Meta’s Instagram is testing videos up to 90 minutes long and launching on Apple TV, in a clear move to become a bigger home for longer-form entertainment from digital creators. But unlike YouTube, it is still not going to pay creators through a revenue-sharing programme.
Instagram (Credits: Variety)
The changes are designed to make Instagram a better place for watching and sharing longer content from creators, expanding well beyond the short-form Reels format that has defined the platform in recent years. Letting users watch Reels and more on Apple TV also moves Instagram viewing from the phone to the living room television.
Together, the moves are meant to position Instagram as a bigger potential competitor to YouTube, which has long dominated long-form online video. A 90-minute limit would let creators post full-length-style content, from extended vlogs and documentaries to long interviews and live-style shows, directly on Instagram rather than sending audiences elsewhere.
Instagram Tests 90-Minute Videos and Launches on Apple TV
The Apple TV launch is particularly significant. Watching Reels and other Instagram content on a television changes how the platform is used, turning a feed built for quick scrolling into something closer to a lean-back viewing experience. For creators, that could mean longer watch times and a different kind of audience, one that discovers content on the biggest screen in the house rather than the smallest.
But the catch for creators is money. For now, Instagram is still not planning a revenue-sharing programme akin to YouTube’s, which compensates creators for sharing their work on the platform. That gap matters enormously for anyone deciding where to post longer videos, because YouTube’s partner programme has long been the benchmark for creator earnings from long-form video.
Without a comparable revenue share, Instagram’s longer videos may attract attention and engagement, but creators who depend on video income still have a strong reason to keep their longest, most valuable work on YouTube. Instagram may be able to compete for viewing time, but competing for creator livelihoods is a different challenge.
Instagram vs YouTube: Why No Revenue Sharing Matters
The test status also matters. Instagram is testing the 90-minute limit, not rolling it out to everyone at once, so availability may vary while the company gauges how creators and audiences use the longer format. That cautious approach is typical for a format change this large, which affects everything from storage and moderation to how the feed itself is designed.
For audiences, the immediate benefit is choice: longer creator content in the Instagram app, plus the option to watch on Apple TV. For creators, the question is whether exposure and reach on Instagram can make up for the absence of YouTube-style revenue sharing, or whether the platform will eventually need to close that gap to truly compete for long-form talent.
Until Instagram answers that question, the new features look like a viewing play first and a creator-economy play second. Instagram wants your watch time on the TV and in the app, but for now, it is not offering creators the same pay deal YouTube does.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
