Instagram could launch its 'IGTV' long-form video hub today
And it will apparently feature 10-minute long videos by online content creators.
Instagram will launch its long-form video hub very, very soon -- maybe even some time today -- and according to TechCrunch, it will be called IGTV. The hub will reportedly be part of the platform's Explore tab and will feature YouTube-like vlogs around 10 minutes long. While a previous Wall Street Journal report said Instagram will be able to support videos up to an hour in length, the Facebook-owned social network apparently decided to focus on shorter content by internet celebrities instead of by big publishers and TV studios.
TechCrunch says the company met with online content creators over the past week to encourage them to shoot 10-minute videos. They're the ones who'll set the style and standard for the hub, which future IGTV creators will then have to emulate. If true, then the new hub will put Instagram in direct competition against YouTube instead of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, though its selection will obviously much smaller.
As for how creators will earn from the hub, TechCrunch says the IGTV videos will have link-out options, allowing creators to drive traffic to their own websites or stores. Instagram is apparently planning to offer monetization in the future, but it has yet to finalize the details for it. We might not have to wait that long to see the hub for ourselves anyway: Instagram sent out press invites for an event on June 20th, 9AM PT/12PM ET.
