Instagram's CapCut Rival Is Here ✂️

TODAY’S EDITION

• Instagram launches its highly anticipated video editing app, Edits

• Facebook cracks down on spammy content

• YouTube celebrates 20 years with new product features

• TikTok makes changes to Direct Message settings

• LinkedIn improves post embeds on third-party sites

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Instagram’s Highly Anticipated Video Editing App, Edits, Has Arrived

After months of teasers and sneak peeks, Instagram has officially launched Edits, a standalone video editing app.

The app directly competes with ByteDance’s popular CapCut, but Instagram says Edits is specifically designed for creators and mobile-first videos.

In contrast, CapCut and other tools have increasingly expanded beyond that focus, supporting team workflows and formats outside of mobile.

Inside the App: What Edits Can Do Today

Edits is built around five core areas:

• Ideas: Jot down ideas or notes on saved Reels

• Inspiration: Browse and remix trending Reels, save audio

• Projects: Organize and manage multiple videos in one hub

• Camera: Capture up to 10 minutes, access green screen, music, countdown, and touch-up tools, then publish in high-quality video with no watermarks

• Insights: Access insights for existing posts and Reels published from Edits, including new metrics like Skip Rate, Like Rate, Comment Rate, and Save Rate

What’s Coming Next

Instagram says Edits was built with direct feedback from creators, and it has several new features in development:

• Keyframes: Pinpoint exact moments to animate the rotation, position, and scale of clips

• Modify: Quickly change the look and feel of videos with AI

• Collaboration: Share drafts with creators or brand partners for feedback

• Customization: Access more fonts, filters, animations, sound effects, and royalty-free music

Why It Matters: The Bigger Picture

Edits arrives as ByteDance and the US government work on a long-term plan for TikTok and CapCut to remain in the US. Meanwhile, CapCut has been increasing subscription costs and paywalling features that were previously free, prompting some creators to explore other options.

While CapCut offers more advanced editing features, Edits delivers something valuable for Instagram-native creators, as creator and talent manager Lloyd George points out:

“I’m determined to put as many of my eggs in the Instagram basket. This means using as many of their features and apps as they have. Not because they are better, but rather because that's where I want to grow.”

He continues, “The app isn’t the best platform on the market, but it is the best app for people who specifically want to grow on Instagram.”

Edits also highlights a broader trend of investment in standalone apps from major tech platforms. From ByteDance’s continued investment in CapCut to help creators and marketers produce organic and paid content for TikTok, to Pinterest’s launch of Shuffles, which birthed its popular Collages feature, to Meta’s own launch of Threads to compete with X.

With Edits, Instagram adds to its priority of providing creators with best-in-class creative tools, including the ability to test features in Edits before they’re added to the native Instagram app and a new revenue stream when it does decide to paywall features.

While Edits might not be perfect right away, Instagram’s improvement of Threads since its launch indicates that Edits will only get better with time.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LINQIA

Creator Content: From Social Feeds to Everywhere

Creator content doesn’t have to stay confined to social feeds; it can live everywhere, delivering benefits like increased reach and consistent messaging.

I recently participated in an experiment with Linqia that brought this idea to life.

Linqia assembled a group of LinkedIn marketing voices to create spoof influencer videos for a fake Linqia product.

Their team then transformed those clips into polished assets for Connected TV, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), display ads, and more, demonstrating how a creator campaign can fuel your entire marketing engine.

NEWS, TRENDS & INSIGHTS

Meta

• Instagram is rolling out its “Share Only to Profile” option to more users. The feature, first spotted last year, lets users post content without it appearing in anyone’s feed. While creators focused on reach may not find it appealing, it’s useful for those who want to post without performance pressure or simply for aesthetic reasons.

• Meta is testing advanced original content protection for Meta Verified subscribers. Creators will see a “Request original credit” toggle when posting a Reel, which proactively adds an “Original by” label on reposts of their content that links back to them. It’s another way Meta is trying to help creators get proper attribution. While it adds value to the subscription, many creators will view this as a feature that should be free and available to all.

