Instagram, the hugely popular free photo-sharing application, has now added video capabilities to its repertoire. The new feature, simply called “Video on Instagram” lets people create 15-second videos with a ability to edit, add 13 new filters and share over popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr.
“What we did to photos, we just did to video,” Instagram’s co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom said at a press event at Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters yesterday.
Instagram, which was acquired by Facebook for a whopping $1 billion last year, serves over 130 million users monthly, who have shared over 16 billion photos to date. There are over 1 billion “likes” on the platform each day.
The new feature pits Instagram head-on with rival social short-form video-sharing platform Vine. Vine was acquired by Twitter in October of last year. Anticipating Instagram’s move, Vine announced a slate of new features for its service.
There are several key differences in the rival apps though. Instagram offers 15-seconds of video as opposed to Vine’s 6-second limit. Vine on the other hand loops its videos, while Instagram doesn’t.
Instagram also mixes its video feeds with its photos and there is no way currently for users to segregate the two.
On paper, at least, Instagram seems to have the upper hand in terms of features – offering filters, “cinema mode” that stabilises video footage.
I gave the new feature a test during the Intel 4th Generation Core processor launch in Penang. It’s easy and quick to use, much like its familiar photo tools.
It’s opened a whole new channel to capture and share rich content, and it couldn’t have come at a more suitable time – looking at the improving state of high speed mobile internet (LTE and the likes).
Beyond mere camwhoring and hashtag diarrhoea for end users, though, I see vast commercial potential for advertisers to reach out to customers via this platform.
Instagram for iOS version 4.0 is currently available for download in Apple’s App Store and Instagram for Android version 4.0 is now available on Google Play.
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So Video on Instagram or Vine?
