IGTV

Okay, we know what you’re thinking. You’re probably wondering if IGTV is still a thing. Also, you may have no idea what IGTV is all about. Either reaction is not completely surprising, considering several occurrences, which we will share shortly.

IGTV is short for Instagram TV and was launched in 2018. Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, created this platform for creators who wanted to share videos.

Years ago, before Instagram decided that it needed to change its ways, videos were not a thing on the social network. It was known primarily for stunning images. Creators who wanted to share short videos couldn’t do that on their Instagram accounts. That was how Instagram was set up then.

So, the brilliant minds at Facebook HQ thought that it was a clever idea to create a separate platform where you could watch longer videos from creators you loved. It did make sense at first. But after three short years, things changed. We’ll talk more about that later.

Features of IGTV

The platform lets users create videos that can run from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. It didn’t have robust video editing tools like some other apps, so creators needed to have their videos publish-ready before uploading them.

The app was easy to use. If you already had creators you followed, you would see their videos as soon as you opened the app.

For creators, the app was also intuitive and functioned pretty much the same way the normal Instagram app worked.

Main features include:

• Anyone could set up a channel
• You could add your videos to your story
• Others could follow your TV channel
• A separate app for IGTV

Where is IGTV now?

Although the concept of IGTV sounded clever at the time, it never really took off with users. Understand that this was the time when YouTube was suddenly seeing millions of content uploaded each day. It seemed reasonable for the people at Instagram to believe that IGTV was the future.

Interestingly, not long after IGTV was launched, TikTok came on the scene and the rest, they say, is history. TikTok blew everything apart and immediately dominated the short video scene, leaving IGTV trailing behind like a poor abandoned orphan.

In 2021, only 3 years after it launched, the company announced that they were shutting down IGTV.

What alternative is there to IGTV?

We are so glad you asked. Although IGTV shut down, Meta (the owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) didn’t leave the world without hope. Instead, they decided to focus more of their attention on Instagram Reels.

Instagram Reels is the smarter way to go, and we wonder why they didn’t figure it out earlier. With Reels, you can create short videos and share them right on your Instagram page, with no need for a separate app.

What’s more, there are amazing video editing tools to help you create great videos that your users will love.

Another alternative to IGTV is TikTok. That is the home of short videos used for all sorts of content. You can find short series, company promos, reviews and just about any video content you can imagine.

There’s also YouTube shorts, which is sort of YouTube’s response to TikTok. Funny enough, you will probably find several TikTok videos on YouTube shorts, as creators tend to have channels on multiple platforms.

Our Verdict

IGTV was great while it lasted, and who knows, it could have grown into a formidable force. Unfortunately, users didn’t really take to the app, and the appearance of TikTok and YouTube shorts sounded the death knell for the app.

If you are searching for a place to watch short videos or to share your short videos, you are better off with TikTok or YouTube shorts. You can also try Instagram Reels if you want to stay on the Instagram platform.