Report: Instagram Offering YouTubers Up to $500K for Long-Form Videos

Instagram is paying select YouTubers up to $500,000 to post long-form videos on its new Features platform. The money is meant to compete with YouTube, but the deals leave out most creators, and Instagram still has no long-term monetization system for Features. Here is what clip creators should know.

What Instagram is offering

According to an October 29 Business Insider report, Meta has approached YouTubers with offers starting at $50,000, with some receiving six-figure proposals reaching as high as $500,000. The money is intended to encourage creators to upload videos through Instagram's Features format, which supports horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long.

Meta confirmed to Business Insider that it is funding some creators directly, but declined to reveal specific contract details. "The details of those deals are confidential, but we're excited to see the content going live," a spokesperson said.

It is unclear whether the reported amounts are being offered per video, monthly, or as a one-time payment.

The main requirement

Unlike traditional exclusivity agreements, Instagram's reported deals allow creators to continue uploading to YouTube. One source claimed the main requirement is that creators post their long-form videos to Instagram on the same day they post to YouTube.

That means some YouTubers could potentially earn hundreds of thousands of dollars simply by bringing content they are already making to another platform.

The catch: no monetization for everyone else

Instagram still has not established a long-term monetization system for Features comparable to YouTube's Partner Program, which allows eligible creators to earn a share of advertising revenue.

Creators immediately started voicing their complaints on Threads and Reddit about the lack of monetization opportunities. Tech creator M. Brandon Lee said on Threads, "What's funny about Instagram adding long-form video and reels that link to the long form is the complete lack of any sort of monetization. Why should I post my long form there? What benefit does it bring me?"

Instagram head Adam Mosseri addressed the monetization concerns in a Threads post on October 28, saying "We understand the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid." It is anyone's guess what those solutions will look like.

Does the deal cover clips?

The sources do not say whether the reported deals cover short-form clips or only long-form videos. The main requirement mentioned is posting long-form videos to Instagram on the same day as YouTube.

If you are a clip creator who also makes long videos, the deal could be worth it if you are approached. If you only make clips, there is no indication that Instagram is paying for Reels.

What about Reels monetization?

Meta does have some limited monetization tools for Reels, but these do not pay creators directly per view like YouTube does. While some longer-form video creators on Facebook previously reported good earnings via its old ad revenue-sharing payout model, Meta retired this in 2024 when it switched to a performance-based system.

Mosseri said on a podcast with Samir Chaudry and Colin Rosenblum that introducing pre-roll or mid-roll ads is "going to be problematic from a user experience perspective," and that it does not make sense to scale up the small existing performance-based program because Meta spends more money on it than it makes back.

Should you post your clips to Instagram?

The primary incentive to post a Features video or a Reel is the reach of Instagram. The tradeoff is knowing that Meta will use it to train its AI models. Google considers YouTube videos free game for AI training too, but at least creators get paid by the platform.

If you are already making clips for YouTube Shorts or TikTok, posting them to Instagram Reels costs you little extra time. But if you are deciding where to focus your effort, YouTube has a clear monetization path and Instagram does not.

How to turn your streams into clips fast

Consider turning long-form videos or stream recordings into clips. Upload your VOD or recording to ViceForge, choose AI Gaming for gameplay or AI Creator for talk and IRL content, and get vertical clips with captions. MP4, MOV, AVI and WebM are supported.

Then decide where to post them based on your goals and which platforms offer the best monetization for your content.

What this means for the creator economy

Instagram is taking an approach that offers creators money without demanding exclusivity, allowing them to continue posting on YouTube.

With Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix all fighting for the same talent, it is becoming an increasingly lucrative time to be a major content creator. But the enormous payouts appear limited to select YouTubers. For most clip creators, the lack of a long-term monetization system on Instagram means YouTube is still the better bet.

Sources

• Dexerto: Instagram reportedly offering YouTubers up to $500,000 to post long-form videos
• The Verge: Creators are asking why they should use Features if Instagram won't reward them like YouTube does