking down early versions of upcoming app updates.
Instagram Reels are those short videos that were introduced 3 years ago and have a duration of just 15 seconds. Currently, their maximum length on Instagram is 3 minutes, but that’s significantly less than what TikTok offers. TikTok users can actually post 10 minutes of content, while paid users can post up to 20 minutes of content!
But according to screenshots shared by Paluzzi, Instagram is working internally to extend the time limit for Reels to 10 minutes.
Instagram was originally developed as an app for photos. But with the growing popularity of competing platforms like TikTok, it has started offering users new content-sharing options.
In fact, TikTok currently allows users to share videos up to 10 minutes long. But unlike TikTok, Instagram is unlikely to introduce a paid version for creators who want the ability to create long reels within the app.
Instagram is transforming into a more targeted video sharing platform
This change serves a dual purpose: it not only puts Reels in direct competition with TikTok, but also positions it as a competitor to YouTube.
While Instagram and TikTok compete for share of the long-form video market, YouTube is taking a different approach. YouTube has focused on increasing its presence in short videos, introducing a suite of creation tools and a music discovery feed similar to TikTok.
The traditional distinctions between these social networks are evolving. Instagram, once known primarily as a photo-sharing platform, TikTok, famous for its short videos, and YouTube, known for its longer videos, are all morphing into more focused video-sharing platforms.
What impact would longer Reels on Instagram have in digital marketing?
The ability to publish longer video content on more social platforms could lead to more visibility and engagement for brands.
To learn how to implement different social media strategies to drive engagement and increase visibility, take a look at this community management training course.
Meanwhile, Instagram is testing a new group mentions feature that will allow users to tag multiple people in a story with a single mention.
In a post on his broadcast channel, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said:
“We’re testing a way to tag a group of people in a story with a single mention. Once you create a group tag, anyone in the group can reuse it to automatically tag everyone in all new stories.”
This feature will come in handy as tagging multiple people in a single mention will make stories cleaner and clearer and give followers a better viewing experience (with posts from IANS).
Ultimately, Instagram Reels play an important role in content generation with over 2 billion monthly active users. Even news outlets and major media organizations use Reels to share information and connect with a wider audience. In this context, the possible introduction of 10-minute videos would probably be a much-anticipated feature for content creators.