Instagram has officially announced it has added support for recording short video clips. The clips will be able to be up to 15 seconds in length and can be edited using 13 filters available. The update is available for both iOS and Android. The change is fairly simple in that you just have to select the new video option which is located next to the camera button. It will then go into video capture mode where you can record any type of videos you want, edit them and share them with friends & family through all the normal social sites.
This update has been long awaited and is seen by most as Instagram’s answer to the incredible popularity of Vine which offers similar services. Whether or not this update came soon enough to slow down the growth of Vine has yet to be seen. Having the option to shot and edit video right in the same easy to use app as millions of people use for taking and editing pictures does seem like it will be extremely popular.
Instagram used the occasion of this announcement to also share updated information about how many people are using the picture taking and sharing features of Instagram. The founder of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, reported that over 16 Billion pictures have been shared using Instagram. These pictures get an average of about 1 Billion likes per day, and over 130 million people are using the Instagram service.
This new service combined with the obvious success of the image taking & sharing side of Instagram give people many opportunities to share pictures of just about anything you can imagine. While marketers have already been using Instagram to promote their brands through images for some time, having the option to use videos will be very attractive to people promoting just about any type of product.
View the full announcement HERE.
