Here's Your Crash Course On IGTV, Instagram's Freshest And Coolest Video Update Plus All The People We Can't Wait To Watch On This New Platform
It's finally arrived. Instagram has just released IGTV to the world, their latest video update and perhaps most competitive feature to date.
Introducing IGTV, a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators. https://t.co/7aSMmmAsyB pic.twitter.com/Py8QI1rS23
— Instagram (@instagram) June 20, 2018
IGTV, literally Instagram TV, now lets users upload vertical videos (videos in profile mode) up to an hour in length.
That's right! Gone are the days when you had to trim precious videos in accordance with the app's non-negotiable one-minute limit. Now, aside from being able to edit and share beautiful photos, share interesting events on Stories, and create cute loops on Boomerang, virtually any Instagram user can take advantage of the new long form video feature.
Who can use it?
But hold on a second—"virtually" any Instagram user?
The long form video feature, which is now available to use, is available to all Instagram users, though for now, only accounts with sizeable followings (read: millions of followers, or close to it) can upload hour-long videos. Business accounts or content creators with less followers, as well as personal accounts, will have limited use of the feature and can only upload videos minutes long in length.
This is being refined by Instagram's developers as you read this article, as more Instagram users start to experiment with the feature.
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Where do I find it?
In the same way that Stories and Boomerang can be used within the main Instagram app, IGTV can also be accessed in a similar way. And just like the add-on Instagram features that came before it, IGTV will also have its own standalone app. This follows the format that Facebook, Instagram's parent company, has been utilizing (think about how Messenger can be used within Facebook, but also has its own app).
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How is it different from other long form video sharing platforms?
YouTube, of course, comes to mind when thinking of how IGTV fits in our already rich digital landscape. After all, the app was indeed developed to compete head to head with YouTube.
1. First off, unlike YouTube, IGTV doesn't yet allow content creators to monetize their videos. However, that's only temporary; many online influencers and businesses have turned their Instagram accounts into lucrative online assets, and IGTV will eventually go in that direction in the near future. In relation to this, IGTV does not yet feature any ads. This, too, will eventually be developed.
2. Secondly, IGTV's videos will be formatted vertically, as opposed to YouTube's signature horizontal view. This may not be such a big deal, but to developers, it's a world of a difference. Vertical videos were found to be more attractive to a majority of Instagram users who consume video content on mobile. With videos like this, they're less inclined to skip through content and pay attention to a video for a longer time.
Believe it or not, the few seconds it takes to change a video's orientation from vertical to horizontal, and vice versa, is a turn off for many people. It was researched that vertical viewing follows the "natural way" we use our phones, and therefore, takes away the second or two spent on adjusting video orientation, bringing you straight to the video you want to view, presenting it in a way it was meant to be viewed and best enjoyed.
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What are IGTV's features that content creators and businesses should care about?
Take note of what IGTV allows you to do to better take advantage of it:
- Creators will be able to do links in their videos' descriptions to drive traffic elsewhere. This is especially important for creators who need traffic redirected to particular websites.
- Similar to YouTube, IGTV videos will be stored in a channel. They will not be mixed with main Instagram feeds, and won't clutter them.
- A scrub bar will now be available on IGTV videos—that's the handy little line at the bottom of a video that shows viewers the length of a video, how much they've watched, and most importantly, allows them to fast forward and rewind. None of Instagram's other video features have this.
- Viewers don't have to download the IGTV app separately to be able to watch IGTV videos, unlike YouTube. This essentially makes Instagram a more complete photo and video sharing app where audiences can spend longer periods of time exploring.
- Instagram's most popular features can still be used in IGTV videos—filters, stickers, and the ability to share videos via private message.
- IGTV's suggested content to users will depend on their individual preferences and viewing history. It won't be completely random, but rather, IGTV's developers have stated that it will bring users closer to the content they love the most and concentrate on expanding their knowledge about topics they're most interested in.
- Last but not the least, uploading an IGTV video can be done on desktop, as opposed to other Instagram videos that can only be uploaded and posted via mobile.
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Now that you've gotten a better grasp of what IGTV has to offer and how it can potentially change the way you create or consume videos, check out our top picks of the personalities we're most excited to see on IGTV:
Heart Evangelista
While Heart's legions of followers are more than happy to visit her Instagram account to see her many stylish OOTDs, travel logs, and homemaking inspirations, it excites us to know she may eventually treat her audience to extended peeks of her closet, kitchen, or events!
Solenn Heussaff
Who can resist Solenn's adorable shenanigans onstage, with her husband Nico, when she's out traveling or getting a good workout, or simply just being Solenn wherever she might be? She's bound to be an IGTV queen; we're calling it!
READ: 11 Times Solenn Heussaff And Rachel Peters Looked Like They Were Separated At Birth
Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi
We adore Steph and her awesome take on family life and being a successful career woman. We're always glad when she posts a new tablescape, a totally relatable parenting life hack, or a new dish, so we'd to see the magic she can conjure with something like IGTV!
READ: How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy? Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi Shows Us How She Does It
Joanna Preysler
Oh, what fun it could be to live a life like that of thriving fashion designer and model mom and wife, Joanna Preysler! This woman travels a lot with family and friends while also tending to her business, the latter of which she often posts about. We'd love to see the processes and work that go into her products through more in-depth videos.
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Iza Calzado
The soon to be Mrs. often gives us a good dose of positivity with her Instagram posts that often talk about self-love, staying fit and healthy, and learning to handle criticism. Imagine how much more impact Iza's messages would have if she could express herself more freely and didn't have to limit her uplifting messages to a short caption or one-minute video.
READ: Body Unfiltered: Iza Calzado Opens Up About Her Emotional Journey Into Body Love
Kris Aquino
Little to no things top the love that Kris Aquino has for her family. The way she cares for them we admire, and the travels and many bonding moments they have togther, we can't get enough of. We'd love to see what Kris will have in store for us when she goes on IGTV!
Photos from @missizacalzado @iamhearte @solenn