• Facebook announced updates to crack down on spammy content. It will reduce reach and monetization for accounts sharing spammy content with irrelevant hashtags or overly long captions, and remove accounts faking engagement or impersonating others. It's also testing a downvote button for comments and letting creators report impersonators directly in the comments. Facebook hopes to make feeds more relevant for users, which benefits creators by increasing their visibility.

• Threads moved to Threads.com with an updated web experience. Users can see their custom feeds similar to the mobile experience, access liked and saved posts more easily, copy a Threads post as an image, and upload a list of people they follow on other apps.

• Threads is rolling out ads globally. All eligible advertisers can access the placement, which is enabled by default for Meta’s Advantage+ or Manual Placements.. This gives advertisers access to Threads' 320 million users with more brand safety than X, though users may not be thrilled to see ads in their feed.

YouTube

• YouTube celebrated 20 years with new product updates. It will roll out an updated TV experience with improved navigation, playback, video quality, and the ability to view comments, channel info, and subscribe. YouTube TV members will also be able to build custom multiviews, including select non-sports content. Plus, Voice Replies in comments is expanding to more creators.

• YouTube is testing AI Overviews in search results. For certain queries, such as those related to products, locations, or things to do, YouTube will display a carousel of clips most relevant to the search. This focus is notable as it supports YouTube’s larger push around product discovery and, more recently, localized content.

• YouTube will begin age-restricting scripted content with human actors. Starting May 1st, content that focuses on “scenes of torture or violent death of a person showing blood” will be limited to younger viewers. This aligns YouTube’s policies with industry standards for traditional broadcasters and film distributors.

TikTok

• TikTok is updating its direct message settings. Users will soon be able to allow both their followers (“Potential Connections”) and people they aren’t connected with (“Others”) to send message requests. This opens up TikTok’s messaging ecosystem, which is likely an attempt to make DMs a more central part of the experience, similar to Instagram.

• TikTok now supports ALT text for photos. Users can add descriptive text during upload and to existing posts. This long-overdue feature, already available on most platforms, improves accessibility for users with visual and cognitive impairments.

LinkedIn

• LinkedIn updated post embeds for third-party sites. The new embeds offer a cleaner design, compact previews, and real-time engagement metrics. Users can choose to embed the full post, a shortened version, or just the video. It’s useful for creators showcasing sponsored posts on portfolio pages and publishers highlighting videos from executives sharing company updates on LinkedIn.

• LinkedIn expanded its Verified on LinkedIn program. Verified members can now display their badges on partner platforms like Adobe’s new Content Authenticity app and the Behance platform.

Snapchat

• Snapchat launched an affiliate program for its ad business. Creators, marketers, and publishers can earn commissions for qualified advertisers they refer to Snapchat Ads. It’s a smart way to tap into its ecosystem of users to grow its ad business.

Pinterest

• Pinterest launched an experimentation notification for students. Available in Canada and the US, teens aged 13 to 17 who open the app during school hours will be prompted to close the app and pause notifications. This initiative builds on Pinterest’s ongoing efforts to protect younger users.

Netflix

• Netflix may soon distribute video podcasts. On its latest earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos pointed to the format’s growing popularity and Netflix’s interest in working with creators across media. With video podcasts thriving on YouTube and Spotify, this would be a smart move, as they’re binge-friendly, likely inexpensive to license, and appealing to younger audiences.

Linktree

• Linktree rolled out new monetization tools for creators. Updates include a Kajabi partnership for creating courses, expansion of its social commerce marketplace, and new Sponsored Links, where creators can share exclusive offers and earn when audiences take action. Linktree continues to evolve the link-in-bio space by giving creators more ways to monetize their traffic.

Patreon

• Patreon added native live streaming. Creators can stream from the app or desktop, with live chat and moderation tools, offering access to both free and paid members. This eliminates the need for third-party platforms, allowing creators to engage their audiences directly within their communities.

LTK

• LTK launched Connect with Friends on the LTK consumer app. It allows users to invite and follow their friends and see which creators their friends follow. LTK adds a more community-focused approach to discovery, from creators to content to trends.

Roblox

• Roblox launched Regional Pricing for creator in-experience items. Prices will now automatically adjust to a user’s local market, allowing creators to better align with regional purchasing power instead of relying on a single global price.

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