Instagram today announced the launch of IGTV, a new video streaming service that's designed to compete with YouTube. The news was shared during a live broadcast from Instagram's headquarters in San Francisco.

With the launch of IGTV, which is mobile first and built with smartphones in mind, content creators on Instagram can now upload videos that are as long as one hour to Instagram, up from a single minute.

instagramigtv
IGTV focuses on full-screen vertical video, with the ability to interact with other users while watching videos. Anyone can upload IGTV content to Instagram starting today.

Longer-form video content on the social network can be discovered through the IGTV section of the Explore Tab, with Instagram highlighting popular videos from well-known Instagram users. Instagram is also releasing a standalone IGTV app that's going to launch in the next few weeks.

instagramigtv2
In the upcoming IGTV app, content will begin playing as soon as it's opened, which Instagram says is meant to be "just like turning on the TV." You'll be able to watch content from people you already follow on Instagram, with the new app also suggesting content based on your interests.

IGTV has channels that are based around creators. When you follow a creator, their content will be displayed for you to watch.

Instagram today also announced that it now boasts 1 billion monthly active users, giving it a huge user base for the new IGTV video service.

Update: The new IGTV app is now available for download from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Instagram

Top Rated Comments

techpr Avatar
techpr
71 months ago
1 Hour Long Vertical Videos, just perfect!

/s
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
H3LL5P4WN
71 months ago
I miss the days when Instagram was iOS-only and an independent company.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
al256 Avatar
al256
71 months ago
I long for the days when YouTube, a Google company, was Android-only. :cool:
YouTube was a bundled app in iPhone OS 1.0. Even though Android was in development, there were no Android phones on the market. This made-up example is just the worst.

I fear for future generations trying to learn facts in a sea of unending misinformation.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mikey44 Avatar
Mikey44
71 months ago
THOTS?
Something that these youngins came up with. According to Urban Dictionary (source of all great things /s) it stands for 'That Ho over There' because that's something that normal people say in day to day conversations.

Social media has destroyed society. In fact one of my coworkers was complaining that her new husband isn't an 'Instagram Husband' which I don't even know what that means, let alone why one would be complaining about it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
adamjackson
71 months ago
Are they paying creators? The only reason I exclusively upload to YouTube is because I make $300-$400 a month on YouTube. If Instagram, Vimeo and Snapchat want to pay me, I'm happy to upload there as well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
H3LL5P4WN
71 months ago
1. Just to play devils advocate, have you ever conducted user research to find out that user's don't want this?
2. Apple is famous for giving users what they didn't know they wanted. Maybe Instagram can pull it off too.
When has facebook ever given us something we didn't know we wanted? For that matter, when has facebook ever given us something we did want?

IG (and FB) users: Give us back chronological feeds.

IG/FB: HERE'S 60 MINUTE VERTICAL VIDEOS!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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