Instagram is currently undergoing internal testing of an extended Reels feature that would allow users to create videos with a duration of up to 10 minutes. The feature has not yet been made available to external users. Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi first brought attention to this development, sharing screenshots of the internal prototype on X.
By extending the time limit for Reels from three minutes to 10, Instagram would bring its short-form video offering more in line with TikTok, which had expanded its maximum video length to 10 minutes in February 2022. This move would also position Reels as a competitor to YouTube’s video content.
If Instagram were to implement this extended video length officially, content creators would have the advantage of more time and flexibility for creating diverse types of content, including cooking demonstrations, beauty tutorials, educational videos, comedic sketches, and more.
While some creators have previously worked around the three-minute limit by splitting their content into multiple parts, this approach can make it challenging for viewers to find and watch all parts of a series. The proposed change would eliminate this issue and offer a more seamless viewing experience on the platform.
It is Paluzzi with the leak again
In the images shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, it appears that Instagram is testing the potential feature of allowing users to upload significantly longer videos as Reels. This prospective update would bring Instagram’s Reels in line with TikTok’s extended video upload feature, which TikTok introduced last year.
#Instagram is working on the ability to create #Reels up to 10 minutes long 👀 pic.twitter.com/jQTUM9fPsM
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 30, 2023
Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that the new feature is being tested internally and will soon be out for mass usage.
It’s worth noting that while some TikTok users might not currently see the 10-minute video upload option, the capability to upload 10-minute videos is still available for certain users on the platform. This move by Instagram suggests its intention to provide a similar experience to its users, allowing them to create and share longer video content within the Reels format.
As both Instagram and TikTok strive to tap into the long-form content market, YouTube is also aiming to embrace short-form video content. In recent announcements, YouTube introduced an enhanced set of creation tools for its Shorts feature. Additionally, the company launched a new personalized short-form video feed, “Samples,” similar to TikTok’s content presentation.
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This update from Instagram coincides with several other recent platform enhancements. The company recently began testing a feature that enables creators to share notable fan comments from posts and Reels to their Stories.
Additionally, Instagram introduced the ability for users to incorporate music into their photo carousels, allowing them to showcase their musical preferences alongside visual content.
Online video content is evolving
The evolution of video content online has witnessed various trends, from the initial short clips to longer formats and then back to short-form content with the advent of platforms like Vine, Stories, and TikTok. However, there’s a noticeable resurgence in the popularity of mid-length or long-form video content. It’s still unclear whether users prefer longer videos or if platforms are extending video lengths to enhance their monetization and engagement strategies.
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In this context, Meta’s move to potentially allow longer video uploads for Reels on Instagram might be seen as an attempt to mimic TikTok’s features and minimize any distinctiveness that TikTok possesses. This strategy could aim to reduce TikTok’s appeal as an alternative to platforms like Instagram, creating a more competitive landscape within the short-form video space.
Featured image credit: Claudio Schwarz/Unsplash
