Instagram vs YouTube: Instagram Hints at Long-Form Videos, Raising Competition for YouTube

Meta’s popular social media platform Instagram may soon allow users to upload long-form videos, signaling potential challenges for YouTube and its content creators. Instagram head Adam Mosseri hinted at this during recent tests of the platform on Amazon Fire TV, where Reels are already available on larger screens.

Instagram Eyes Long-Form Content

Currently, Instagram focuses heavily on short-form videos like Reels, deliberately avoiding the long-video market dominated by YouTube. However, Mosseri indicated that this strategy could change in the future. “We might need premium content or long-form videos,” he said, emphasizing that such a shift would be a significant step into a market they’ve avoided until now.

Potential for Subscription Revenue

Instagram already supports monthly subscriptions, enabling creators to offer exclusive premium content. If long-form videos are integrated with this subscription model, it could create new revenue streams for both the platform and creators.

Past Experiment: IGTV

Instagram previously attempted long-form videos with IGTV in 2018 but shut it down in 2022 due to the overwhelming popularity of short-form Reels. Now, as Instagram expands to TV and other larger screens, the environment for long-form content may become favorable again.

Mosseri emphasized that experimentation will continue, acknowledging that some attempts may fail but improvements will follow rapidly. This indicates that long-form videos may initially be tested as a pilot feature.

YouTube’s Dominance

YouTube remains the global leader in long-form video, with over 2.5 billion monthly users and more than 50 million active content creators worldwide. The platform leads not just in video content but also in creator economy, advertising, and subscription revenue. YouTube is also expanding its live content, including sports, comedy, movies, and award shows.

Impact on Creators

If Instagram launches long-form video support, creators may gain an alternative platform to YouTube, increasing content distribution opportunities. However, it may also require creators to split their time and attention across multiple platforms, adding complexity to content planning.

For Instagram, this represents a chance to evolve from being primarily a short-video app to a full-scale video ecosystem, potentially challenging YouTube in the long run.

Bottom Line: Instagram’s foray into long-form videos won’t immediately dethrone YouTube but could shift content dynamics, expand revenue models, and create more options for creators to reach audiences across multiple platforms.