Meta has introduced new features to Reels such as adding support for longer Reels of up to 90 seconds, along with some new creative tools.
This is an upgrade since until now, Facebook Reels were limited to 60 seconds.
90 seconds
Meta increased the Instagram Reels time limit to 90 seconds last July, but both fall someway short of the maximum length of a TikTok video, which currently stands at 10 minutes.
The company is also rolling out more creative tools, including a new templates feature that lets users create Reels with trending templates.
Templates
The new feature, which rolled out to Instagram Reels last year, makes it possible for users to rip a template from a Reel they’ve just watched and implement it in their own creation.
Templates are somewhat similar to TikTok’s own templating option.
Grooves
Reels is also getting a new “Grooves” feature that automatically aligns and syncs the motion in the video to the beat of the creator’s favorite song through visual beat technology.
Basically, this refers to syncing clips with a song.
Once again Meta’s taking inspiration from TikTok.
Syncing video to sounds has been a defining characteristic of the Chinese behemoth.
TikTok threat
These new features had already made their way to Instagram more than seven months ago, and are now being released on Facebook.
A point could be made that Meta wanted to test the waters on Instagram Reels before bringing them over to Facebook.
Facebook launched Reels to compete with TikTok.
Short-form vertical Reels
At first, Meta saw Reels as a way to directly combat TikTok with a feature inside the Instagram app.
However, it quickly saw the potential to launch a more powerful counteroffensive if it also brought Facebook into the mix and allowed for cross-posting between the two social networks.
In August, Meta allowed Reel-makers to cross-post their Reels on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Cash cow
Reels is the social networking giant’s fastest growing format which also continues to grow quickly.
Reels’ plays/views across Facebook and Instagram have more than doubled over the last year.
Reshares (akin to Twitter retweets or Tumblr reblogs) of Reels have more than doubled on Facebook and Instagram in the last six months.
Meta plans to continue to roll out new features for its coveted asset to make it easier for creators to get discovered.
