Instagram doesn’t have a plan to pay long-form video creators

Instagram is exploring ways to compensate long-form video creators for their content, following the introduction of its new Features format. The platform has introduced long-form videos, up to 90 minutes in length, to attract creators from YouTube, but has yet to determine how or if it will pay these creators. Creator Sidneyraz expressed frustration on Threads, stating that Meta is "just making fun of us" by asking them to upload long-form content for free.

The new format is currently being tested by a small group of creators in the US and Brazil, with videos focusing on landscape content and being compatible with Instagram's TV apps. While there are limited monetization tools for Reels, these don't pay creators directly per view like YouTube's ad share and performance-based incentives.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the importance of monetization for creators, stating that they are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid. However, it remains unclear what these solutions will look like, with Mosseri suggesting that options such as pre-roll or mid-roll ads may be problematic from a user experience perspective.