Along with additional creative tools, Meta is extending Facebook Reels from one minute to 90 seconds on Facebook, following a trend that social-media platforms are sporting as they creep into YouTube's long-form video territory.
In a move to deepen consumer engagement, attract advertising, and compete with YouTube, TikTok extended its video length from 60 seconds to three minutes -- and then, a year ago, 10 minutes. Pinterest followed suit last month, changing its Idea Pins videos from 60 seconds to five minutes in length.
Meta amped Reels up to 90 seconds on Instagram half a year ago.
The company did the same with a series of new creative tools now available on Facebook, including a templates feature that invites users to create Reels using the same structure as a Reel they previously watched.
Grooves -- a feature that automatically matches the beat of a song with the motion in a user's video -- is also available on Facebook Reels.
Reels were originally developed and implemented after TikTok's sudden ascent across the global social-media landscape and many of its integrated features, like Grooves, showcase what captivates audiences, helps creators, and makes brands successful on the Chinese-owned app.
And for Meta, Reels seems to be paying off. According to the company's Q3 results, Reels attracted 140 billion daily views across Facebook and Instagram.
In a Q4 2022 call in February, CEO Mark Zuckerberg reported that Reels plays “more than doubled over the last year” across both social platforms.