Instagram bets on horizontal long‑form video with Features and creator payouts

Instagram has introduced a new long‑form video format called Features that pushes the app further into TV‑style viewing. The format is designed for horizontal, extended videos and is being trialled with a handful of creators in Brazil and the US. Instagram’s TV app now gives priority to Features, reflecting the product’s positioning as something built for the big screen rather than a phone‑first clip.

The core technical limit is straightforward: creators in the test can upload horizontal files as long as 90 minutes. That runtime places Features in the same duration class as a short feature film and signals that Instagram wants to host full podcasts, long interviews, vlogs and other extended conversations inside the app. In Brazil’s trial, Instagram allows multiple clips to reference a single long piece — up to eight clips can point viewers to one long‑form video — a system that looks intended to stitch discovery and short‑form promotion into the viewing flow.

Instagram is also experimenting with how people watch Features on larger screens. The company has supported a TV app since late 2025 — the TV app first appeared on Amazon Fire TV in the US in December 2025, then expanded to Samsung smart TVs and Google TV — and Features are getting featured placement there. Users can save both Features and Series on their phones to watch later on the TV, and Instagram is testing a “second screen” mode that would let viewers use their phone as a remote while a Feature plays. Those moves underline the product’s emphasis on living‑room viewing and the need to connect phone discovery with a more traditional lean‑back experience.

The rollout is not only technical. Meta is seeding the format with paid content. According to an exclusive Business Insider report, the company has offered creators direct payments to publish on Features, with some deals reported at $50,000 and others reaching into six figures — Business Insider put the top reported offers at $500,000. A Meta spokesperson told the publication: “We’ve been public about the fact that we are funding Features content directly with some creators right now to support them,” and the company says that the details of individual deals are confidential even as content begins to appear.

People familiar with agreements told the outlet that creators are not being locked into exclusivity for these Features posts. Several sources reported that Instagram asks creators to publish any long‑form video they upload to YouTube on Instagram on the same day, but that the deals themselves do not demand exclusivity. That approach would let creators spread a single long episode across multiple platforms while receiving a direct upfront payment from Meta to ensure a Feature exists on Instagram’s surface.

What Instagram is not offering, at least for now, is the kind of ad revenue split that underpins YouTube’s long‑form ecosystem. Variety reports that Instagram does not plan an ad revenue sharing program for Features comparable to YouTube’s, where creators retain 55% of long‑form ad revenue. YouTube has emphasised the scale of that model in recent years, saying it has paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies in four years. That difference matters: a direct payment can subsidise launches and signal investment, but predictable ad revenue over time is a different business for creators who depend on recurring income.

Meta’s internal language acknowledges the economic tension. Adam Mosseri has discussed performance‑based payments as “ROI negative,” and the company has said publicly that it is exploring multiple approaches to help long‑form creators get paid. “The details of those deals are confidential, but we’re excited to see the content going live,” another quoted comment in the coverage underlines the experimental nature of the programme.

Features sits alongside Instagram’s existing video efforts rather than replacing them. The company has previously added ads to IGTV and shared revenue with creators — IGTV launched ad revenue sharing in 2020 with a 55% split — but the current Features test appears to prioritise curated funding over an immediate, platform‑wide ad model. At the same time, broader platform changes elsewhere could shift creator calculus: YouTube is adjusting its Partner Program rules from February 1, 2027, raising thresholds for new channels to 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Those changes tighten access to YouTube monetisation for newer channels and could influence where creators choose to concentrate their long‑form efforts.

For production and equipment professionals, Features change the distribution landscape in a few practical ways. Horizontal 90‑minute uploads encourage creators who already film podcast‑style conversations or multi‑camera interviews to bring that content to Instagram, which could increase demand for simple multicam rigs, talk‑show lighting packages, and capture workflows optimised for hour‑plus recordings. The tie to TV apps and a second‑screen remote also means creators who target Features may need to consider framing and audio mixes that translate cleanly to living‑room speakers and larger displays.

Instagram’s immediate incentive model will be attractive to some established creators able to negotiate sizable upfront sums, but the absence of a promised ad split makes the long‑term economics less clear for independent producers who rely on steady ad or subscription income. Meta says it understands that “the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long‑form creators get paid,” a line that suggests more iterations could follow based on uptake and viewer behaviour.

In the near term, expect Features to remain a curated, experimental product. The Brazil and US tests will provide usage data on how horizontal, extended content performs inside Instagram’s feed and on connected TVs. For production companies and equipment vendors, the important signals are the format’s runtime and orientation — television‑scale, horizontal canvases that demand traditional production values — and the platform’s clear intention to prioritise Features in its TV interface.

If Features scales beyond the test phase, it could revise the distribution map for long‑form creators by adding another major app that pays directly for premieres but has yet to commit to revenue sharing. That hybrid of upfront incentives and platform prominence is familiar in the streaming business, but it will be closely watched by creators weighing the trade‑offs between short‑term funding and sustainable monetisation.

Instagram’s experiment arrives at a moment when several platforms are rethinking how long‑form and short‑form content coexist. The immediate production implications are clear: more demand for durable, TV‑ready video assets; more attention on multicam and audio capture solutions; and a possible shift in where creators debut extended episodes. Whether Features becomes a routine outlet for long‑form creators will depend on user engagement, the evolution of Meta’s payment strategies, and whether an ad revenue model eventually reappears alongside direct funding.