With Instagram’s new release of IGTV announced on June 21st, everyone thought this would be the hot new trend. Well, their moment in the spotlight didn’t even last 24 hours before YouTube stepped in and announced their new features at VidCon in California.
So what is IGTV? Instagram TV is the latest feature Facebook (owners of Instagram) have brought out allowing users to upload videos of up to an hour in length, which is a massive leap from the previous one-minute limit. Content creators and the general public can create and upload the new, longer, vertical videos. It’s not just a feature for the big-name celebrities, but for everyone, as it will be rolled out to over the coming weeks. You can access it through a TV-shaped button above Stories in the Instagram app, as well as the new IGTV standalone app.Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom said in the launch event that, “It’s time for video to move forward, and evolve”, so “we made it a dedicated app so you can tap on it and enjoy video without all the distraction.”Do you see IGTV being the new platform brands will use to reveal exciting new projects? Tweet us at @DigitalReflow to let us know your opinion! Do you love it or hate it?Over to the competition, YoubTube! Not even 24 hours later at VidCon, YouTube was announcing they were bringing out multiple new elements the site. They will mainly benefit content creators who have over 100,000 subscribers to generate revenue and provide support.The three new features are as follows. Channel Membership, Merchandise and Premieres Video.
Channel Membership
Subscribers can pay a monthly fee to access exclusive content, such as account badges, emojis, members-only posts in the community tab, and exclusive content from creators.
Merchandise
Merchandise has been a part of content creators business for a long time. YouTube has decided to make it easier for more creators to sell merchandise directly to their viewers from their channel. They have teamed up with Teespring so creators can choose from over 20 merchandise items to customise and sell via a shelf on their channel.
Premieres Video
Creators can now connect with their fans even better, as YouTube has created a community, which will strengthen the bond. The new Community Tab they have introduced, creators can now connect with fans through GIFs, pictures, polls and text.With the debut of Premieres, creators can upload pre-recorded videos as a live moment. There will be a live chat where all the viewers (and creator!) can talk amongst themselves as if they were together in real time.