Instagram Unveils IGTV: What You Need to Know

Instagram has unveiled a brand new feature, titled IGTV.
According to Instagram, the new feature, which is also offered as a standalone app, allows you to watch videos from creators you already follow and find new videos and creators that suit your interests.

What is IGTV?

IGTV is Instagram’s first-ever take on longer-form video, making it the newest competitor to YouTube. It supports video up to 60 minutes long, is built for full-screen vertical video and is hoping to position itself as a place for new and existing users to build a video-based presence.
Users like Billie Eilish, Halsey, Usher and more have already begun to share content, such as music videos, on the platform.
Currently, IGTV offers multiple categories for browsing. ‘For You’ offers a personalized mix of content that you follow, or may enjoy, while ‘Following’ offers content exclusively from the creators you already follow. ‘Popular’ showcases trending uploads. Kreiger revealed that the company plans to add more options over time.

Can You Monetize Your Content?

For now, IGTV is not currently showing ads, but according to an Instagram rep, that may change in the future, as the platform is exploring news ways to incorporate monetizization. However, keep an eye out for new capabilities to come.

How Should You Use It?

If you’re an indie musician, IGTV might be the perfect avenue to further promote your music.
To get started, make sure your Instagram app is updated and open IGTV on the top right corner. From there, click the ‘Settings’ symbol and create your channel. Once your channel is created, you can go back to the home page and upload your first video.
Musicians may want to consider sharing teaser videos, music videos, behind-the-scenes, performance footage and more. Once you select your content, you have the ability to edit the title and description and decide whether or not you’d like it to be visible on your Facebook Watch.

What Else Do You Need to Know?

There are a few key rules to keep in mind when uploading to IGTV. Your video should be full screen, vertical and between 15 seconds-1 hour. You have the capability to add a ‘Swipe Up’ call-to-action and include custom thumbnails.
Here are some of the specs of IGTV videos to keep in mind:

• File size: up to 3.6GB
• File type: .MP4
• Video size: 9:16
• Video thumbnail / cover image: .JPG

Your IGTV videos should directly reflect what’s on your Instagram account. Any Instagram user can create an IGTV account and post content, so as long as you have an account, you can go ahead and try it out for yourself!