ICYMI: Instagram’s New Edits App Is [insert adjective]

That’s not a typo, reactions are mixed

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⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY

• Is Instagram’s new video editing app, Edits, worth the hype?

• Plus, YOUR thoughts on the Edits launch

• TikTok announced creators can now add ALT text to photo posts

• Facebook is cracking down on what it calls “spammy” content

• Expect to see (more) ads in Threads

• The YouTube viewing experience on TV sets will get an upgrade this summer

• Bluesky launched verified blue checks for notable accounts

• The NFL hired a fashion editor based, in part, on his Instagram account documenting player fashion

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💻 ROADMAP

📲 Meta Updates: Edits App Launch

The big news this week: Instagram launched Edits, a new app for creators. It’s Meta’s answer to CapCut, TikTok’s popular video editing tool.

A few key elements of the app — which is currently free to download:

• A built-in camera that lets you record up to 10 minutes

• The ability to shoot and upload in 4K

• It includes a “Stickies” or Notes section for saving ideas

• It imports your saved Reels from Instagram

• The analytics tab pulls historical data from your Reels

• You can export video without a watermark

So, is Edits worth the hype?

I polled the ICYMI community and scrolled social to see how people were reacting to the launch.

This might be my favorite online takes: “Edits is NOT a video editing tool. But here’s why you should use it anyway…” It reflects the mixed reactions online and also people’s impatience that the app launched early as an MVP (minimal viable product).

People are usually more forgiving with new apps — bugs, missing features, etc — but this one’s from Meta. Expectations were higher. And one of the biggest complaints? The lack of key functionality.

That said, Edits still has fans. Creators seem like the insights, the 4K resolution and the clean UX. But the frustration around missing features is real. Here’s a quick look at what people are saying:

👎 COMPLAINTS

“The app has no audio sync option to sync cuts to beat marks. The transition effects are barebones. No way to add a transition to the beginning of the first clip. Tik Tok has some awesome video effects that are nowhere to be seen here”

- SKR Imaging, artist

“I just tested it and it sucks honestly. Capcut just has way more features tbh and it doesn't even have keyframe”

-Sharmarke Ahmed, Sharky No Cap filmmaker and creator

👍 PRAISE

“I 100% believe that Meta just changed the entire game of influencer marketing by launching the Edit app... I did not know it was going to seamlessly integrate with your content, including new metrics we've never even seen before, like save rate, share rate, etc. I think it means that brands are going to have more specifics with what they ask for creators; Creators are going to have more fuel to ask for more money from brands; and talent managers are hopefully going to have more consistency to actually define rates based on things outside of reach, followers, and general engagement”

-Sarah Weber, In the Cohort agency owner

“Good entry level and the ability to see trending audio and reels is cool. The analytics are a nice touch as well. But it’s got a long way to go to catch up to CapCut”

-Dani, Cozy Dani Girl creator

“One cool feature is it automatically saves progress as you edit, so you don’t loose your work if the app crashes or you forgot to hit save”

-Francesca Murray, One Girl One World creator

“I’ve made three reels so far. Love the ease of use and similarity to editing videos with multiple track lines like CapCut without the pop ups and ads of CapCut free. Love the font choices, insights, easy animations and in-app music library”

-Broderick Smylie, Savory Exposure creator

🛠 SUGGESTIONS FOR META

“Improvements needed: Captions editing, easy way to add filter to all clips, a way to share a video to straight to Threads”

-Broderick Smylie, Savory Exposure creator

“A smart idea would be to integrate a messaging feature for creators because CapCut doesn’t have that and Meta could build within the creator community. Vivian Tu had a podcast recently where she talked about an initial lack of fellow creators in her life and I keep reflecting on that. And it’s missing some key elements like good filters AND the ability to add a filter to the whole video not just clip after clip”

-Cristina Lopez, A Wildflower Spirit creator

“I’m surprised Edits doesn’t include Templates. That’s a killer feature in CapCut and already exists within Instagram itself. I won’t consider switching until they add them”

-Mandy Hoskinson, Zolay agency founder

✅ VERDICT

“For reels, I still edit on Final Cut Pro on my Mac but will probably import those finished projects to Edits so that the final metadata is an “Edits” video - in hopes that Meta serves it to more people. But for Stories, I’m definitely editing from this vs CapCut”

-Eddie Sanchez, Hungry In LA creator

“It’s so basic like it’s 2020. And after exporting and wanting to share on Instagram, you can’t edit it in Instagram — not cut shorter, not change audio, not anything. Also, you can’t save it to your drafts on Instagram, so you have to go to the drafts in Edits to share when you’re ready to or add it to Instagram from your camera roll. I won’t be leaving CapCut anytime soon”

-Małgorzata Gogut, La Reine Margot creator

💡 MY TAKEAWAYS

Edits doesn’t yet compare to the paid version of CapCut — but it could catch up.

