Meta is really getting into their Instagram feeds. The company recently announced a slew of updates to Reels, the feature it launched in 2020 to compete with TikTok’s short video format.
“Today, we’re announcing new features on Instagram that make it more fun and easy to collaborate, create and share reels,” Meta shared in a statement on Thursday, July 21. New updates will be released in the coming weeks.
So what’s in store? Well, you may have already seen it: you can now “remix this photo”, collaborating with other users to add your own spin to their reels or photos (only if they’re public, of course). Basically, “Remix” is Instagram’s answer to Tiktok’s Stitch and Duet features.
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You can embed a newly recorded clip next to the existing reel or after the original, taking into account what the viewer just saw (ie giving them your take), copying what they did, or doing any anything else you want to do. . To do this, you can also use a green screen, a horizontal or vertical split screen, or a picture-in-picture view to do the same.
Also new is a template browser, which will give you information and allow you to easily create new reels by preloading audio markers and clips, you can simply add your own photos and video clips. Taking a page from the book of the new BeReal app, Instagram is also launching a new camera tool, Dual, which will let you record with your phone’s front and back cameras simultaneously.
Video posts under 15 minutes will also become reels, although existing shared videos under 15 minutes will not change. The Video and Reels tabs on your profile will be consolidated into one on your profile, so you’ll have one for all your video content.
As has been the case recently with new Instagram features, the more you use them and in the way they want, the more your content will be shown to potential new followers. If that’s what you’re looking for and your profile is public, Meta recommends that you mainly upload reels that are under 90 seconds long.
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In late June 2022, Meta changed the duration restriction from 15 seconds to 90 seconds. It also updated its technology to allow you to upload your own audio for your video, as long as the audio clip is at least five seconds long. Also put interactive stickers like polls, quizzes and emoji slider to use in videos.
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