Instagram is Testing 3 and 10 Minute Reel Uploads

What is Instagram testing?

And once again, the tremendous social media circle of life takes effect.

Anyone paying attention would have expected that Instagram is experimenting with longer Reel clips, with 3-minute and 10-minute Reels being tested internally at the app.

What does app researcher Alessandro Palazzi say about it?

According to app researcher Alessandro Palazzi, Instagram will soon let users upload longer videos as Reels. It will mirror TikTok’s longer video uploads rolled out last year.

Point to remember

While some users no longer see TikTok’s 10-minute video upload option, you can still upload 10-minute videos.

What does Instagram mean?

As many people have pointed out, it is essentially back to the future for IG after it retired its long-form “IGTV” video option early last year.

It is bringing it back in a new form, though it would also provide a more integrated and streamlined video experience, all under the Reels banner.

It is against a format trying to get people to tap into other sections to view long-form content. But as noted earlier, this is on trend for social apps.

A short video was the thing when the video first became available online, before clips gradually got longer, eventually stemming into live-streaming and TV-like content.

Then people got sick of that, and short-form video became the thing, with the rise of Vine, Stories, and eventually TikTok.

Why long-form and mid-length clips are coming back?

Now, long-form or mid-length clips are steadily coming back. However, it is still being determined if users want to view longer video clips or if the platforms want to offer more extended video options to maximize monetization and creator retention potential.

Why is Meta trying to copy TikTok?

Meta still needs to be clarified if copying TikTok once again to negate any form of differentiation that TikTok might have and lessen its value as an option to IG.

What Instagram has confirmed to TechCrunch?

Instagram has confirmed to TechCrunch that 10-minute videos are being tested internally, though it is not trying them externally yet.

Would it be a game-changer or A difference-maker?

Only time will tell if users are keen to engage with long-form content. Especially when it is given that short-form reels are now such a significant part of the Instagram and Facebook experience.

Or would it be another thing creators should have in their toolkits with limited user interest?

More extended video options will likely continue to rise before we eventually stop paying attention again and revert to the next big short-form trend.

Do you want to know more?

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