Instagram has spent years positioning itself as the home of short, vertical video. Now it is testing the opposite. According to reporting from SocialDay and other outlets, Instagram has begun testing horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes, called Features, with select US creators. For brands, the news matters less as a product launch and more as a signal about where creator partnerships may be heading.
What is actually happening
Here is what has been reported, kept to what the coverage supports.
- The format: Features are horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long.
- The rollout: the US test began October 26, following a trial in Brazil. Reporting suggests it could expand to tens of thousands of US creators.
- Distribution: Features attach to Reels and may be recommended on Explore.
- Clips as Reels: a separate test lets participants link up to eight Reels clips to a longer video, so short content can lead people to the full piece.
- Money: there is no ad revenue share for long-form at launch. Instagram is funding some creators directly, and an Instagram representative said it is "too early to share a long-term monetization model."
- Context: Instagram head Adam Mosseri said, "For a long time, I have been against doing long-form video on Instagram." Instagram is also reportedly testing an option that opens the app directly to Reels.
Everything above is a test. Formats, eligibility and economics can change or disappear. I would plan around the direction, not the details.
Why this matters for brands
Creators will start asking for more
If a creator you work with is in the test, or expects to be, their incentives shift. Some will be funded directly by Instagram and may want different deal structures. Others will want to build long-form work that your brand could either sponsor or be left out of. Expect conversations about integrations, series and ownership to get more complicated.
Long-form changes what a sponsorship is
A 15-second Reel integration and a 40-minute video are different products. A long video can hold a real story, a demonstration or a conversation. It can also bury a brand mention in the middle where few people reach it. The strength of the format is depth, and brands that use it well will behave more like producers than advertisers.
Measurement is unsettled
With no ad revenue share at launch and no confirmed monetization model, there is no established benchmark for what a long-form view on Instagram is worth. I would be cautious about any agency or creator who promises predictable returns right now.
The Reels-to-Features loop is the strategic bit
The "Clips as Reels" test is, to me, the most interesting detail. It suggests Instagram wants short clips to act as the front door for longer videos. That mirrors how many brands already think about content: a long anchor piece, cut into many small ones. If you already work this way, Instagram may become another place to host the anchor. If you don't, this is a reason to start. The idea is covered in more depth in my post on building a brand content series.
What to do now
- Do not rebuild your Instagram plan. This is a test with select creators. Keep your current Reels and Stories cadence going.
- Ask your creator partners where they stand. Are they in the test? Are they being funded by Instagram? Do they plan to make Features? Their answers affect availability, exclusivity and pricing conversations later.
- Review contract language. Check usage rights, exclusivity, disclosure and content-length terms. Agreements written for short posts may not address a 60-minute video. This is a good moment to revisit whether you run a creator program or one-off influencer posts, because long-form rewards ongoing relationships.
- Inventory your long-form assets. Webinars, interviews, product demos, panels and events you already own are candidates to test if the format opens to you. If the footage exists, you lose little by being ready.
- Plan the cut-down. For any long video, decide in advance which moments become clips, what each clip's job is, and where it points. Design for the loop, not for the upload.
- Set a small, honest test budget. If you try a sponsored long-form piece, define success before you start, whether that is watch behavior, saves, follows or traffic, and be clear that the data is exploratory.
- Keep YouTube in the picture. Long-form already has an established home. Do not move what works there on the strength of a test.
My take
Instagram's own leader has been publicly skeptical of long-form, so this is a notable reversal of direction, even in test form. I read it as a response to where attention and creator income are going, and as an attempt to keep creators from taking their best work elsewhere.
For brands, the opportunity is real but premature. The sensible stance is curiosity with discipline: learn how your creators are thinking, get your contracts ready, and build assets you can use anywhere. Measurement frameworks for the format do not exist yet, so anything you try should be labeled as a test. If you need help structuring that, my guide to a social media strategy framework is a good place to start.
Sources: Reporting from SocialDay and Social Media Today roundups, plus TechRepublic's coverage of Instagram Features and The Next Web's report on the 90-minute test.
Want a second opinion on your social?
I offer a free social audit for brands: send me your handles, I review what you're doing, and we talk through what to keep, cut and try next. Request your free social audit →
