Instagram is trying a format called Features that lets selected creators publish horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long. The Hollywood Reporter covered the US test announced on 26 October. It follows earlier testing in Brazil, according to Digital Trends, which also reports that Reels can link viewers directly to the longer video. A podcast clip or interview highlight could then lead to a full episode inside Instagram.
For creators and for brands, that connection is the interesting part. A short clip can introduce an idea; a full episode can develop it better. If viewers make that transition, Instagram could become a more useful home for interviews, recurring shows, and longer stories that need room to breathe.
What Instagram is testing
Features is a separate long-form experiment, rather than a general announcement that every account can upload 90-minute Reels. The initial focus includes podcasters, comedians, and other creators working in longer formats. Instagram is also connecting the experience to its TV apps, where horizontal video fits more naturally.
Alongside this, Instagram is experimenting with Series, a home for episodic Reels on creator profiles, and with live-video discovery in the Reels tab. These are distinct tests, with different rollout schedules, as Digital Trends reports.
For UAE teams, a test announcement is a reason to prepare. Confirm access on the actual publishing account before promising any of these features in a campaign brief.
Why this moves Instagram closer to YouTube
Our reading is that Instagram wants more of the viewing journey to happen inside its own app. A viewer could discover a creator through a Reel, continue into a full conversation, and return for another episode. That would give a creator more ways to build a relationship after the first impression and build a stron connection.
The comparison with YouTube follows from that combination of discovery and depth. But an upload limit alone cannot establish a successful long-form business. Creators still need viewers who choose to stay, dependable distribution, and a commercial reason to keep producing.
Meta has not detailed a long-term monetization model for Features, TechCrunch reports. Treat any future platform payout as uncertain when budgeting production.
The creator opportunity: plan the episode and its clips together
A useful starting point is a format you already know how to make: a founder interview, a food conversation, a studio session, or a practical tutorial. Give the full episode one clear promise, then identify moments that also work as complete short clips.
For example, a Dubai restaurant creator could record a conversation with a chef about building a menu. One Reel might explain a surprising ingredient choice; another could show how a signature dish developed. Each should give the viewer something useful while creating a reason to watch the wider conversation.
Frame the recording so horizontal footage and vertical crops both work. Keep dialogue clear, protect important details from being cropped out, and save a clean master. That preparation remains useful even if Features is unavailable on your account.
Ninety minutes is a ceiling. Choose the length the subject can sustain. A focused 15-minute episode is a better starting point than stretching a thin idea to fill the available time. A sweetspot could be a 20 min video, just like a short tv show.
What brands should put in the brief
Longer video gives a collaboration room for explanation, demonstrations, and a creator’s own perspective. A skincare discussion could explore a routine; a hospitality episode could follow the work behind a guest experience. The product needs a credible role in the story.
Price the work as a production package: the main episode, the number of cutdowns, editing rounds, publishing destinations, and usage rights. Agree how sponsorship will be disclosed and whether the brand can reuse the footage in paid media. A longer runtime should not quietly become a larger workload for the same fee.
Set expectations for measurement too. Assess the clips for discovery and the episode for sustained attention. Where account reporting supports it, look at viewing time, retention, and movement from clips into the full video. Add a trackable destination when the objective is bookings or enquiries. Views alone will not tell you whether the extra production paid off.
CreatorMarket take
This test is worth watching because it could connect two jobs creators already do: making short clips that attract attention and longer work that builds familiarity. Series could add a reason to return, while linked Reels could make the first episode easier to find.
Start with one repeatable concept, one manageable episode, and a few strong cutdowns. Keep the production useful across channels, verify account access, and expand when audience behaviour justifies the effort. The opportunity is to make a show people want to follow; the new upload limit simply gives that show more room.