Instagram Reels, TikTok’s New Rival, Is Now Live
As we reported, Instagram is capitalizing on all the drama surrounding TikTok by copying it’s winning formula. Instagram Reels, which will allow users to make 15-second video clips to music, has just launched on the social media platform.
Per Axios, “Reels is the first product Instagram has created that focuses more on creators than everyday users. Reels’ video distribution algorithm will resemble TikTok’s: users will see the most popular videos at the moment, rather than a selection tailored to their individual profile.”
Some details about the new feature:
-Instagram Reels is already embedded within Instagram.
-The new feature will allow users to create 15-second videos using editing tools in Instagram’s camera. Some of them include a countdown clock, a timer, and a new align feature.
-Users will be able to use music from the already massive library of titles that Instagram has licensed from various music labels.
-Reels allows users to overlay images and filters in their videos using Instagram’s augmented reality effects.
-Videos will live in a dedicated space called ‘Stage’ in the Explore tab.
-Instagram Reels is available in over 50 countries.
Instagram is no stranger to successfully copying other platforms, as their stories and face filters were inspired by Snapchat. But Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of product, insists that this feature was already something the brand was working on. “This has always been part of our plan. We’ve been working on this for over a year,” he said. He adds that the timing of it launching as drama surrounds TikTok “happens to be coincidental.”
