“Reels” will let Instagram users combine music and video in the same way TikTok does
Instagram is officially coming after TikTok, with the Facebook-owned app launching a new feature on Tuesday allowing users to combine videos and music in short 15-second clips — just like the wildly popular Chinese app.
The feature, dubbed “Reels,” is first being tested in Brazil on iOS and Android, an Instagram spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap. Reels will let users create clips, add music or audio from someone else’s video, and adjust the speed of each video. Users can then share their clips to Stories or send them to their friends via direct messages; users will also be able to post their Reels to a new section on Instagram’s explore tab called Top Reels, where the company will highlight eye-catching clips.
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“We’re excited to test Reels, a new Stories format that gives our community a way to create entertaining, short-form videos with music. Instagram Stories has always been a home for expression and we believe this new format has huge potential to enable more creativity for people,” Robby Stein, Instagram’s director of product, said in a statement.
Also Read: Why Instagram Hiding 'Likes' Could Be Good for Users - and the Bottom Line
TechCrunch, which was the first outlet to report the news, also has a Reels demo video you can check out below.
The similarities between Reels and TikTok are unmissable. And it’s easy to see why Instagram and Facebook would want to go after it: TikTok is remarkably popular both in the U.S. and abroad, particularly with younger users. TikTok has 124 million users in the U.S. and 1.5 billion globally, according to data shared by Sensor Tower. (Its popularity has drawn the attention of regulators, however, with the U.S. government recently opening a national security review into ByteDance, its Beijing-based parent company.)
Instagram hasn’t been afraid to copy from its competitors in the past, either. Instagram lifted several features from Snapchat, including Stories, its most famous one. Those features have helped spur Instagram’s rapid growth in recent years, with Instagram Stories now boasting more than 500 million daily users; Snapchat, meanwhile, recently reported it has 210 million daily users.
Also Read: Instagram Tests Hiding Likes to 'Remove Pressure,' Company Says
It’s unclear if or when Reels will hit the U.S., but a successful international test would all but guarantee it reaches the States eventually.
Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez and 16 Other Instagram Stars Who Earn Major Bank for Each Post (Photos)
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Ever wonder just how much influence your favorite influencers have on Instagram? Instagram post-scheduling tool Hopper HQ has compiled a list, reporting how much celebrities charge for each post they put forth on the social app owned by Facebook. The numbers range from a few thousand to $1 million dollars.
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Kylie Jenner ($1 million)
Reality star Kylie Jenner is the highest-paid Instagram influencer in the world, pulling in a whopping $1 million for a single post. She often uses the platform to promote her various beauty products. Jenner, who has 110 million followers on Instagram, is on track to become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, according to Forbes (a designation that has earned eye-rolling from some sectors of the Internet).
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Selena Gomez ($800,000)
Singer and actress Selena Gomez, who topped the list last year, now comes in at a very respectable second place, thanks to her estimated $800,000 per post. And she’s still in first place when it comes to number of Instagram followers: Gomez has 140 million of them.
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Cristiano Ronaldo ($750,000)
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world, and he also makes bank from his Instagram posts, with an estimated $750,000 per post. He has 133 million followers.
Also Read: China Snubs Disney’s ‘Christopher Robin’ Amid Longtime Winnie the Pooh Ban
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Kim Kardashian ($720,000)
Reality star Kim Kardashian may not make quite as much as her younger half-sister, but she’s still doing well for herself, pulling in $720,000 per post. She has 113 million followers on Insta alone.
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Beyoncé Knowles ($700,000)
One of the best-selling and most popular music artists of all time, Queen Bey is also a queen of Instagram, earning $700,000 per post for her 115 million followers.
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Dwayne Johnson ($650,000)
The Rock -- aka everyone’s favorite wrestler-turned-movie superstar -- comes in at sixth place, earning $650,000 per post. He has 109 million followers.
Also Read: The Rock Surprises His Stunt Double With a New Truck (Video)
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Justin Bieber ($630,000)
Though Justin Bieber makes $630,000 dollars per post, his Instagram presence can be at times enigmatic. In a post dated May 8, he wrote “HEY WORLD THAT GLAMOROUS LIFESTYLE YOU SEE PORTRAYED BY FAMOUS PEOPLE ON INSTAGRAM DON’T BE FOOLED THINKING THEIR LIFE IS BETTER THAN YOURS I CAN PROMISE YOU IT’S NOT!”
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Neymar da Silva Santos Junior ($600,000)
With more than 101 million followers, the Brazilian soccer star rakes in $600,000 dollars with each post. Most of his photos are of him on the field, but his feed also features sponsored posts with Nike.
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Lionel Messi ($500,000)
It seems as though out of all athletes, soccer players have the most clout on Instagram. Messi, the famous Argentine player, charges clients half a million dollars for each Instagram post.
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Kendall Jenner ($500,000)
The other half of the Jenner duo doesn’t make nearly as much as her sister, in fact she only makes half of what Kylie does for each post. At the end of the day, half of $1 million isn’t too shabby.
Also Read: Kendall Jenner, Apple Sued Over ‘Pizza Boys’ Radio Show
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Khloe Kardashian ($480,000)
The youngest Kardashian sister makes just under half a million dollars for each of her posts, which, combined with her clothing line and television shows, makes for a sizeable income stream.
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David Beckham ($300,000)
It may surprise some that soccer superstar Beckham landed 12th on this list, considering his entire family is impossibly famous.
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Stephen Curry
Basketball player Stephen Curry is often called the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA, and he’s also a star on Instagram, earning $110,000 a post for his 20.9 million followers.
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Floyd Mayweather
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather -- one of the highest-paid athletes in the world and one of the most successful boxers in history -- earns $107,000 per post. He has 20.4 million followers.
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Bella Hadid
American model Bella Hadid -- the younger sister of model Gigi Hadid -- earns $27,000 per post and has 18.7 million followers.
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Emily Ratajkowski ($26,500)
Ratajkowski has worked with many clothing brands including DKNY and The Kooples. But nowadays, it seems like the “Gone Girl” actress mostly advertises her own swimwear line, Inamorata.
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Gordon Ramsay ($5,500)
Though meager compared to some of the higher ups in the list, Ramsay still makes thousands of dollars per post. The “Hell’s Kitchen” host seems much more approachable on Instagram, with selfies and photos of him doing goat yoga.
Also Read: Nat Geo Lines up 2 New Travel Series From Gordon Ramsay, Jeff Goldblum
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Martha Stewart ($2,500)
An expert in all things home cooking and decor, the television host’s Instagram looks more like a Pinterest board, with mouthwatering dishes and colorful rooms.
Jenner leads the pack with $1 million dollars per update
Ever wonder just how much influence your favorite influencers have on Instagram? Instagram post-scheduling tool Hopper HQ has compiled a list, reporting how much celebrities charge for each post they put forth on the social app owned by Facebook. The numbers range from a few thousand to $1 million dollars.
Sean Burch
Tech reporter • sean.burch@thewrap.com • @seanb44