A couple years back, Instagram enabled its users to upload videos with a 15-second runtime, before quadrupling that figure in 2016 by allowing up to 60 seconds of audiovisual content. However, the company may be in the midst of augmenting the minute-long runtime even further.
According to a new report published by The Wall Street Journal, Instagram is prepping the launch of a brand new long-form video feature, which will allow a user to upload content of up to one hour in length. The company's development personnel have reportedly been in talks with content creators and publishers in order to bring forth this proposed feature, which may focus on vertical video. However, the WSJ does note how these plans are "tentative and subject to change."
The idea of exploring long-form content is an extension of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's emphasis on video-sharing. During a 2016 interview with BuzzFeed News, Zuckerberg indicates how "we’re entering this new golden age of video. I wouldn’t be surprised if you fast-forward five years and most of the content that people see on Facebook and are sharing on a day-to-day basis is video."