Instagram admits lowering video quality for less viewed creators

Luke Meredith

Many social media creators have been surprised by statements from Instagram revealing that the platform is intentionally lowering the quality of less popular and older videos.

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri admitted that the most popular content is bestowed with the highest video quality. He made the following statement on Threads:

“We bias to higher quality… for creators who drive more views”

Mosseri noted that while old videos that are no longer watched are likely to be lowered in quality, these same videos would have their quality restored if they became popular again.

Critics of the decision, such as social media consultant Matt Navarra, suggest that Instagram is not fulfilling a pledge to encourage and inspire new creators to succeed on its platform.

Why is Instagram doing this?

The reason why Instagram is lowering video quality where it feels it can is due to the costs involved in streaming video content.

Videos that are of high quality, with high resolutions and a considerable number of edits, are typically much larger in size than lower-quality videos. This results in these videos requiring more storage space on Instagram’s servers.

Despite criticism, Mosseri has defended Instagram’s decision and played down the reduction in quality among videos that will end up being affected by this new feature. He also affirmed that most users care much more about a video’s content than its visual quality.

Here at Engage Web, we agree with that point of view. When producing content online, whether it be videos on social media or written content on your website, visual appeal is nothing without content containing genuine substance and utility to users. If you’d like to start appealing to more of your audience online, reach out to our team today – we’ll know what to do.

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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.