Now You Can Use Instagram Live For 4 Hours, As Instagram Extends Live Video Limit

In a gripping move, one of the brightest social media platforms Instagram has decided to extend the Live Video limit up to four hours that used to be for an hour in the past.

Besides, the social media platform has also introduced a new live archive option that will help you to maintain a directory of all your live videos where the videos can last up to a month. This archive will be confidential, and only you can access it and download your live videos and finally upload them to IGTV as per your convenience.

Also, in order to expand the reach of these Live videos, Instagram will start showing a “Live Now” section in the IGTV app and on Explore. These features haven’t been rolled out yet but will be available soon to all Instagram users globally on both iOS and Android platforms.

Instagram has been introducing new features of late.

This hasn’t been the first instance when Instagram has rolled out something new for its users. In October, they have introduced many exciting updates. In the last week of October, Instagram announced three audio-related features for its Tik-Tok like service Reels. The new feature will allow users to save, share, and browse audio.

With the ‘save audio’ feature, the users can save sounds to create. The ‘share audio’ feature will share all the Reels that use a specific piece of audio over direct messages. The last one i.e. the ‘audio browser,’ will allow users to have an extensive search through new sections like ‘Trending’ and ‘For You.’

Their latest introduction that surfaced 4 to 5 days before was the Instagram Direct Messages. Last Wednesday, i.e. 28th October, Facebook made the announcement to integrate Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger, which will allow users to communicate across the separate apps easily.

In simple terms, a Facebook Messenger user will be able to chat with an Instagram user without even needing to download the Instagram app, and vice-versa. However, the users will be having control over whether they want to receive these cross-platform messages or not.

The new upgrade will also give a resounding experience to the users of the Messenger-inspired features to Instagram DMs, including the selfie stickers Watch Together, vanish mode, personalized chat colors, and custom emoji reactions along with the enhanced privacy tools. The upgraded experience is already out on Android devices.

Those who haven’t experienced it yet can update their app from the Google Play Store and enjoy the upgrade. However, it hasn’t surfaced globally as of yet but, Facebook, who owns Instagram, said in a blog post that it is starting to roll out the new update in a few countries including, the USA, with no plans to expand globally soon.

With the introduction of a 4-hour long Live video update, users are more likely to use Instagram instead of other live streaming apps for going ‘live’ that is a trend nowadays. But are there any benefits to going ‘Live’ on Instagram? Let us discuss this with three fruitful benefits mentioned below.

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Live Increases Visibility

Are you aware that 70% of Instagram posts don’t even get a visit?- This is seriously a gigantic number in the context of how much effort people put behind posting a single content on Instagram.

However, Instagram Live that was used to the fullest especially, amid lockdown, takes this number a step further. When you go live on Instagram, your stream shows up in the same place as a story to which only Instagram Live has a few special privileges. This helps in increasing awareness and develops your potential to reach.

Creates Urgency

Numbers suggest that people enjoy live content more than the usual ones. The live content helps them to connect better as it creates a sense of urgency most effectively.- This is because live events are experienced collectively, making them more sticky and intrusive.

The creator and the viewer is experiencing the same thing at the same moment, and no none has an idea of what happens next.- This means the viewers get invested in what happens next, and they duly care about it.

Creates Engagement

Perhaps the primary objective of Instagram Live is to boost engagement that is way better than the usual posts. Instagram Live opens up more opportunities and potential for conversation.

You can try asking viewers questions, give a behind the scenes look into your business, let viewers direct the action of the stream- you name it.- This improvises a two-way communication as you can respond to your audience in real-time itself.

Now, with Instagram Live expanded to a 4-hour thing, the engagements are going to reach their peak for sure.

Time to wrap up: With a new update and the two added features, Instagram is all set to relaunch itself in abetter-way. However, it would remain interesting to see how people respond to new upgrades. Stay in touch with us to know the same.