Watch out, YouTube — Instagram goes from short-form to 90-minute videos
- ID
- 39725
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 27 Oct 2026, 5:05 AM
- Fetched
- 27 Oct 2026, 7:02 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/26/watch-out-youtube-instagram-goes-from-short-form-to-90-minute-videos/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 3.0
- Created
- 27 Oct 2026, 7:03 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- vibe_coderssaas_founders
What happened
Instagram announced it is testing a new upload type called "Features" that lets creators post videos up to 90 minutes long, a departure from the short-form vertical clips that have defined the platform. Instagram head Adam Mosseri, speaking on the Colin and Samir Show, said creators on Instagram mostly get paid by brands rather than per-view platform payouts, and that Instagram's performance-based program spends more than it earns back. The article contrasts this with YouTube, where Partner Program creators take 55% of ad revenue and which says it paid over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies across four years.
Why it matters
If you produce technical content, demo videos, or long tutorials, Instagram is testing itself as a place to host 90-minute uploads — but there is no per-view payout to plan around; Mosseri explicitly says Instagram's performance-based program loses money and won't be scaled up. Treat it as an extra distribution surface for existing long videos, not a revenue line, and keep YouTube as the monetized copy since it pays 55% of ad revenue.
Discussion angle
Would anyone here actually upload a 90-minute technical walkthrough to Instagram, given there's no per-view payout — and what would have to change (analytics, linking, search) before it beats YouTube for developer content?