Instagram Expands to 90-Minute Videos, Challenging YouTube's Creator Economy

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Instagram is testing 90-minute long videos called "Features," aiming to compete with YouTube by encouraging creators to publish longer content and potentially monetize it through ads and brand partnerships.

Instagram has announced a new video upload feature enabling creators to share "Features"—videos up to 90 minutes long. This marks a significant shift from the platform's prior focus on short-form, vertical videos popular throughout the 2020s. The move is seen as Instagram's attempt to better compete with YouTube, which has historically been the dominant platform for video creators to earn substantial revenue.

Unlike YouTube’s straightforward monetization model—where creators earn 55% of ad revenue through its Partner Program—Instagram currently offers limited direct payouts. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, creators primarily make money on Instagram through brand partnerships and some fan payments, with Instagram’s own performance-based programs still in nascent stages and not yet scalable. This contrasts with YouTube, which reportedly paid over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media in four years.

Instagram’s long-form video initiative recalls its earlier but discontinued IGTV service. The platform is testing this feature, alongside "Clips as Reels," which allows creators to create short Reels from their longer videos, linking viewers to the full content. These integrations aim to keep audiences engaged within Instagram rather than migrating to competitors like YouTube.

Currently trialed in Brazil and now expanding to the U.S., "Features" is part of Instagram’s broader vision to blend short and long-form content symbiotically across mobile and TV apps. Instagram is also developing improved discovery tools for Live videos and episodic Reels hubs to facilitate serialized content consumption.

Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has not yet detailed long-term monetization strategies for these longer videos but is exploring multiple revenue avenues, including brand deals, fan support, and potential ad placements. Instagram’s leadership sees this as a way to encourage deeper storytelling and creator-fan engagement on their platform.

Instagram’s pivot suggests it aims to retain creators and audiences by offering more comprehensive video content options and monetization potential, attempting to challenge YouTube’s long-standing creator economy dominance. However, concrete revenue models and wide-scale adoption remain to be seen as the tests progress.