Blog: short form video

Instagram has started testing its new TikTok-esque make-over. The platform, which originally started as a photo-first app, has revealed its plans to push forward in a more video-first direction. This is following Meta’s revelation during its Q1 2022 earnings call earlier this month that its TikTok-inspired short-form video vertical, Reels, accounts for 20% of users’ overall time spent on Instagram.

Over the last year, TikTok has more than doubled its weekly active user base across all demographics, surviving legislative threats in the US and becoming a trend setter across entertainment. New music artists are starting their careers on the app, and Addison Rae is now starring in a Netflix remake of a classic 2000’s film, He’s All That .

On September 19 Viacom Media Networks launched BET+, an over-the-top (OTT) service focusing on African American culture. The $9.99 a month subscription video on demand (SVOD) service is joint venture between Viacom and Tyler Perry Studios, and features over 1,000 hours of original movies and TV series from BET network and Tyler Perry.

In the streaming era, having international reach is just as important as being an established local brand. This week (October 14) sees TV players Tubi, Facebook Watch and Youku each expanding content reach and territory.

Digital natives – be they classified as millennials or generation Z – have always had the term “instant gratification” associated with them. This is a reflection of the way technology has shaped and moulded every aspect of their daily lives and interactions.

On Wednesday’s fourth quarter earning’s call , Facebook’s CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg made a point of emphasizing the centrality of video to the future growth of the company and specifically reached out to the native content creator community who traditionally rely upon YouTube for the majority of their earnings.

A London-based start up called the Narrative has just the finished production of a 5 episode short form video series for BBC Worldwide called Mission Selfie. This is the first short form video series commissioned by the global arm of the BBC and is of particular interest, because of its potentially hugely disruptive business model.

This week looks set to herald the launch of video content on Spotify’s Android app with a video enabling update coming to the service’s iOS app coming later. Initially the video viewing functionality will be available to Spotify users in the U.