Instagram tests 90-minute videos as it looks to challenge YouTube and retain creators: What is 'Features'?

Instagram is testing a new feature called Features that allows creators to upload horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long. This move comes as Meta-owned Instagram seeks to become a destination for long-form video content and challenge YouTube. The new format is being tested with creators in Brazil and the United States. Instagram aims to give creators more space to publish podcasts, comedy programs, interviews, and other long-form videos that exceed the duration of a conventional Reel.

The feature will allow creators to share shorter clips as Reels, linking viewers to the complete longer videos on Instagram. This could help Instagram compete more directly with YouTube, where longer videos are central to the viewing experience. Instagram is also exploring ways to connect short clips with their full-length versions, enabling users to discover and watch entire programs within the app.

The strategy reflects how users already use the platform, with Reels introducing viewers to creators while longer videos provide more time for engagement. This approach could reduce the need for creators to direct followers to YouTube for complete interviews, podcasts, or other long-form productions. Instagram head Adam Mosseri and vice-president of product Tessa Lyons presented the change as a way to make short-form and long-form videos complement each other rather than compete for attention.

However, Instagram has not announced a long-term advertising revenue-sharing model for Features, unlike YouTube's YouTube Partner Programme. The introduction of Features aligns with Instagram's efforts to expand beyond mobile screens, with the company developing Instagram for TV to cater to viewers who prefer watching creator-led programmes on larger screens.