Instagram's New 90-Minute Features Format: What It Means for Bands and Music Creators

What Instagram has announced

• Instagram has begun testing a horizontal video format called Features. It supports videos up to 90 minutes long.
• The test began in the United States on October 26, 2026, with select creators. Instagram previously tested the format in Brazil.
• The initial audience includes podcasters, comedians, and other long-form creators. The feature is not broadly available. Bands, venues, festivals, and other users should not assume they can access it.
• Creators can connect shorter Reels, typically three minutes or less, to a full-length video. Viewers can tap a Reel to continue watching or open the complete video without leaving Instagram.
• Instagram plans to recommend full-length videos through Explore and other parts of the app.
• Instagram VP of Product Tessa Lyons told The Hollywood Reporter that established creators can bring existing branded-content placements to the format. Instagram also sees an opportunity to help creators develop commercial relationships.
• These details were reported by The Hollywood Reporter and covered by 9to5Mac. The feature is in early testing. Details may change.

Why this matters to music creators

• Bands already make long-form content. They may call it a live set, tour diary, rehearsal video, studio session, interview, album discussion, or behind-the-scenes film.
• Features could give that content a native destination on Instagram, where fans already encounter short clips.
• The format connects discovery and deeper viewing. A Reel can introduce a moment. A full video can give interested fans the complete performance or story.
• This could support a more consistent social media strategy for musicians: capture substantial material, identify the strongest moments, and plan short and long versions together.
• It does not guarantee more views, reach, ticket sales, or revenue. Those outcomes depend on the content, audience, distribution, and details Instagram has not yet confirmed.

The clip-to-full-video connection

• The most practical part of Features is the link between a short Reel and its longer source video.
• Example: post a 90-second encore highlight as a Reel and connect it to the full 90-minute show.
• Example: post a short guitar solo from a studio session and connect it to the complete session.
• Example: share a funny or revealing moment from a tour interview and connect it to the full conversation.
• Example: cut a festival performance into several Reels, each linked to the complete set.
• The Reel provides an entry point. The full video provides more context, performance, and time with the artist.
• For music social media marketing, this creates a practical content system: one capture can produce a full-length video and multiple short clips.
• Each clip should have a clear reason to lead to the longer video. A memorable chorus, a guest appearance, a major transition, or a meaningful story can serve as that reason.
• Short clips should not be random excerpts. Select moments that accurately represent the full video and make the next viewing step clear.

Content bands can prepare

• Full live performances: record the show, then select strong musical and audience moments for Reels.
• Soundchecks and rehearsals: capture the preparation, then link an instrumental highlight or a noticeable change to the full run-through.
• Studio sessions: document a recording or writing session, then connect short creative moments to the longer session.
• Tour diaries: record travel, backstage routines, venue arrivals, and the performance. Assemble the material into a coherent episode.
• Interviews and podcasts: identify questions, answers, or stories that stand alone as clips and point to the full conversation.
• Album listening sessions: record reactions and discussion, then use short responses to direct fans to the complete event.
• Behind-the-scenes films: organize the footage around a release, tour, or event rather than posting disconnected moments.

Opportunities for venues and festivals

• Venues can capture selected performances, artist interviews, soundchecks, and event recaps.
• Festivals can plan a library of stage highlights, artist conversations, setup footage, and audience experiences.
• Booking agencies can create artist features, tour conversations, and performance previews.
• A short Reel can highlight a specific act, date, or moment. A longer video can carry the complete interview or performance.
• Explore recommendations could give long-form videos another potential discovery surface. Instagram has not promised specific reach or placement for any individual video.
• The format may support existing brand relationships. Instagram says established creators can bring branded placements with them. This could be relevant to bands with sponsors, venues with local partners, and festivals with brand deals.
• Commercial arrangements, revenue terms, and eligibility have not been fully detailed. Businesses should not build a forecast around unconfirmed monetization.

What to do before access expands

• Start building a long-form video library now. Capture full sets, interviews, rehearsals, studio sessions, and event footage when permissions allow.
• Organize source footage by artist, event, date, song, and content type. A searchable archive makes future editing more efficient.
• Mark potential clip moments during or immediately after capture. Record timestamps and short notes.
• Edit each long-form piece with its likely short clips in mind. Choose moments that work independently and point naturally to the full video.
• Keep captions, titles, and descriptions accurate. Identify the artist, event, date, venue, and collaborators where relevant.
• Confirm recording permissions, music rights, venue agreements, and sponsor obligations before publishing. Instagram-specific rights details for Features have not been announced.
• Keep publishing on established channels while the test remains limited. YouTube remains a practical long-form home for music content, with its own search and viewing habits.
• Reuse the same approved source footage across platforms where the rights and format allow. Features should be treated as a possible additional distribution channel, not a reason to abandon existing ones.

What to watch

• Access: Instagram has not announced that every musician, venue, or festival can use Features.
• Stability: Instagram’s earlier long-form effort, IGTV, was phased out in 2022. The new format may change, remain limited, or be discontinued.
• Performance: track Reel views, full-video starts, watch time, comments, shares, and profile actions when those measurements are available.
• Conversion: assess whether the content supports real objectives, such as event interest, ticket visits, or deeper fan interaction. View counts alone do not establish business value.
• Monetization: wait for confirmed details on eligibility, commercial terms, and branded-content requirements.
• Distribution: continue using channels suited to search, ticketing, and full-length video discovery. Avoid moving an entire content operation to an invite-only test.

A measured strategy for bands and music businesses

• Features could give Instagram a stronger role in long-form entertainment. Its central idea is straightforward: short clips lead viewers to complete episodes and performances.
• For bands, venues, festivals, and booking agencies, the useful preparation is a planned content library, not a sudden shift in platform strategy.
• A durable tour promotion social media plan can connect performance footage, short clips, event information, and fan engagement without relying on one new feature.
• JDI LLC provides content creation, posting schedules, community engagement, and strategic consulting for entertainment clients. The agency has managed social media for established acts including legacy rock act and established touring artist.
• The recommendation is to prepare, test access when available, and measure results before changing established workflows. Features is a potential addition to music social media marketing. It is not yet a dependable replacement for existing video platforms.