Instagram Features Test: What Long-Form Creators Should Do

Instagram wants creators to stop using Reels as trailers for YouTube. Fair enough. The awkward part: it hasn't yet given creators a strong financial reason to move the main show.

So yes, pay attention. No, don't rebuild your entire workflow before Monday.

Instagram goes wide

On October 26, Instagram began testing Features, a format for horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes. Creator Handbook reported on the test¹, which is aimed at podcasters, comedians, interviewers and other creators already producing longer shows.

Testing started with creators in Brazil and is now expanding to selected US accounts. Features can appear in the main feed and Explore. There's no public date for a wider release as of October 31.

The useful bit isn't really the 90-minute limit. Selected creators can connect as many as eight Reels to a full video, according to The Hollywood Reporter's original reporting². A sharp podcast clip can finally send viewers directly to the episode without the usual "link in bio" obstacle course.

Instagram also wants these videos on televisions. Features will be prominent inside Instagram's TV apps, turning the product into something closer to a YouTube show than an oversized Reel.

The money problem

This could tighten the gap between discovery and deeper attention. Today, a Reel may travel widely while the full episode sits elsewhere, hoping viewers make the trip. Linking both pieces inside Instagram removes several taps. Tiny change. Potentially a big deal.

It also means one recording can produce the full episode, several vertical clips and a television-friendly version. That's a cleaner content engine for teams already filming horizontally.

But Instagram isn't offering Features creators advertising revenue share yet. Existing sponsorships can travel with the video, and Instagram isn't demanding exclusivity. YouTube, meanwhile, pays eligible partners 55% of net watch-page advertising revenue, according to YouTube's official partner documentation³.

Don't confuse a longer upload limit with a better creator business. More minutes are nice. Money, search and dependable distribution are nicer.

Early creator chatter reflects that tension: some see an easy second home for existing episodes; others question whether people opening Instagram for quick entertainment will suddenly settle in for an hour.

Don't overbuild

If you get access, upload one proven episode instead of producing an Instagram exclusive. Keep YouTube as the primary library while the test lacks revenue sharing and mature discovery data.

Cut three to five Reels from that episode. Each clip should work alone, but leave one unanswered question that earns the tap into the full video.

Record long-form in 16:9, with faces and important visuals near the center. Your editor will then have room to crop clean 9:16 clips without turning every shot into a hostage negotiation.

Finally, track full-video starts, viewing time and sponsor results - not just Reel views. Instagram has added space. Now it has to prove that space is worth occupying.