Instagram Reels(Pixabay) |
TECHFITNOW.COM - Instagram is reportedly testing longer durations for Reels videos. This has also been confirmed by the company under the Meta umbrella. According to Instagram, they are currently testing Reels with a duration of up to 10 minutes. This duration is significantly longer compared to the current Reels format, which allows for a maximum video length of only three minutes. This testing is being carried out internally by Instagram. Initially, this feature was discovered by an engineer named Alessandro Paluzzi, who shared his findings on Twitter, now known as X.
According to screenshots shared by Paluzzi on his Twitter account with the handle @alex193a, it is indicated that Reels videos can now be up to 10 minutes in length. Paluzzi also posted a comparison between the previous three-minute Reels and the newly extended 10-minute format.
#Instagram is working on the ability to create #Reels up to 10 minutes long 👀 pic.twitter.com/jQTUM9fPsM
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 30, 2023
Once Reels supports a 10-minute duration, users will be able to upload content such as cooking demos, makeup tutorials, educational comedy, and more. On the other hand, the increased duration of Instagram Reels will also make it a more competitive platform against TikTok. This is because TikTok videos have also been extended to a 10-minute duration since the company made the change in February 2022. Additionally, the support for longer videos will allow Instagram to better compete with YouTube.
Although Instagram has confirmed these tests, they have not disclosed a specific release date for the extended Reels duration. In addition to extending the duration of Reels, Instagram is also reportedly testing several other new features. One of these features allows creators to share fan comments from their feeds or Reels to their Stories, as reported by TechCrunch on Friday, September 1, 2023.
Adding Music to Photo Carousels
On August 12th, Instagram also introduced a new feature that allows users to add music to photo carousels, or a collection of multiple photos uploaded in a single post on their feeds. With this feature, users can add background music when uploading photo carousels to their Instagram feed. Initially, music support was not available for Instagram photo carousels, meaning there was no background music when users viewed carousel posts. The introduction of this feature is not entirely new, as Instagram had previously conducted tests involving users, including those in Indonesia. These tests were known to have started as early as May.