How much is Instagram paying creators for Features?
Instagram is paying a small group of selected YouTube creators between $50,000 and $500,000 to bring their long-form videos to Features, its new 90-minute horizontal format, Business Insider reported on 29 October 2026. Everyone else gets no ad revenue share from Features at all, because Instagram has not built one yet. That split is the whole story: a few creators get a check, while everyone else gets no platform income from Features and only the possibility of extra reach. If you were not hand-picked, Features is a distribution play for now, not an income stream.
Instagram announced Features on 26 October 2026 as a test, not a launch, TechCrunch reported. Selected creators in Brazil got it first, with a small test in the United States starting at the same time. The format takes horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, aimed at podcasters, comedians, and creators who already make full shows. There is no publicly available sign-up or application route, and no announced date for a general rollout.
What exactly are the $50,000 to $500,000 deals?
The money is real, but the details are thin. Business Insider spoke with people familiar with the deals and found the offers are not equal: some creators were offered $50,000, others six-figure sums, with the top offers reaching $500,000. Meta confirmed the program only in general terms. “We have been public about the fact that we are funding Features content directly with some creators right now to support them,” a Meta spokesperson told the publication, adding that the details of the deals are confidential.
Two conditions in the reporting are worth more than the headline number. The deals are non-exclusive, and Instagram asks creators to post the long-form video to Instagram on the same day they publish it on YouTube. Read together, those facts tell you what Meta is buying: a library, fast, because Instagram needs long-form videos on its app before viewers build a habit of watching them there.
The range spans 10 times from floor to ceiling, which suggests the deals are set one by one rather than priced on a public rate card, though the reporting does not spell out how each deal was negotiated. What has not been disclosed is the payment structure, whether per video, per month, or a one-time fee, and how many creators have signed, so treat any per-video rate claim as a guess.
Instagram Features vs YouTube: the money, side by side
This is our own comparison, built from the confirmed facts above.
| Long-form money | Instagram Features | YouTube long-form |
|---|---|---|
| Direct deal for selected creators | $50,000 to $500,000 reported, invitation only | No equivalent signing payment |
| Ad revenue share from these videos | None. No share planned for now | 55% of net Watch Page ad revenue, for partners who enable it |
| Who can earn from the platform | Only creators with a direct Meta deal | Partner Program channels that qualify for Watch Page ads |
| Entry bar | No application. Instagram picks you | 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours, or 10 million Shorts views, today; 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views for new applicants from 1 Feb 2027 |
| Exclusivity | None. Same-day cross-post from YouTube | Not applicable |
The YouTube 55% figure is the share of net Watch Page ad revenue for eligible partners who accept the Watch Page Monetization Module, per YouTube’s help center, as TheStreet reported on 30 October 2026. The current entry bar comes from YouTube Help. From 1 February 2027, new applicants for ads and Premium revenue sharing need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, YouTube announced on its official blog on 10 August 2026, which we also covered in our YouTube Partner Program 2027 guide. Even after that rise, eligible partners who enable Watch Page monetization keep 55% of net Watch Page ad revenue. Instagram pays a few creators very well and pays everyone else nothing from ads on Features.
Why is there no ad revenue share for Features?
A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it is “too early to share a long-term monetization model” and that the company is exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans, and Instagram, including performance-based incentives. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri went further on The Colin and Samir Show, describing Instagram’s performance-based payments to video creators as “ROI negative” and saying, “We spend more money than we make back by a long shot,” TheStreet reported, citing Net Influencer’s account of the interview.
That is my interpretation, not Instagram’s stated reason: a revenue share only works if the ads on long-form Instagram video earn enough to split, and Instagram has not said whether they will. Mosseri answered creators directly on X shortly after the announcement, writing, “We understand the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid,” CineD reported. That is softer than the interview, but it is still not a commitment.
History should keep expectations modest. Instagram tried long-form video before with IGTV, launched in June 2018, which added ads in 2020 at a 55% creator share, then merged into a general video tab in 2021 and closed its standalone app in 2022, CineD reported.
What should you do if you make long-form video?
If Instagram has not offered you a deal, and it almost certainly has not, here is the practical read.
- Keep YouTube as your paycheque. The 55% Watch Page ad share is the only confirmed, open, ad-revenue-sharing model in this comparison. Do not move a long-form show off YouTube for a platform that pays you nothing from ads.
- Treat Features as a same-day cross-post, not a new home. When the test reaches you, post the same video to Instagram on the day it goes live on YouTube, which is exactly what the paid creators are being asked to do. You get any extra reach on offer without giving up the YouTube income.
- Use Reels as the front door. Instagram is testing Clips as Reels, which lets a short clip link to the full Feature, TechCrunch reported. Cut one strong moment from each long video and point it at the full piece.
- Do not build a budget around Features income. There is no public rate, no application, and no announced revenue share. Brand deals, subscriptions, and viewer gifts remain the main established ways most creators earn on Instagram, alongside invitation-only bonus programs.
- Watch the test expand. Instagram plans to expand Features to “tens of thousands of creators” in the United States “over the coming months”, Tubefilter reported via TheStreet, and early November reporting described select Features content appearing near the top of Explore for some users, according to a Social Media Today roundup.
My opinion, plainly stated: Instagram is buying a library, not building a creator economy. A $500,000 check for a YouTuber with a back catalogue is a smart launch tactic, but it is not a business model for everyone outside that small group. Take any extra reach on offer, keep the YouTube revenue, and wait for real terms before changing any plan. If a revenue share ever arrives, that is the day Features becomes a serious second income.
For the format itself, see our Instagram Features explainer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instagram paying all creators for Features?
No. Business Insider reported Meta is paying a small group of selected creators, with offers from $50,000 to $500,000.
Does Instagram share ad revenue on Features videos?
Not yet. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it is too early to share a long-term monetization model for Features.
Can I apply to post Features or get a deal?
No. Features is a limited test, and Instagram has published no sign-up, eligibility criteria, or application route.
Should I move my long-form videos from YouTube to Instagram?
No. YouTube pays eligible partners 55% of net Watch Page ad revenue, according to YouTube’s help center, while Features pays no ad share outside its invitation-only deals. Cross-post on the same day instead.
When will Features be available to everyone?
No date has been announced. Instagram plans to expand the test to “tens of thousands of creators” in the United States “over the coming months”, Tubefilter reported.
