Long-form video on Instagram, series on YouTube and Pinterest opens up to big budgets

The line between short- and long-form video is fading fast. Instagram is testing horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes, and in an hour-long interview Adam Mosseri speaks openly about why he changed his mind and what still isn't working. Meanwhile, YouTube is showing that even one-minute Shorts can become a series viewers keep coming back to. And longer formats call for better tools, which is why Meta is bringing its Edits video editing app to desktop.

For creators, this means new formats and new ways to build a loyal audience. For brands, it means new space for integrations, from podcasts and series to programmatic buying on Pinterest. We've picked four updates and added context on why each one matters.

Instagram Features: videos of up to 90 minutes and a big U-turn from Adam Mosseri

Instagram is testing Features, horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, designed for podcasts, interviews and vlogs. Adam Mosseri in an interview with Colin and Samir he admitted he had long been against long-form video. What changed his mind was TV, where people watch Instagram together. Creators will be able to link up to eight Reels to a single video as trailers. For now, there's one catch: Features don't come with ad revenue sharing. Mosseri himself admitted that if creators don't get enough value out of the format, it will fail.

Why it matters: Creators can try long-form content where they already have an audience. For now, though, their income will come mainly from brand partnerships, which opens up new space for brands to integrate into podcasts and series.

Microdramas on YouTube: series that fit into a minute

YouTube showed how creators are turning Shorts into series: multi-part stories split into roughly one-minute scenes. The format originated in Asia, and in the first half of this year alone it racked up more than 6.5 billion views. Episodes also have a long shelf life: 40% of views come more than a month after publishing. The new Shorts series feature lets creators organize videos into seasons and episodes, and an easier way to join paid channel memberships for further episodes is coming soon.

Why it matters: Short-form video is returning to what works on TV: cliffhangers and habit. For creators, it's a path to a regular audience and subscriptions. For brands, it's a new kind of product placement: Japanese channel GOKKO CLUB already produces custom microdramas for major companies, weaving their message directly into a storyline viewers don't skip.

Edits comes to the foldable iPhone Duo and to desktop

Meta released a version of its Edits video editing app for the foldable iPhone Duo, whose larger screen lets you see the timeline and preview side by side. Selected creators are also testing a desktop version of Edits, which creator Taylor Golub showed off and which Adam Mosseri described as a foundation for more features to come.

Why it matters: Meta is building Edits into a full-fledged CapCut alternative connected directly to Instagram. With long-form video arriving, desktop editing makes sense: a 90-minute podcast is hard to edit on a phone. Creators and brand content teams may soon be able to handle the entire process, from editing to publishing, within Meta's tools.

Pinterest Programmatic Deals: ads on Pinterest beyond Pinterest Ads

Pinterest launched Programmatic Deals, which let advertisers buy its ad inventory programmatically through external platforms. In partnership with Magnite, ads are available through Yahoo DSP, Amazon Ads DVA+ and Google Display & Video 360. Large advertisers can now add Pinterest's display and video formats to their existing campaigns without building separate campaigns in Pinterest's ads manager. Early results look promising: according to Adweek, beauty brand Moroccanoil added Pinterest to its Amazon Ads campaign and saw a click-through rate 20% higher than its average Amazon campaign. The feature is currently available in North America, South America and Asia-Pacific, while Europe is not yet included.

Why it matters: Pinterest is a platform people visit with purchase intent: they plan homes, weddings and gifts. Until now, though, it was one more standalone system that big media agencies didn't find worth the effort. Connecting to programmatic tools lowers the barrier for big budgets. For brands outside the launch regions, it's a signal of where the market is heading: social platforms are opening up as standard media inventory, and media buying keeps centralizing.

Instagram and YouTube both want viewers to stay longer: Instagram through long-form video and TV, YouTube through short-form series. Meta adds editing tools to the mix, and Pinterest is opening its inventory to large advertisers. The common thread is clear: content people come back to beats the one-off viral hit.

For creators, now is the perfect time to experiment with serialized and longer content, keeping in mind that on Instagram, money will flow mainly from brand partnerships for now. For brands, it's a sign that it pays to look for creators who can tell stories and build a regular audience, because those are the formats where integrations fit most naturally.