Instragram Releases New Video-Recording Feature to Compete with Twitter's Vine
Instagram Video is finally here. The newest feature of Instagram was announced at an event in Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park on Thursday morning.
Instragram founder Kevin Systrom preludes his announcement by declaring that Instagram's core has always been visual imagery. It is the company's DNA and what drives it to succeed.
Systrom says Instagram "needs to do with video what we did with photos." With the inclusion of video to an already impressive photo-sharing app, Instragram's founder says the new feature makes it better.
According to Systrom, the video feature will focus on specific cornerstones such as community, simplicity and beauty. The video recording feature inside the Instagram app is fairly lightweight. Users will see the video recording button on the right of the photo button.
Instagram users can record videos for 15 seconds with 13 new filters to choose from. The filters were specifically designed for the new video feature.
Rumors of video on Instragram have been circulating for weeks. The launch of the new video feature just comes after the release of Vine, Twitter's hit mobile video application with six-second recording. Days before Instragram made this announcement, Vine was already active in giving users a preview of its future features in the making.
Systrom exerted efforts to differentiate Instagram's new video feature from Vine. Aside from the longer recording time of 15 seconds and filter option, Systrom says Instragram's video also makes useof cinematic technology to ensure picture stabilization when recording. This will reduce the wobbly or shaky effect while recording video on the move.
Systrom was asked if the 15-second recording time is better than Vine's six-second limit. He only said that 15 seconds felt "just right" and that recording time does not mean one is better than the other.
The Instragram founder also shared impressive figures since the app's launch. Users have shared 16 billion photos on Instagram. The app receives 1 billion likes every day and hosts 130 million active users every month.
Systrom revealed that for now, there is no integration plans happening between Facebook's hastags and Instagram's hashtags.
Systrom also assured users that posted videos will not be used by advertisers should any monetization plan be in place. Instagram's update is available in both iOS and Android since Thursday.