Instagram Tests Long-Form Videos Without Payment Plan
Instagram is testing long-form videos to draw creators away from YouTube, but the platform currently lacks a clear plan or payout structure to compensate them.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Instagram Introduces Features for Long-Form Content
Instagram is testing long-form videos (again) in an effort to attract creative talent away from competing platforms like YouTube. After Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced Features on Monday, creators immediately began voicing their complaints on Threads and Reddit regarding the complete absence of monetization opportunities.
Unlike YouTube, which provides robust ad-share models and performance-based incentives, Instagram’s new testing phase leaves creators questioning the economic value of participating. The new format is currently being tested by a small group of creators in the US and Brazil.
Details of the New Features Format
The newly introduced Features format allows creators to upload videos up to 90 minutes long, a substantial increase compared to the 20-minute maximum currently imposed on Reels. These videos reportedly focus on landscape content rather than vertical formats, positioning them as a strong fit for Instagram’s TV apps as the company attempts to snare our attention across a wider variety of home screens.
While Meta offers some limited monetization tools for its existing Reels format, these options do not pay creators directly on a per-view basis comparable to YouTube's established monetization ecosystem.
Creator Backlash and Industry Response
The lack of a direct monetization roadmap has sparked immediate pushback from prominent creators across social networks. In one post on Threads, creator Sidneyraz argued that the rollout without proper ad placement feels dismissive toward creators who rely on long-form ad revenue to sustain their production operations.
Tech creator M. Brandon Lee also echoed these frustrations on Threads, questioning the strategic benefit of uploading content to a platform that lacks ad-share revenue and restricts external linking options unless creators pay to promote a limited number of links.
Adam Mosseri Addresses Monetization Concerns
Addressing the growing wave of creator concerns, Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the economic hurdles in a Threads post yesterday, stating that the platform understands the economics matter significantly and is actively exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid.
However, during a podcast appearance with Samir Chaudry and Colin Rosenblum, Mosseri noted that introducing pre-roll or mid-roll advertisements could create negative user experience issues. He also pointed out that expanding the existing small performance-based program is financially impractical because Meta currently spends more money on it than it generates in return.
The Broader Landscape of Meta Creator Economics
Although some long-form video creators previously reported substantial earnings through Facebook’s older ad revenue-sharing payout structures, Meta officially retired that model in 2024 when it transitioned to a performance-based system.
For now, the primary incentive for posting a Features video is the broad reach provided by Instagram's massive audience network. Yet, creators must weigh this visibility against the reality that Meta utilizes uploaded material to help train its underlying artificial intelligence models, leaving many to wonder when a sustainable financial framework will finally be established.
Sources
- The VergeInstagram doesn’t have a plan to pay long-form video creators
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