InstaVideo

Reports suggest that Instagram is expanding aggressively into long-form video, episodic content, television viewing, and streaming. According to multiple industry reports, Meta is positioning Instagram to compete more directly with established streaming platforms by bringing longer-form content and series-based viewing experiences to television screens.

On the surface, this sounds exciting.

Any new distribution channel has the potential to create more opportunities for content creators. More platforms can mean more visibility, more audiences, and more ways for creators to showcase their work.

But we believe the industry is focusing on the wrong conversation. The real question is not whether Instagram can compete with Netflix, but rather what problems can Instagram solve in the filmmaking industry. Because the biggest challenge facing filmmakers today is not distribution; it is monetisation. 

I struggle to understand why a social networking platform is suddenly positioning itself as a movie streaming business. Social media and film distribution are fundamentally different industries with very different economics, audiences, and creator needs. 

For years, independent filmmakers have invested their time, talent, money, and creativity into producing movies that attract millions of views and billions of hours of audience attention. Yet in many cases, the creators themselves receive only a fraction of the value generated by their work.

The platforms grow, the advertisers grow, the shareholders grow, but many filmmakers continue struggling to build sustainable careers. That is the problem the industry should be discussing, because the movie industry is not the same as social media.

Creating a professional film, documentary, or episodic series is fundamentally different from posting short-form content designed to maximise engagement inside a social feed.

A filmmaker may spend months, or even years developing a project. There are production costs, equipment costs, crew costs, location costs, post-production costs, marketing costs and significant creative risk. Film is a business as much as it is an art form. Simply providing another place to upload contents does not automatically solve the economic challenges filmmakers face.

The tough questions film makers need to ask themselves about this move by Instagram: 

How will filmmakers be paid? 

What percentage of revenue will creators actually receive?

Will monetisation be available from day one, or only after creators meet certain thresholds?

How many followers will a filmmaker need before they see meaningful earnings?

What rights will creators retain over their content?

Will creators maintain ownership of their intellectual property?

Will creators own their audience relationships, or will those relationships remain controlled by the platform?

These are the questions that matter and so far, they remain largely unanswered. Creators no longer want monetisation systems that reward platforms more generously than the people creating the content itself. Creators want ownership, transparency. sustainable revenue, most importantly, creators want a realistic pathway to earning a living from their work.

Streaming should be built around creators

At Flixora believes the future of streaming should be built around creators rather than around algorithms. The mission is simple: To give filmmakers and video creators a platform where they can distribute globally, monetise fairly, and maintain ownership of their content. 

The next generation of successful platforms will be those that genuinely align their success with the success of the people creating the content. That is the future I believe filmmakers deserve, that is the future Flixora is building.

I welcome new entrants into the streaming market. Competition drives innovation, creates opportunities, and expands audiences, but filmmakers should not be distracted by headlines alone, rather should focus on fundamentals, like who owns the content, who owns the audience, who earns the revenue, and who controls the future?

In conclusion

If we truly want to nurture the next generation of filmmakers, and storytellers, we must stop building systems that primarily benefit platforms and start building systems that benefit creators. The future belongs to platforms that empower creators, not exploit them, ownership over dependence, monetisation over visibility alone, and the future belongs to creators who are finally given the opportunity to earn what their work is truly worth. That is the future that Flixora is building.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martins Osuofia, founder of Flixora, a self-service movie streaming platform that democratises film streaming and distribution by enabling filmmakers to distribute and sell their movies to audiences worldwide. The platform provides creators with tools to upload, manage, and monetise their content while giving viewers access to a diverse range of films across multiple genres and regions. Flixora supports global accessibility and independent film distribution through a digital-first streaming model. 

Web: www.flixora.co.uk    

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