Key Takeaways
Instagram announced Features, a test format for videos up to 90 minutes, on 26 October 2026
Instagram Features started with creators in Brazil and is expanding to select US creators
Creators can link up to 8 Reels clips to a longer video, per Social Media Today
Meta says it's too early to share a long-term monetization model for Features
YouTube's Partner Programme pays long-form creators once they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours
Instagram Features gives select creators a place for videos up to 90 minutes, and Instagram hasn't said how it will pay them.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri and VP of Product Tessa Lyons announced the test in a video on 26 October, TechCrunch reported. It began with creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small group in the US.
"For a long time, I have been against doing long-form video on Instagram" - Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram
If you produce podcasts or webinars for a brand, this is a second home to test after YouTube. Meta is building more around Instagram business accounts too, such as Muse for Small Business reading Instagram analytics.
What is Instagram Features?
Instagram Features is a test format for videos of up to 90 minutes, announced by Instagram on 26 October 2026. Instagram Features is open to select creators in Brazil and the US, and a related test lets creators turn long videos into Reels that link to the full video. Instagram hasn't announced a long-term payout model for Instagram Features.
5 launch details from the 26 October announcement
- Videos can run up to 90 minutes
- The test started in Brazil and is expanding to select US creators
- Reels clips can point viewers to the full video
- Viewers can send long videos to the Instagram TV app
- Instagram's earlier long-form app, IGTV, launched in 2018 and closed in 2022
Social Media Today's launch report adds that up to 8 Reels clips can link to 1 longer video. It also reports that Series, a separate option for grouping Reels by topic, has been in testing since June. Business Standard reported that Features videos are horizontal.
How Features compares with YouTube long-form
| Category | Instagram Features | YouTube long-form |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 90 minutes in the test | No cap stated on the pages we checked |
| Access | Select creators in Brazil and the US | Channels apply to the Partner Programme once they qualify |
| Platform payout | No model announced | Partner Programme monetization |
| Payout threshold | None published | 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days |
| Route to the long video | Reels clips link to the full video | Not covered on the pages we checked |
| TV viewing | Send to the Instagram TV app | 700 million podcast hours on living-room devices in Oct 2025 |
YouTube's thresholds come from its Partner Programme eligibility page. Its TV figure comes from YouTube's December 2025 podcast post, which put living-room podcast viewing at 700 million hours, up from 400 million a year earlier.
On Instagram, creators earn mainly from brand deals today, Mosseri told TechCrunch. A Meta spokesperson said: "It's too early to share a long-term monetization model."
The India read
Business Standard's 28 October report doesn't say whether Features is available in India. Divyanshu Damani, co-founder of TagMango, told the paper that Indian users don't usually open Instagram for long videos.
The paper also notes that Instagram doesn't pay creators automatically for watch time. Creators earn through brand partnerships, subscriptions, Gifts and selected incentive programmes.
Attention per Reels impression is already low in India, as our look at the MMA India attention report shows. So test Features with clips that give viewers a reason to stay.
3 things to do this month
List your 16:9 recordings. Podcasts, webinars and event talks already shot horizontally are your first Features candidates.
Keep YouTube as the paid home. Until Instagram announces a payout model, YouTube's Partner Programme is the long-form route that pays. Instagram hasn't said when Features opens to all creators or reaches India.
Cut clips with a reason to click through. Reels clips are how viewers reach the full video, so end each one on an open question.
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