Instagram is testing a long-form video product called Features, aimed squarely at podcasters, comedians and other longform creators, and its core bet is a single click: a viewer watching a short Reel can jump straight into the full-length video. That integrated path from short-form discovery to long-form consumption is the product's main strategic distinction from YouTube, the incumbent it is chasing. But there is a catch for anyone planning a business around it: Instagram's monetization terms are not public, while YouTube offers qualified creators a known 55 percent ad revenue share. Here is what the test, reported by The Hollywood Reporter on October 26, 2026, actually tells us.
Instagram's New "Features": A Game Changer for Long-Form?
The product is aimed at podcasters, comedians and other longform creators, according to reporting by Caitlin Huston in The Hollywood Reporter. The headline innovation is the link between formats: creators can connect their Reels—typically around three minutes or less—to their overall Feature, so a viewer who sees a clip can continue into the whole video. Tessa Lyons, vice president of product at Instagram, described the intended flow: "you see a clip of a podcast that you love, you can just click and continue watching or watch the full video, and you'll be able to dive in and see the whole thing because creators are going to be able to link these Reels to their overall feature."
That framing matters because it positions Instagram not as a new long-form host competing on catalog depth, but as a platform where the discovery layer and the destination are the same app. The context for the move is competitive: Netflix, Disney and others have been adding podcasts and creator videos to capture viewing hours and compete with YouTube. Instagram is entering that same contest, with the advantage of an existing short-form habit among its users. The feature is currently in testing, so its final form and terms may change.
The Instagram Content Funnel: From Reels to "Features"
The practical workflow the product enables is a classic content funnel, compressed into one platform. A creator posts a short clip as a Reel—say, the sharpest three minutes of a podcast episode. A viewer who enjoys it no longer has to leave the app or search elsewhere; the Reel links directly to the full Feature, converting casual discovery into deep consumption.
This matches a widely described pattern in video strategy: short-form content draws viewers in, previews larger work and expands an audience quickly, while long-form content builds authority and deeper connection. Life Inside, writing on short-form versus long-form video strategy, notes that long videos can also be broken into shorter segments for social promotion that drives viewers back to the full length. Instagram's Features essentially productizes that loop: the clip is the ad, and the Feature is the destination, with no handoff to another platform where the viewer might drop off.
