Instagram's 90-Minute Videos Arrive With No Monetization Plan Attached

Instagram now allows users to post videos up to 90 minutes long, a change announced last week that targets long-form YouTube creators — but the platform has offered no concrete monetization pathway, saying it is "too early to share a long-form monetization model." The only cash on the table so far is a selective one: between $50,000 and $500,000 for a handful of chosen creators posting through its new "Features" product.

An Instagram representative told Digiday the platform is "exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives." That is an official commitment to nothing specific, and creator economy figures are treating it accordingly.

What does the change mean for creator income?

The numbers explain the skepticism. Marketing software platform Cropink reports Reels receive 36% more reach than carousels and 125% more than single-photo posts, yet engagement lags behind that reach. Reach without revenue is the core complaint.

Digital strategist and creator Gabriella Zutrau called Instagram's discoverability genuinely strong for building awareness, but said she was "disgusted" that the platform appears to be "offering discoverability as a form of payment." She went further: "Exposure as a form of payment and with the intention of cutting into YouTube's market share and cutting into the amount of views people are getting on YouTube — it's just gross. Instagram has never valued creators."

Jo Wong, chief revenue officer at creator commerce platform POP.STORE, agreed. "Instagram in general never really had a super strong monetization program for creators off the get," she said. "Frankly, I think they thought they could get away with [not having a long-form monetization model]."

Samantha Walters, vp of talent experience at Shine Talent Group, said she was "surprised" Instagram had not built a monetization infrastructure comparable to YouTube's. "That's why YouTube is so successful, and why creators give so much of their time and effort to it," she said. YouTube's own monetization thresholds remain difficult to clear, and its requirements tighten next year.

Not every expert is negative. Nick Jacklin, president of Shorthand Studios, advocated a YouTube-style revenue split — "Instagram makes $1 [per view], some share of that goes to the creator" — while warning that ads bolted onto long-form content later would break creator trust. "If Instagram can show with the creators that do [Features] work early on that you can drive awareness, I think the monetization will follow," he said.

Alexandra Mathieu, vp of creative and strategy at Open Influence, argued the competition itself gives talent leverage. "Instagram putting money behind creator acquisition gives managers more leverage in conversations with YouTube," she said. "It also opens the door to negotiating beyond fees, including exclusivity, distribution, production support, and creative control."

How will agencies actually use it?

Strategy depends on content genre. Mustafa Aijaz, vp of media company SoaR, which works with gamers and streamers, plans to treat Instagram as pure distribution. "We'll post our content there, why not? But I'm not making content for Instagram at this moment in time," he said.

Zack Evans, vp of creative strategy at Shorthand Studios, sees interview-style shows and scripted comedy as strong fits for the revamped Instagram TV app, which he said promotes scrolling and discoverability more than YouTube does. "Comedy is inherently surprising, so I think with Reels and Features now, being able to just scroll and see a scripted thing playing out... you're going to be intrigued," he said.

Both Wong and Mathieu suggested a low-risk entry point: recycling older content on Features before commissioning originals. Wong advised creators to upload their back catalogs because "most of the views on your YouTube come within the first month," then measure whether the added reach translates into better brand deals. Mathieu recommends using "existing programming as a springboard for new, Instagram-native series."

The demand side is unambiguous. In a survey of 50 creators conducted by Shine Talent Group, 100 percent already post on Instagram, and 93 percent said the platform must change its revenue policies before they will commit to long-form content.

Instagram's monetization "exploration" will therefore set the ceiling: the format and the payouts have arrived, but the revenue model that would move creators from distribution to original production has not.