Instagram Reels now supports 60-second videos; it’s a move to stifle rivals TikTok and YouTube Shorts

Creators are more likely to cross-post videos from other apps to Reels that, until now, used to limit videos to 30 seconds.

Instagram now supports 60-second videos on Reels, its short-video offering on the app. This move, aimed at rival TikTok and others is a calculated one.

Reels. up to 60 secs. starting today. pic.twitter.com/pKWIqtoXU2

— Instagram (@instagram) July 27, 2021

A healthy percentage of videos posted on Reels are originally posted on TikTok. But, because Reels, until now, allowed only 30-second videos, creators suffered because viewers could not enjoy the entirety of their videos. No more.

Also Read: YouTube rolls out its short-video offering 'Shorts’ globally; to tackle TikTok for category supremacy

Instagram Reel’s move, we feel, while aimed at TikTok also affects a new rival - YouTube Shorts that also supports 60-second videos. Shorts which was available in a handful of countries (including India) till last year enjoyed a global rollout in July 2021.

What’s interesting to note here is that Reels and Shorts do not have a separate app. Both are part of the Instagram and YouTube apps respectively. This, unlike, TikTok that has an app of its own.

Cover photo by Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash