INSTAGRAM LAUNCHES REELS, AN ALTERNATIVE TO TIKTOK
In this asticle as igfind.com notes the launch of Reels, a new format that offers users the possibility of creating and discovering short edited videos of up to 15 seconds, including music and Augmented Reality effects, in the style of TikTok. Unlike the famous 'stories' of the platform, these videos will not be deleted 24 hours after their publication.
A movement with which Instagram intends to stop the great growth that the Chinese social network has registered in the last year, which has 800 million users and that now also faces the threat of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to ban the application in your country for security reasons. An announcement that has coincided in time with the news of Microsoft's interest in acquiring TikTok.
Instagram does not refer directly to its competitor, but it is aware that it must recover that younger audience that has opted for the more casual format of TikTok. The response of the company led by Mark Zuckerberg is Reels: "We have realized that the videos that are consumed are getting shorter, between 3 and 10 seconds, and we consider it important to focus on entertainment," explains Robby Stein, product director of Instagram, in a meeting with the press.
When asked about what Reels brings to existing applications, Stein alludes to the easy handling that characterizes Instagram and the possibility it offers creators to share their content with a wider audience and in very diverse sectors. In this sense, he trusts that it will have the same success that 'Stories' had, while he remembers that just now, it is four years since its launch.
HOW DO REELS WORK?
Reels is a new Instagram function, like Stories or IGTV, but in this case, the possibilities are expanded when it comes to including effects, editing videos, or playing with speed and music. In this way, Instagram offers tools to facilitate the recording of creative content, preventing it from being deleted after 24 hours.
Users can share their Reels with their followers on the main screen (feed) and, if they have a public account, make them accessible to the entire Instagram community through a new space in Explore.
The first thing the user does when opening Reels is to choose the music, and the speed to later include augmented reality effects and video editing tweaks, such as a timer, countdown, or the 'align' tool, which helps create transitions without interruptions. In addition, users will be able to search based on music or effects to see how other users use them and get ideas. "What makes it unique is how easy it is to use," says Robby Stein.
Reels can be recorded in a series of clips (one at a time), all at once, or using videos saved in the gallery. To record the first clip, you have to press and hold the capture button. A progress indicator will appear at the top of the screen while recording. To end each clip, you have to stop the recording.
Instagram has tested this feature in some countries. "What we have seen is that people are exploiting their creativity to the fullest, although the content depends a lot on the country. In India, for example, we see a lot of content related to Bollywood and dance; other countries bet more on challenges (challenges) or for fashion. But what they all have in common is creativity," adds the company.