Here’s what’s actually happening, what I think Meta is really up to, and why I’m begging you not to abandon your YouTube channel to chase the shiny new thing.
What Instagram actually announced
On October 26, Instagram started testing a new format called Features: horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long. Think podcasts, interviews, vlogs, comedy specials — the stuff that has historically lived on YouTube.
The quick hits:
- Who has it: The test started in Brazil and has opened to a select group of U.S. creators. Instagram plans to expand to tens of thousands of creators, but there’s no date for a wider rollout.
- Where it shows up: Features appear in the main feed and on Explore, and Instagram’s TV app (Samsung, Fire TV, Google TV, and now Apple TV in the U.S.) is being updated to prioritize them.
- Linked Reels: You can connect a Reel to your full-length video so viewers tap through to the whole thing without leaving the app. Basically a trailer that lives where your audience already scrolls.
- Series: A way to group episodic Reels on your profile so people watch them in order. Expected in the U.S. in late 2026 or early 2027.
- Money: There’s no revenue share for Features, and Mosseri said none is planned yet. For comparison, YouTube pays Partner Program creators 55% of net ad revenue on long-form.
- Exclusivity: None required. The same video can live on YouTube and Instagram.
My favorite part? Adam Mosseri opened the announcement by admitting he’d been against long-form video on Instagram for a long time — then said they’re going to “lean in.” Two years ago he said Instagram wouldn’t chase long-form at all. Never say never, Adam.
If you haven’t figured it out by now: Meta doesn’t invent…it absorbs
This is the Instagram playbook. Watch what’s working somewhere else, then bring it home.
Snapchat had disappearing 24-hour snaps. In 2016, Instagram rolled out Stories — same concept, new name — and you know what? That was the end of Snapchat for me. Not because Snapchat got worse. Because my people were already on Instagram, and building a brand-new audience somewhere else is hard. Why start from zero when your followers are already right there?
Then TikTok blew up, and we got Reels. Now YouTube owns long-form, and here comes Features.
And I think there’s a very specific reason for the timing.
The real play: keep creators from packing up for YouTube
The creator economy is massive and still growing. Goldman Sachs estimated roughly 50 million creators worldwide, growing 10–20% a year. Citi’s estimate is closer to 120 million, and some 2026 industry roundups put the number north of 200 million depending on how you count. HubSpot research found that 30% of 18–24 year olds and 40% of 25–34 year olds identify as content creators.
That’s a whole lot of people who built their audience on Reels or make UGC for brands… and who eventually hit the ceiling of a short video. Where do they go when they want to go deeper (and get paid for it)? Historically: YouTube.
Features is Instagram building a wall around that exit. Keep the creators, keep the audiences, keep the ad dollars in-house. Instagram’s VP of product has even said that within two years, she expects Instagram to be part of creators’ long-form strategy, not just their short-form. Smart move. (Annoyingly smart.)
It works in the other direction, too. Creators who are already winning on YouTube now have a low-effort place to drop that same content on Instagram — and maybe reach a different kind of follower and build relationships they aren’t getting over there.
Why YouTube is still the king of long-form
via GIPHY
I’m not a YouTube expert, and I won’t pretend to be. But I know what I see.
YouTube is a search engine. People show up with a question, and YouTube is ridiculously good at serving the right video to the right person — for years after you post it. That’s a long-haul asset. A good YouTube video is a library book. A good Instagram post is a great conversation at a party.
And Instagram’s track record with long-form isn’t exactly reassuring. IGTV launched in 2018 as its own app and was eventually folded back in. Features has no performance data yet, no revenue share, and limited access. Metricool’s data puts average Reel watch time at about 8.5 seconds — and as they put it, that’s a long way from 90 minutes.
So no, do not pause your YouTube channel to go all in on Instagram long-form. Test it. Don’t bet the farm on it.
Where Instagram long-form could actually win
Here’s the thing, though. YouTube, to me, feels passive. Lots of cold traffic. Someone finds your video, watches it, and goes on with their day. Great for reach, not always great for relationship.
Instagram feels like social media. People are more inclined to stop the scroll, consume, comment, DM, engage — and then keep it moving. That’s where community gets built.
And right now, as we sit here today, the algorithm is really good at showing you more from the same creator — even if you haven’t followed them yet.
Real example from my own feed: I watched part one of a food creator (@secret_foodie_bangers) helping put a home baker’s cookie business on the map. A few days later, the update showed up in my feed: one creator had changed the life of this home baker, generating 5,000 orders in a single week. I wasn’t following. Instagram just knew I’d want the next chapter.
That’s the opportunity. Now imagine that same behavior with a 20-minute deep dive attached via Linked Reels. The short clip hooks them, the full Feature gets them invested, and the comments and DMs build the relationship. YouTube doesn’t do that last part nearly as naturally.
So what should you actually do?
My take, especially if you’re an author, coach, or thought leader:
- Keep YouTube as your home base for long-form. It’s your searchable library and your long-game discovery engine.
- Treat Instagram long-form as a relationship layer, not a replacement. Same video, different job. No exclusivity means you don’t have to choose.
- Get your clips in order now. Linked Reels turn your short-form into the doorway to your long-form. If you’re not already pulling clips from your long videos, start.
- Think in series. The cookie story worked because it was part one, then part two. Episodic content is exactly what Instagram is building for.
- Don’t make Instagram-only long-form yet. Until there’s real data and a way to get paid, repurpose. Don’t reinvent.
Long-form isn’t new. The platform fighting over it is. Play where your audience is, keep your library where it lasts, and let Meta do what Meta does.
So tell me: are you testing Features the second you get access, or waiting to see if it sticks this time?