Instagram faces backlash for lowering quality of low-engagement videos
Bottom line: It’s not uncommon for content creators to invest a significant amount of time and money into their productions but depending on what platform is used for sharing, it could end up being all for not.
In a recent exchange on Threads, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri confirmed that the platform downgrades the video quality of older content in certain scenarios. “If something isn’t watched for a long time, because the vast majority of views are in the beginning, we will move to a lower quality video,” Mosseri explained.
If popularity picks back up, Instagram will re-render the higher-quality video, he added.
The admission sparked pushback from several circles. From a technical standpoint, it makes sense that Instagram would want to reduce the quality of certain videos to save on storage and bandwidth expenses. From the viewpoint of the person who made the video, seeing its presentation tarnished is – at minimum – discouraging.
Others have wondered if the policy creates an unfair playing field for popular creators versus those who are just starting out or have a smaller audience. Depending on exactly how it is implemented, the stance could make it more difficult for budding creators to advance their careers.
Successful creators, meanwhile, might be compelled to delete older content that is no longer performing well because it is now being presented in a lower quality that makes their brand look bad.
Mosseri attempted to put a positive spin on the matter, highlighting how lower-quality video is ideal for users on slower connections. In a follow-up, Mosseri said the shift in quality isn’t “huge” and that whether or not people interact with videos is more based on the content of the video than the quality it is shown in.
“Quality seems to be much more important to the original creator … than to their viewers,” Mosseri noted.
In related news, YouTube is reportedly experimenting with removing dates and view counts from videos show on its homepage. Both metrics can be helpful when trying to decide whether or not to click a video, even if you do not realize it at the time. For example, it could be much more difficult to determine if a video is representing the latest information on a certain topic without the publishing date readily available.
Image credit: Solen Feyissa, Planet Volumes
