Instagram is considering long-form video, says platform head Adam Mosseri

Popular social media platform, Instagram, is reportedly considering long-form videos for the future, according to platform head Adam Mosseri. The company was recently spotted testing Instagram’s TV app on Amazon Fire TV, which currently showcases Reels on the big screen. However, the platform lacks long-form content suited for big-screen viewing, unlike YouTube. Now, the company may explore premium or longer-format content specifically designed for a big-screen audience.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, in conversation with Semafor, highlighted that the company is currently focusing on short-form content and is avoiding rival YouTube’s long videos. However, he also hinted that Instagram might start experimenting with long-form videos. Mosseri said, “It might turn out that maybe we'll need premium content to work. It might be that we need long-form video. And then if we need long-form video, what does that mean for us? Because that's literally been a market we've explicitly decided not to enter.” 

The conversation also includes plans for subscription-based models that may open new revenue opportunities. Although it already gives creators the ability to create premium content based on a monthly subscription fee.

On the other hand, Instagram also started IGTV on the platform for long-form content back in 2018, but they had to discontinue it in 2022, as Reels became instantly popular. Now, as the company is exploring new ecosystems like TV and evolving beyond smartphones, the company may also test long-form content. Mosseri also highlighted that the company is open to experimenting. He added, “We're going to learn a lot, I'm sure we'll get a bunch of things wrong, but we're gonna iterate quickly.”