Today, Facebook unveils powerful video related new features, including editing and discovery tools, to make the platform competitive with YouTube and TikTok. Additionally, the company is renaming its “Watch” tab to “Video” tab to bring all its video experiences together in one place.
Moreover, it is porting editing tools for Reels to videos for the main feed, allowing users to create both short and long videos from one place. These tools are already available to Meta Business Suite users.
Meta is launching new editing features such as adjusting speed, reversing, and replacing clips. They are also supporting HDR videos on Reels – both for uploading and playback. To enhance audio, Facebook is providing tools to find the right audio track, reduce noise, and record a voiceover.
Reels, long-form content, and live videos will all be included in the new “Video” tab, replacing the “Watch” tab. Users can now scroll vertically from one video to the next, or scroll through the carousel horizontally to view different Reels. Meta states that the “Video” section will be located on the top bar of the Android app and the bottom bar of the iOS app.
In 2018, Facebook released Facebook Watch as a response to YouTube’s success. Since then, it has undergone many changes, such as the closure of Watch Party, which allowed people to watch videos in groups. Earlier in 2020, the company also discontinued its original programming division. Last year, Facebook also chose to discontinue live video products, such as shopping and game streaming.
Users can now access an explore page behind the search button. When they tap on it, they will see different hashtags and topics with related short and long videos. Meta also enables users to comment on Instagram Reels they watch on Facebook through video discovery. To do this, they just need to add both their accounts in the Accounts Center.
For the last few months, Meta has been taking steps to make Reels a more popular video format on Facebook and Instagram. In March, Facebook extended the Reels’ limit from 60 to 90 seconds per clip.
They have stopped offering incentives to creators for making Reels on Facebook and Instagram, but started testing a performance-based ad revenue sharing program in May. Currently, the Blue app is aiming to combine its video products with this new rollout.
See Also: Meta launches the Threads app
Facebook is promoting the discovery of long-form videos with its new features, but has yet to announce any new plans for compensating creators.
