Instagram Features: what long-form means for your brand

Instagram is testing long-form video, and the person who spent years saying no to it announced it himself. On October 26, Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons, Instagram’s VP of product, introduced Features: horizontal videos far longer than a Reel, with Reels clips that point viewers to the full thing (TechCrunch).

For years you went to YouTube for long videos, TikTok for short ones, Snapchat for stories and Spotify for music. That split is close to gone, and this launch takes away one of the last clear lines.

What Instagram is testing

Instagram tested Features with creators in Brazil first and is now expanding to a small US test. It hasn’t published who qualifies or when it reaches everyone. The test covers four pieces:

• Features. Horizontal, long-form uploads for podcasts, interviews, comedy specials and vlogs. Instagram is trying several length limits, up to 90 minutes.

• Clips as Reels. A creator can cut sections of a Feature into Reels, and each one links to the full video. Colin and Samir report up to eight clips per Feature.

• Series. Episodic Reels grouped on a profile, similar to playlists on TikTok.

• TV. Instagram’s TV app is now on Apple TV in the US and will carry Features (The National).

Money is the open question. Instagram doesn’t share ad revenue on Features yet, while YouTube pays partner creators 55% of ad revenue from their videos. Mosseri said creators on Instagram mostly get paid by brands, and that Instagram’s own payout program costs it “more money than we make back by a long shot” (9to5Google, TechCrunch).

Mosseri said no for years, then changed his mind

In July 2024, Mosseri said long video pulled people away from friends and sharing, and that Instagram was “not going to go after that business” (TechCrunch). By December 2025 he was less sure, telling Semafor “it might be that we need long-form video,” a market Instagram had “explicitly decided not to enter” (Business Today).

This week he owned the change. “For a long time, I have been against doing long-form video on Instagram,” he said, adding that short and long video “can be symbiotic” and that Instagram is “very committed to it long term.” He also talked it through with Colin and Samir:

His case is about behavior. Instagram saw friends watching Reels together, including on the TV, and Lyons said a TV version of Instagram needs “more than just short-form video.”

Mosseri isn’t treating Features as a YouTube clone. Reels stay the front door, and the long video sits behind it.

Every app is turning into every other app

Instagram has TikTok’s vertical feed, Facebook has Snapchat’s stories, Spotify has video podcasts and TikTok has tested hour-long uploads. Put the formats side by side and most of the grid fills in.

If each app chases every format, they start to look the same, and it’s hard to see room for more than one winner per format. Our read is that they won’t all win at everything. Each app keeps the reason people opened it in the first place: YouTube is where you search, TikTok is where you discover, Instagram is where you follow people you know and like.

Instagram’s real advantage is distribution, not the length limit. It already has an audience scrolling Reels all day, and Features turns those Reels into trailers for something longer. YouTube still has search, an ad share for creators and a long TV habit, so it isn’t going anywhere.

The same tension applies to your brand. You can try every new format each platform ships, or you can build from what your audience already comes to you for and add formats that fit it. We’d pick the second.

What it means for your brand

If you only post product Reels and ads, nothing changes this month. The change matters most if you already make anything longer than a minute: a founder podcast, a workshop, a long interview, a behind-the-scenes series or creator content that gets cut down for ads.

Until now, that long content lived on YouTube and its clips lived on Instagram, with no clean path between them. Features puts both in one app, with the clip linking straight to the full video.

Treat each Reel as a trailer and each Feature as the episode. Plan one shoot to feed both.

Creator deals shift too. With no ad share on Instagram yet, creators who post Features will look to brands to pay for them. Expect sponsored segments inside long Instagram videos to show up in creator rate cards soon, at prices nobody has settled.

How we’d approach it this month

Don’t open a new content stream for a format still in testing. Use what you already record and set it up so you can post it as a Feature the day you get access.

1. Pick one long piece you already make, like a podcast episode, a webinar or a founder interview.

2. Film it horizontally with room to crop to vertical, so one take gives you the Feature and the clips.

3. Plan six to eight clips before you post, each with its own hook and a reason to watch the full video.

4. Check whether your account or the creators you work with are in the US test. If they are, post one Feature with linked clips and compare it to the same clips posted on their own.

5. Watch saves, shares and how many clip viewers open the full video. Treat views on their own as a weak signal.

6. Keep search-driven long-form on YouTube. Instagram is a second home for it, not a replacement.

How commnty turns one shoot into every format

We start with what you already make. Most brands we talk to have more long content than they think: Zoom calls with customers, founder interviews, event talks, creator content cut down to 30 seconds for ads. We map it, pick the strongest piece and plan the shoot so one recording becomes a long video, a set of Reels and new ad creative.

Our content repurposing team writes the clip plan before anyone films. Each clip gets its own hook and a clear handoff to the full video. Then we test it on the platform where your audience already watches longer content, and on Instagram as soon as you get access to Features.

You end up with one production day that keeps feeding your calendar for weeks. If you’d like to see what that looks like with your content, book a free audit. We’ll go through what you already have and show you which piece to start with.

Frequently asked questions

Can every brand post Features today?

No. Instagram tested Features in Brazil and is expanding to a small group in the US. It hasn’t published who qualifies or when everyone gets it, so plan now and post when your account gets access.

Should we move our YouTube videos to Instagram?

Not yet. YouTube still brings search traffic and pays creators a share of ad revenue, and Instagram doesn’t have either for Features. Post to both once you have access, and compare which one brings you customers.

How long should a Feature be?

Long enough for the content, and no longer. Instagram is testing several limits up to 90 minutes, but a 12-minute interview with strong clips will teach you more than a 60-minute video nobody finishes.

Do we need a bigger production budget?

Probably not. Most brands can start with content they already record. Frame for horizontal and vertical when you film, and plan your clips before the shoot.