Instagram has announced that it is ending support for its standalone app for IGTV. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, confirmed to TechCrunch that the app will be removed from app stores in mid-March. In a blog post, the company explained that the change is part of its efforts to make video as simple as possible to discover and create, which is being used by many including gamers from casinositesreview.io. Instagram says it will now focus on having all video on its main app and that it will continue to simplify and improve video in the main Instagram app over the coming months.
Instagram said it is getting rid of the standalone IGTV app as “part of [its] efforts to make video as simple as possible to discover and create.” The post also says that any videos in the main app will have a full-screen viewer and tap-to-mute, and that Instagram is working on a consistent way to share the different types of videos (such as video posts or Reels). The company is also planning on “testing a new ad experience on Instagram, which will allow creators to earn revenue from ads displayed on their reels” later this year.
The announcement comes as Instagram ditched its IGTV branding last October when it combined IGTV’s long-form video and Instagram feed videos into a new format called simply “Instagram Video.” At the time, Instagram had said the IGTV app wouldn’t be going away and would instead be rebranded.
The company also announced today that in-stream video ads, previously known as IGTV ads, will no longer be supported as it shifts its focus to Reels. Instagram says creators who are actively monetizing with in-stream video ads will receive a temporary monthly payment based on recent earnings.
Although this seems like a step back in terms of creator monetization, Instagram revealed that it’s exploring more ways for users to earn revenue. Later this year, the company will begin testing a new ad experience on Instagram, which will allow users to earn revenue from ads displayed on their Reels. The new monetization option will join the Reels bonus program, which offers creators opportunities to earn money each month.
About IGTV
Launched in June 2018, IGTV is a long-form video channel accessible from Instagram and as a standalone app. It gives brands the opportunity to make videos longer than typical Instagram Stories and posts, which can be viewed by users jeux casino en ligne.
Verified users can post IGTV videos up to an hour long. Regular users can upload 10 minute long videos—still much longer than normal videos! In 2019, Instagram also allowed creators to post one-minute previews of their IGTV videos on their feeds to improve discoverability. That’s perfect for getting your audience’s attention without them having to download the app.
Instagram more recently introduced the IGTV series feature. This allows creators to make a regular series of videos to be released on a consistent cadence (weekly, monthly, etc). However, brands were relatively slow to adopt IGTV for a number of reasons. Chief among them: the high costs and time investment required to produce long-form social videos.
But the decision to shut down IGTV’s standalone app was already losing ground as a standalone product. In early 2020, Instagram dropped the orange IGTV button from Instagram’s home page due to lack of traction. The move came at a time when, at most, just 7 million of Instagram’s 1-billion-plus users had downloaded the standalone IGTV app, TechCrunch previously reported, citing Sensor Tower research.