With Vine's six-second video capabilities taking off, it's no surprise that Instagram wanted to get in on the action.
Instagram took a big leap into video, announcing that short video-capture ability is now combined in the photo-capture app we've all grown to love. It's clear that video is where both Twitter, which owns Vine, and Facebook, which owns Instagram, are heading.
Here are the key details on Instagram's new video feature.
1. It lives in the feed
Instagram is not introducing a new app, but a new feature to supplement its wildly popular photo features. Video actually appears in users' feeds along with photos, so there's no need to use two separate apps. Hashtags, location tagging, likes and comments all work the same way photos do.
To take video, the user simply presses the video icon in the capture (which sits next to the usual camera icon). You can hold the icon to capture video and release to stop, creating the same stop motion process you find in Vine.
2. You get 15 seconds
Instagram stretches the amount of live video you can capture from Vine's six seconds to 15 seconds. You can do less, of course. But Instagram is betting that users want more, not less, when it comes to video.
3. Yes, there are filters
Instagram is well known for its filters, which can make the amateur look like aficionado. They're adding the same capabilities to video.
Once you capture your video, you can choose from a series of 13 filters, which will sharpen or soften its look. It's likely more filters will come along as more users try out video.
4. There are advanced editing features
Just like Vine, you can chop up your video simply by pressing to record, lifting to pause the recording, and then pressing back down to record again. But with Instagram, you can delete the last section you recorded without deleting the entire video.
Additionally, you can choose a "Cover Frame" for each video, so the image that immediately greets followers in the feed is one you choose, rather than a randomly selected thumbnail.
Finally, Instagram added a feature it calls "Cinema," which automatically stabilizesstablizes the video you capture to remove jumpy cuts. It's pretty slick addition - but it only works for the iPhone 4 and 5.
5. It's here now
Often, Facebook likes to roll out major changes gradually. But with Instagram video is here now. Users can update to the new version by going to their app store account. It works for both iPhones and Android phones.
In the coming weeks, marketers will no doubt toy with the new functionalities, finding creative ways to show off their brands and engage consumers. Burberry and Lululemon are already creating videos with it.
Will you use Instagram's new video capture? Is it a real Vine competitor?