Instagram plans new long-form video hub to compete with YouTube & Snapchat Discover

Following a report yesterday suggesting Instagram was adding support for videos up to 1 hour in length, TechCrunch now offers additional details on the company’s video plans. The report likens Instagram’s video plans to Snapchat’s Discover feature…

TechCrunch says Instagram’s video plans can be described as a “YouTube competitor and its take on Snapchat Discover.” Instagram is said to be planning a dedicated home for scripted shows, music videos, and more. All of the videos will be in vertical orientation and 4K resolution.

Instagram has reportedly been meeting with social media stars and content publishers to roundup launch partners for the feature, which is currently slated to launch on June 20th.

This isn’t expected to be a Netflix competitor by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, it’s focused on more YouTube-style videos from independent creators:

The public shouldn’t expect Netflix Originals or HBO-level quality. This is not “InstaGame of Thrones.”  Instead, the feature is more focused on the kind of videos you see from YouTube creators.

These often range from five to 15 minutes in length, shot with nice cameras and lighting but not some massive Hollywood movie production crew. Average users will be able to upload longer videos too, beyond the current 60-second limit.

The new long-form video hub will feature curated videos and popular videos, as well as a “continue watching” feature to allow users to split viewing of longer videos into shorter sessions.

As for monetization, today’s report says Instagram has not yet finalized its plans. It “eventually intends to let creators and publishers earn money off the longer videos, though it hasn’t finalized how accompanying ads like pre-rolls and mid-breaks or revenue splits will work.”

TechCrunch’s focuses primarily on how Instagram is working with high-profile social media stars to product “professionally produced video,” while yesterday’s report focused more on the ability for regular users to upload longer videos.