For years, the rule on Instagram has been to get to the point fast.

This week, Instagram started testing a format that lets a few selected creators post videos up to 90 minutes long.

It's a small test, but it points to a bigger question about where creator video is heading. To see why, it helps to start with how short-form got so big.

For most of this decade, short vertical video ran the show. Every platform chased it, and creators adapted with tighter hooks, faster cuts, and ideas squeezed into a few seconds.

It worked well for reach. Income was a different story. Instagram doesn't typically pay creators per view, so many rely on brand deals, and many also use their Instagram mainly to send people to their YouTube work.

That's the backdrop for Monday's announcement.

On Oct 26, Instagram announced a test of "Features," a format for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long. It comes with a companion tool called "Clips as Reels."

Together, they work like this:

Viewers can also save longer videos and send them to Instagram's TV app. Early targets include podcasters, comedians, and other long-form creators.

So Reels become the doorway, and the long video becomes the room behind it. What makes this interesting is how reluctant Instagram was to go here.

Instagram has tried long video before, and IGTV is no longer around. Adam Mosseri, who heads Instagram, has said he held back on long-form for a long time.

His worry was simple. If people got absorbed in longer videos, they might share fewer Reels and photos.

Tessa Lyons, Instagram's product VP, pushed to try again. She says Reels remain a core part of Instagram, and the goal is to let people go deeper with a creator without leaving the app.

That's a notable shift in thinking. It also raises the question most creators will ask next.

If you make a 60-minute video for Instagram, how do you get paid for it?

Right now, there's no answer. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it's too early to share a long-term monetization model. The company is exploring ways for creators to earn through brands, fans, and Instagram itself, including performance-based incentives.

For comparison, YouTube shares ad revenue with eligible creators through its Partner Program. That's a big reason long videos matter to so many channels, and it's why this question will decide how much Features matters.

Even without an answer on money, the format is worth thinking about. You can't use it yet unless you're one of the selected creators, and nothing here says you need to change your plan.

But a few quiet questions are worth sitting with:

Podcasters and other long-form creators may see the most direct upside. If you mostly make short content, the Reels-to-full-video link could still help you guide people deeper.

Of course, all of this is still early, so it's worth being clear about what we don't know.

The test is limited right now. It started with selected creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small group in the US.

Beyond that, a few things are still open:

So treat this as a signal, not a switch you need to flip.

For years, the advice was "make it shorter." Instagram is now testing a version where short clips draw people in and a longer video gives them somewhere to stay.

Whether creators can build real income there is still unanswered. But the direction is worth watching, especially if you've been wishing your best ideas had more room.