Instagram May Soon Introduce 10-Minute Long Reels

Date: August 31, 2023

If your content appetite from Instagram’s short videos is not full, you may soon see up to 10-minute-long reels from your favorite creators on the platform.

Did you notice that all the content platforms have started looking alike, if not in theme, then video formats? What once stood as a unique format of short content on TikTok is now famous as Reels on Instagram and Shorts on YouTube. The only difference we could feel till now is either in the quality of content based on our preference or the presence of our creator in any of the above platforms. 

Instagram is now testing a 10-minute-long video format for its Reels feature. It recently expanded the Reel format to 3 minutes, and soon, we might see videos of up to 10 minutes duration. Alessandro Paluzzi, a reverse engineer, was the first whistleblower of this feature exclusively being tested in silence by Instagram. The company has reported the testing phase of this feature and explained that they are not releasing a beta version for the public testing phase yet. 

What If This Comes True?

If this feature rolls out, viewers can consume longer reels on Instagram. One of the most evident benefits we can think of is for those creators who had to release two or three parts of their reels to showcase one video project fully. This would bring Instagram closer to YouTube, as it has been the leader in long videos since the dawn of online streaming. However, it will still not be able to capture the market of videos longer than 10-minute duration.

Instagram’s Business Benefit

Even TikTok expanded its video duration to 10 minutes back in February 2023. The result of this expansion was seen as a significant rise in the number of cooking, DIY, and other videos started happening. The repeated entertainment aspect remained unaffected by the change as they only replicated what was trending but rarely created anything new or in longer formats. Even Instagram users can expect growth in original creator content on the platform, with this feature getting rolled out soon.

What’s Happening To Video Content?

All three close competitors, namely YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, are on a similar path of evolution. While Instagram and TikTok are trying to capture the long-form content audience, YouTube is shortening its video lengths by introducing Shorts. Recently, YouTube released a TikTok-style micro-video format called ‘Samples,’ which is getting good traction from the public. 

Instagram recently allowed its users to add music to their carousel posts, another unique update from the platform. In recent times, all three platforms have made significant changes on their respective platforms to attract higher retention. But, the synchronicity in the type of content these platforms are encouraging is, in the end, increasing the diversity of content for public consumption, which will keep fluctuating them as leaders in this segment. Ultimately, be ready to witness an even more immersive experience from your favorite social media application.