Facebook Inc.’s photo-sharing app Instagram has reached 1 billion monthly active users. To spur future growth, the company announced a new feature: Instagram television.

Anyone will be able to upload videos for Instagram’s new IGTV section, which will display them full-screen and vertically, the way people naturally hold their phones. The video section will feature content from people users already follow on their account.

Instagram’s efforts in original video come after its parent company has worked for months to build up Facebook Watch, a TV tab within the social networking app. Facebook has paid studios and news partners to create content that lives on Facebook, ideally creating buzz and spurring people to share with their friends. The concept competes with Google’s YouTube. Facebook is paying for rights to shows now, but the company aims for the content to eventually be popular enough to be supported solely by advertising revenue.

Instagram may have an easier time. While Facebook is mostly used for people to connect with friends and family, Instagram is a place users have been more comfortable following people they don’t know, helping build an entire ecosystem of influencers who make money off of their Instagram fame. The photo-sharing app, which Facebook acquired in 2012 for US$715 million, also has an audience that skews younger, and is used to watching video on mobile devices.

 

From our CEO @kevin: “Today, we have two big announcements to share. First, Instagram is now a global community of one billion! Since our launch in 2010, we’ve watched with amazement as the community has flourished and grown. This is a major accomplishment — so from all of us at Instagram, thank you! Second, we’re announcing our most exciting feature to date: IGTV, a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators, like LaurDIY (@laurdiy) posting her newest project or King Bach (@kingbach) sharing his latest comedy skit. While there’s a stand-alone IGTV app, you’ll also be able to watch from within the Instagram app so the entire community of one billion can use it from the very start. IGTV is different in a few ways. First, it’s built for how you actually use your phone, so videos are full screen and vertical. Also, unlike on Instagram, videos aren’t limited to one minute. Instead, each video can be up to an hour long. We made it simple, too. Just like turning on the TV, IGTV starts playing as soon as you open the app. You don’t have to search to start watching content from people you already follow on Instagram and others you might like based on your interests. You can swipe up to discover more — switch between “For You,” “Following,” “Popular” and “Continue Watching.” You can also like, comment and send videos to friends in Direct. Also like TV, IGTV has channels. But, in IGTV, the creators are the channels. When you follow a creator on Instagram, their IGTV channel will show up for you to watch. Anyone can be a creator — you can upload your own IGTV videos in the app or on the web to start your own channel. Instagram has always been a place to connect with the people who inspire, educate and entertain you every day. With your help, IGTV begins a new chapter of video on Instagram. We hope it brings you closer to the people and things you love. IGTV will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on iOS and Android.

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“Younger audiences are spending more time with amateur content creators and less time with professionals,” Instagram said in a blog post.

The Instagram effort is most similar to what Snap Inc. has done with the Discover section of Snapchat. Those shows are filmed vertically, appealing to people who watch them on their phones. It’s not the first time Instagram has copied Snapchat. The photo app successfully released its own version of Snapchat Stories, the posts from users about their day that disappear within 24 hours. That feature has been incredibly popular on Instagram, drawing more users than all of Snapchat.