Impact of Instagram’s Shift in Video Quality on Smaller Creators

Instagram’s recent approach to video quality has sparked discussion, especially regarding how it handles content with lower view counts. In a live session, the platform’s head explained this shift, highlighting a new focus on prioritizing videos with higher engagement across Stories, Reels, and longer videos. The goal is to optimize encoding resources by allocating more power to widely viewed content.

In a forum, a user asked why older Stories saved as Highlights often appear lower in quality compared to recent uploads. Addressing this, Instagram’s head clarified that the platform’s algorithms evaluate engagement levels for older Reels and Stories, leading to a gradual quality reduction if these posts have minimal interaction. This adjustment helps conserve processing power for more actively viewed videos.

This policy particularly affects smaller creators, whose older Reels and Highlights may start to appear less sharp as engagement drops. The head of Instagram noted that quality downgrades typically begin once a post’s viewership stabilizes, which can vary from a few days to a few weeks.

The approach has raised questions about transparency, with some users wondering what view thresholds are needed to maintain high-quality playback. In response, the head emphasized that the adjustments are broadly applied rather than based on specific metrics, focusing on content with substantial views to receive higher-quality encoding.

The change has also prompted discussions about its impact on small-scale creators vying against major players. According to Instagram’s head, user engagement depends more on content quality than resolution. He reassured that the quality reduction is subtle enough not to discourage viewers, emphasizing that overall content value is crucial for retaining audience interest