I’m not here to be a Meta apologist, but the Edits team does plan to ship updates weekly. Some features they told me are on the way:

• Keyframes

• AI tools

• Collaboration features

• More fonts and text animations

• Transitions, voice effects, and new filters

Product manager Tom Bender also said there would be an option to apply filters across all clips — a frequent request.

And as always, platforms reward early adopters of new tools. One creator even posted a high-res comparison between a Trial Reel and one posted through Edits. No one’s saying Edits-made videos will definitely perform better — but higher quality could help boost your chances.

The thing is, the better Edits gets, the more likely Meta is to roll out a paid tier. Right now, it’s a solid free option for editing Reels. But the real comparison to CapCut, VEED, InShot or others will come once Edits goes Pro. That’s when you’ll have to decide which app is worth your hard-earned money.

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📲 More Meta Updates

• Instagram is using AI to help place suspected teens into Teen Accounts settings — even if the account lists an adult birthday.

• Facebook is cracking down on “spammy content,” reducing the reach and monetization of accounts trying to game the system. Spam is defined as “content that is designed to deceive, mislead, or overwhelm users in order to artificially increase viewership.”

• Meta announced it’s expanding ad placement in Threads to all eligible advertisers globally.

• Threads moved from Threads.net to Threads.com this week, while also rolling out improvements to the web experience to create easier access for post creation, custom feeds and saved posts.

📲 YouTube Updates

As part of its 20th anniversary this week, YouTube shared its latest features:

• YouTube TV is testing multi-view on with select non-sports content

• Voice-reply to comments on videos is rolling out more widely

• Ask Music: YouTube Premium and YouTube Music users are getting personalized radio stations

• 4x playback speed is rolling out on YouTube Premium

• YouTube viewing on TV will get an upgrade this summer — including easier navigation, streamlined access to comments, and channel subscribing.

YouTube is running a limited test, surfacing a new video results carousel that appears after entering certain search queries.

📲 TikTok Updates

• TikTok announced creators can now add ALT text to photo posts during upload or edit it anytime after publishing.

• TikTok announced its Agency Accelerator Program is back — offering expert-led workshops, mentoring, networking opportunities and other additional resources for agency go-getters. Apply here.

• TikTok Ban Update: Trump told a journalist they will “just delay” the TikTok deal with China “until this thing works out,” reiterating that it’s subject to China. Separately, China denied any suggestion it is currently in talks with the US over tariffs — which makes you wonder if a TikTok deal is even on the table?

📲 Pinterest Updates

• Pinterest is testing an in-app notification encouraging students to close the app during typical school hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm)

• Pinterest added new advertising courses and webinars to its Pinterest Academy.

📲 Bluesky Updates

• Bluesky launched verified blue checks for notable accounts.

📲 Linktree Updates

• Linktree expanded its creator monetization opportunities, including a partnership with Kajabi to offer a fully customizable course experience that’s embedded within your existing Linktree

📲 Roblox Updates

• Roblox launched Regional Pricing for creator items to automatically adapt prices to a user’s local market, making it easier to better adapt to local market conditions and maximize earnings.

📲 Adobe Updates

• Adobe creators can embed invisible attribution data and ‘do not train AI’ tags to 50 images at once.

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📱📺 Influencer Marketing, But Make It Multichannel

I’m in my influencer era. Catch me in this Linqia campaign that advocates for turning influencer content into hero assets across every channel — CTV, DOOH, websites, email, etc.

It reflects something I’ve believed for a long time: Influencers shouldn’t just be used for endorsement posts. They should be integrated across the entire marketing engine!

Chances are, that content is going to outperform traditional creative anyway!

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👀 ICYMI: JUST THE HEADLINES

• YouTube, Meta, and Amazon all paid at least $75,000 and up to $200,000 to host activations at the White House’s Easter Egg Roll -TubeFilter

• Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said he left Meta in 2018 because of Zuckerberg’s lack of investment, which seemed to stem partly from what seemed like jealousy -NYT

• The NFL hired a fashion editor based, in part, on his Instagram account documenting player fashion -Vogue (content creates opportunities!)

• Football fans got to spend the NFL Draft in a group chat with LeBron James and friends as part of a partnership between WhatsApp, OffBall and The Shop -OffBall

• Twitch streamers are spending more time with old favorites than new releases, according to new platform data -TubeFilter

• In response to the economy, creator marketing agencies have observed clients favoring deals with creators who have at least 100,000 followers -AdAge

• 48% of teens say social media harms people their age, up from 32% in 2022 -Pew Research Group

• Sydney Jo’s Group Chat made a comeback for a very special reunion show -TikTok

• I spoke to Rare Beauty's Director of Creative Strategy about their playbook for launching a Substack newsletter, Rare Secrets -ICYMI

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📌 CONNECT Conference, New York | May 10 | ICYMI75 gets you $75 off Creator or Industry

See more upcoming conferences in the 2025 ICYMI Marketing Event Database!

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Thanks for reading and if you have thoughts about Edits, let me know in the comments!