They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and while that’s true for many creators, sometimes nothing tells a story quite like a video; this is especially true for creators in the digital space. Whether you’re an independent filmmaker, a vlogger or you connect with your followers through videos you make directly on your phone, there are many reasons for creators from all industries to use Instagram TV.

Here’s what you need to know.

What to know about IGTV

What is IGTV?

Before 2018, whenever you posted videos to your Instagram feed, they had to be between three and 60 seconds long. If you wanted to upload longer videos, there was no way to do that -- not until Instagram TV came along. Instagram TV, or IGTV, allows you to post anything that’s at least 1 minute long and up to 15 minutes long (or up to 60 minutes long if you upload the video over desktop, versus a mobile device). Although the app used to restrict IGTV videos to vertical formats only, it now allows you to upload either a vertical or horizontal video to your channel.

How do I get started?

You can upload your video to IGTV in a number of ways, however it’s important to note that if you’ve never used IGTV before, you will first need to create an IGTV channel. You can do this on the Instagram app or on desktop.

To upload via desktop, simply sign into your Instagram account on a web browser, go to your profile and click on IGTV. From here, you can add a title, description and cover photo for your video. You can also choose whether or not you want IGTV to post a preview to your profile and feed. If you opt not to include a preview, your video will only show up on your IGTV feed, not your regular Instagram feed.

To upload on the Instagram app, you’ll need to start at your homepage. Click on the IGTV icon in the top right-hand corner, then the + sign and follow the same steps as you would for a desktop upload. After your first video is published, you’ve officially created your IGTV channel!

IGTV consists of “channels”

Once you’ve uploaded your first video to IGTV, you’ve created your “channel.” This is where all of your IGTV videos live (which is separate from your regular feed or stories).

Then moving forward, you can upload future IGTV videos in one of three ways:

using the Instagram app,
via the standalone IGTV app,
or using a web browser.

Not only can you upload long-form videos to IGTV, but you can also create series within your channel for the different videos you share. This is a really great feature for both creators and your followers alike, as it allows your fans to find exactly the type of content they’re looking for on your channel, as well as keep up with new videos you share in that series.

You can access IGTV in two places on the Instagram app

IGTV content is not houses with your other IG photos and videos. To access IGTV on your Instagram app, just tap the TV icon on your homepage. When you do that, it will take you to your IGTV homepage, where you’ll find a variety of video content you may be interested in. Everyone you follow with an IGTV channel will show up here on the homepage, as well as new channels and topics to explore.

The other way to access IGTV is through specific accounts. If an account has an IGTV channel, you’ll see the IGTV logo in the account’s story highlights (the circular assets below the account’s bio). This is where you’ll find the account’s IGTV videos all in one place. If an account doesn’t have the IGTV logo on its bio, then it hasn’t created a channel yet.

Who should use IGTV?

IGTV is a new exciting feature for content creators of all types. It’s a great way for videographers, cinematographers, vloggers, tutorialists, amateurs, experts and more to create and distribute video content for the masses. And it’s a great way to get discovered!

The type of content you share is up to you, depending on what kind of experience you want to offer new and existing fans. So your videos can be highly edited and produced, or just a recording of behind-the-scenes or day-to-day things, feelings and experiences.