Instagram is moving to expand its visual content scope by testing a new feature that allows publishing long videos up to 90 minutes in length, a step aimed at attracting podcast and long-form content creators and enhancing competition with other video display platforms.
The tech site TechCrunch reported the day before yesterday that the test began with a select group of content creators in the United States, allowing them to publish long videos and link them to short "Reels" clips, enabling users to transition from the promotional clip to watching the full content.
Targeting Content Creators
The feature, named "Features," targets podcast hosts, comedians, and other content creators, allowing users to watch a short excerpt from a podcast episode or video, then click it to continue watching the full work. Tessa Lyons, Vice President of Product at Instagram, stated that the feature allows users to transition from watching a short clip to following the linked full video.
Global Expansion
Lyons added that content creators will be able to link "Reels" clips to their long-form visual works. The app began testing the feature with a number of content creators in Brazil, before moving to expand the experiment to include tens of thousands of creators in the United States, with long videos appearing within user recommendations on the Explore page and other sections of the app.
Support for Television Devices
Long videos are expected to be available via mobile phones, with Instagram moving to bring the viewing experience to its dedicated television app, which supports "Samsung," "Fire TV," and "Google TV" devices, as well as "Apple TV" devices in the United States. This step comes as part of Instagram's efforts to expand the forms of content available across its platform and not limit itself to short video clips.
The platform will continue to attract an audience interested in following programs, podcasts, and long-form visual content within the framework of its strategy to develop the services offered.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)