Located within its own app or in the upper right-hand corner of the Instagram app, Instagram TV (IGTV) is the newest feature of the Instagram platform. Built specifically with long form video content on mobile devices, IGTV videos play vertically in full-screen mode. Currently, IGTV videos can be up to 60 minutes for large or verified accounts, and up to 10 minutes for private or unverified accounts. With videos longer than one minute, IGTV is the ideal place to be more creative and connect better with your audience.

IGTV is simple to use and starts playing videos as soon as you open the app – instead of users needing to search for something to watch. It is automatically loaded with content from people you already follow on Instagram and others you might like based on your previous interests. People who create content are the channels. By swiping up, you can discover more and switch between “For You,” “Following,” “Popular,” and “Continue Watching.” You can also like, comment, and send videos to friends in a direct message.

Video can be uploaded to the IGTV app or the web. IGTV videos can also be uploaded to Facebook Watch. A call-to-action can be added to video as a “swipe up” option, meaning viewers can swipe up on the video they’re watching to find more information on what the video is about. File size is limited to 3.6 GB. File type is MP4 with a video thumbnail cover image as a JPG. The best video size is 9:16. Brands have a full range of possibility to work with, but it is meant to be user-generated, unpolished, and personal material.

There is no current method in place to monetize IGTV, but it has not been ruled out for the future. It is forecasted that Instagram will gage how much content flows through the platform before putting an ad system in place. Advertisers could be able to buy placements of 15 to 30 second spots in channels streaming content related to their products. IGTV could provide an entirely new focus for influencer marketing.