Instagram Shuts Down IGTV For Longer Videos, TikTok Expands Video Length

Instagram announced the shutdown of its longer format video ‘IGTV’. The company explained in a blog post they intend to make video content “as simple as possible to discover and create”. Thus, in-stream video ads will also be discontinued. Creators that actively monetize with in-stream video ads will receive a temporary monthly payment based on their recent earnings.

The Meta-owned company is increasingly becoming video-focused and wants to integrate all video content into its main app. It is in the process of designing a ‘new ad experience’ that will allow Instagram users to earn ad revenue on Reels. Earlier this year, Instagram announced that it would  “double down” on video content in 2022. Instagram reports that Reels contributes to engagement growth by pushing short videos both in the feed and with a dedicated button in the navigation menu. The initial limit for reels was 30 seconds, but that limit was extended to 60 seconds in 2021. 

Meanwhile, major social media platforms continue to introduce shorter video content tools, Instagram competitor TikTok is doing the opposite.

Interesting Read: The New World Of TikTok Marketing, Everything You Need To Know!

TikTok Videos Triple In Length

In a bid to challenge rival YouTube, TikTok now lets users upload videos as long as 10 minutes. However, YouTube is promoting its short-form content  “Shorts” feature. Even though this news is a big deal in the competitive world of social media, as it extends TikTok’s previous July extension to three-minute-long videos by three times, it comes at a peculiar time. An official from TikTok says the goal is to bring value to the community and enrich the user experience.

“Today, we’re excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes, which we hope would unleash even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.”

Creators will have more time and flexibility to film things like cooking demos, beauty tutorials, educational videos, comedic sketches, and more. Globally, TikTok will release the option to film longer videos in the coming weeks. Users using the latest version will be notified of the update.

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