Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Instagram is reportedly testing a TikTok-style 10-minute Reels feature, while Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL YouTube Shorts has reaffirmed its dedication to the 60-second format.
What Happened: Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi on Wednesday took to X, formerly Twitter, and shared some screenshots that appeared to indicate that Instagram was working on increasing the time of Reels duration.
This development comes as Instagram aims to align its short-form video offering with the popular trend set by TikTok, a rival app known for its 10-minute videos introduced last year.
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The company has yet to respond to Benzinga’s request for comments on the feature.
Why It’s Important: This transition opens doors for diverse content genres. If this testing, reports of which were confirmed by Meta to TechCrunch, results in an actual feature, creators on Instagram will no longer need to split their content into multiple parts.
Having said that, while Instagram is taking steps to compete with TikTok’s long-form content strategy, YouTube Shorts has previously reinforced its commitment to its iconic 60-second format.
Earlier this month, Todd Sherman, product lead for YouTube Shorts, underlined the platform’s strength in hosting longer video content and emphasized their intention to innovate while staying true to its niche.
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