14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Instagram has introduced a video recording and sharing option. With the latest version of the mobile app, which should be landing soon, users will be able shoot short videos of up to 15 seconds, instead of just photos.
This being Instagram, of course there are filters, 13 of them, built specifically for video.
"We're thrilled to introduce Video on Instagram and bring you another way to share your stories," Kevin Systrom, Instagram cofounder, announced.
Shooting a video with Instagram is easy, as it should be. When you go to shoot a photo, you'll notice a camera icon.
In video mode, you can record up to 15 seconds and then apply any of the filters to the clip.
"When you post a video, you'll also be able to select your favorite scene from what you've recorded as your cover image so your videos are beautiful even when they're not playing," Systrom added.
Obviously, Instagram is late to the party, as there are plenty of video sharing apps out there already. Apart from Snapchat and Vine though, none are doing too great.
Facebook has already tried to copy Snapchat, with Poke, a video app we've heard nothing about since it launched.
Now it's copying Vine, albeit while adding a few twists of its own, like longer videos and filters. Those aren't any guarantee that Instagram video is better or even as good as Vine, or that people will even use the feature.
Instagram does have one advantage, namely its size. It has 130 million users today, the company behind it boasted, all of whom now have access to a video feature. But, again, like we've seen with Facebook, size is no guarantee of success.
What's more, Twitter isn't standing still either. In anticipation of the Instagram announcement, Vine's cofounders both released a few teasers showing off some of the new features coming to the video sharing service, presumably soon.
