Meta adds new Reels features and increases Instagram Reels to 90 seconds

Meta says it has introduced new updates to its Reels, both on Facebook and Instagram. The company, which made the announcement on its “Meta for Creators” platform, says Instagram users can now record up to 90-seconds videos on Reels as against the initial 60 seconds. 

The company has been testing 90-second Reels with select users for some months, and now, the feature is rolling out to everyone. This, in some form, goes against the short-form nature of Reels, as 1 minute 30 seconds seems like a lot of time. However, TikTok increased the length of its video content in July 2021 (3 minutes) and then a few months ago (in February, to be precise) to 10 minutes. Considering how popular TikTok is, it seems like giving users more creative freedom in creating videos hasn’t changed how much they use it.

Meta is also adding a variety of new stickers to Reels videos. “We’re bringing some of your favorite Instagram Stories stickers to Reels: with poll, quiz and emoji slider stickers, you’ll have new ways to connect with people through your reels,” it says. Polls, in particular, will be difficult for many users to resist when new interactive tools are implemented.

Meta is also introducing a new audio import feature that will give users the ability to add their own audio directly while creating Reels videos. This means Facebook Reels will now support voiceovers for recordings, so users can add narrations to their videos.

Meta also announced a new feature for its newly added Facebook Reels—Sound Sync. “Sound Sync lets you automatically sync your video clips to the beat of your favorite song,” Meta says. This could help creators make better Reels videos.

Last but not least, Meta is introducing Templates, a feature that enables users to “quickly and easily create their own reel using the same structure as a previously viewed reel.” Meta has been putting this to the test with a small group of creators for the past few months and the results are promising.

As demonstrated in the above screenshot, users can now select ‘Use as Template’ to copy the audio and clip sequence from a Reel that they want to recreate. After that, you’ll be able to add your own content to the template and make it your own. Again, this can be compared to TikTok’s Templates, which enable users to insert their own photos into a predetermined format.

Other features are aimed at professional creators, like desktop-based video clipping tools that make it easier to test out Reels with long-form, recorded, or live videos. Using Creator Studio, for instance, they can convert their content into Facebook Reels. Gamers will also have access to tools that allow them to create short, vertical Reels directly from their Live content, with both gameplay and the creator cam in view at the same time

Creators will also now have the ability to create, edit, and schedule their Facebook Reels directly from their desktop computers.

Additionally, Facebook will promote Reels in its Feed globally and in Watch and Groups in an effort to increase discovery and help content creators gain wider exposure. For creators, Meta emphasised the need to make sure their reels feature original content.