INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Instagram is preparing to unveil a home for longer-form video — a YouTube competitor and its take on Snapchat Discover
According to multiple sources, Instagram will offer a dedicated space featuring scripted shows, music videos and more in vertically
oriented, full-screen, high-def 4K resolution
Instagram has been meeting with popular social media stars and content publishers to find out how their video channels elsewhere would work
It also lining up launch partners for an announcement of the long-form video effort tentatively scheduled for June 20th.
The public
shouldn&t expect Netflix Originals or HBO-level quality
This is not &InstaGame of Thrones.& Instead, the feature is more focused on the kind of videos you see from YouTube creators
These often range from five to 15 minutes in length, shot with nice cameras and lighting but not some massive Hollywood movie production
Average users will be able to upload longer videos too, beyond the current 60-second limit.
Instagram intends to eventually let creators and
publishers earn money off the longer videos, though it hasn&t finalized how accompanying ads like pre-rolls and mid-breaks or revenue splits
It is not paying creators up-front for shows like Facebook Watch, either
But the videos will each feature a swipe-up option to open a link, which creators can use to drive traffic to their websites, e-commerce
stores or event ticketing
Thanks to Instagram 800 million-plus users, the video section could be a powerful marketing tool beyond generating cash for creators
directly.
The long-form video section will spotlight a collection of popular videos, and provide a &continue watching& option since users
might view long clips over the course of several sessions
Users will also see the long-form clips featured on authors& profiles near the Stories Highlights bubbles.Creators won&t be able to shoot
and post long-form videos, as the section will only allow pre-made video uploads.
Instagram has previously offered Spotlight Collections
that assemble multiple videos into a non-stop viewing experience
This new information from TechCrunch sources comes after a brief initial
report by The Wall Street Journal yesterday that Instagram was talking to content publishers about a vertical video feature
The WSJ article focused on the ability for average users to post up to hour-long clips, but the real story here is Instagram launching a
professionally produced video entertainment hub
Instagram declined our request for comment.
It unclear what the new video feature will be named, or where it will appear
It could possibly live in the Explore tab, get its own tab or even be spun out into a separate app
Our sources didn&t know how the videos would work with the main Instagram feed, where they could appear full-length or show up as previews
to alert a publisher fans to their newest long-form clip
The announcement date or feature details could still potentially change.
Facebook Watch section of long-form video hasn&t proven
popular
Facebook hasn&t had much luck with its own original long-form video section it launched in August 2017, Facebook Watch
Mediocre, unscripted reality shows and documentary clips haven&t proven a draw for the social network, which is now expanding into scripted
Instagram may prove a more natural home for lean-back entertainment content.
InstaTube
The Instagram long-form video section will be
Facebook answer to two competing social video destinations it yet to successfully clone.
Snapchat Discover section offers exclusive,
professionally produced vertical video shows from an array of publishers as an alternative to shaky user-generated Stories
But with sagging user growthendangering viewership,backlash to the redesignthat buries Discover and a policy shift to stop paying Discover
publishers up front, Instagram and its massive user count may be able to seduce publishers to bring longer videos to its app
instead.
YouTube is the stronger foe
Its ad revenue sharing agreements and massive engagement have made it the go-to platform for video makers
Still, creators are always looking to build their fan bases, earn more money and promote their other online presences
Instagram wildfire growth and the familiarity of following people there could make the long-form video section worth embracing.
The feature
has big potential as long as it not too interruptive of people entrenched feed-scrolling and Story-tapping behavior patterns
Instagram will also have to convince creators to shoot their content vertically or find ways to gracefully crop it, and some may be
apprehensive if they typically shoot in landscape for traditional video players.
The Facebook family of apps might never be able to match
the breadth and depth of YouTube video catalog
But Instagram has an opportunity here to skim the best content off the top of the sprawling creator/publisher ecosystem and curate it
coherently for casual audiences
That could get us spending more time with Instagram, even if our friends are boring.
