Meta Tests 90-Minute Instagram Videos Without a Direct Pay Structure

Instagram announced a new long-form video feature on Monday, but the platform has not established a method to pay creators for these uploads. The feature, called Features, allows users to upload videos up to 90 minutes long. This is a major shift from the current 20-minute limit for Reels. The format focuses on landscape orientation rather than vertical video. Instagram is currently testing this tool with a small group of users in the United States and Brazil.

The absence of a direct payment model has drawn immediate criticism from content producers. Many creators compare the new feature to YouTube, which offers ad revenue sharing and performance-based incentives. On Instagram, creators must rely on brand deals or fan support for income. Meta does not currently pay creators directly per view for long-form content.

Sidney Raskind, a creator known as Sidneyraz, voiced this frustration on Threads. She stated that Meta is asking creators to upload long-form content for free to keep them on the platform. Raskind noted that creators need ad revenue to survive. She said it feels like the company is making fun of creators by not allowing them to place monetization ads into Features videos.

M. Brandon Lee, a tech creator, also criticized the lack of monetization options on Threads. He pointed out that creators cannot post links in their content to earn affiliate income unless they pay Instagram to post a limited number of links. Lee asked why he should post his long-form content on Instagram if the platform offers no direct benefit or revenue share.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, addressed these concerns in a post on Threads. He acknowledged that the economics of the platform matter to creators. Mosseri said the team is exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid. He did not provide specific details on when or how these payment methods would launch.

Mosseri explained the company's reasoning in a podcast with Samir Chaudry and Colin Rosenblum. He said adding pre-roll or mid-roll ads would create problems for the user experience. He also noted that scaling up the existing performance-based program does not make financial sense for Meta. The company currently spends more money on that program than it earns back from it.

The new feature aims to capture user attention on larger screens, including Instagram's TV apps. Meta previously used an ad revenue-sharing payout model for longer-form videos on Facebook. The company retired that system in 2024 and switched to a performance-based model. While Google also uses YouTube videos to train its AI models, YouTube pays creators directly. Meta uses content from its platforms for AI training but has not yet established a direct payment link for the new Features format.