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Meta announced yesterday, on July 17, 2023, that Facebook Videos are going to get better. The tech giant is coming out with some new video enhancements for Facebook, as it thrives to continuously evolve from being a social networking site into an entertainment platform to align with the broader usage trends.
The Video tab will now be the go-to source for all videos on Facebook, including Reels, long-form videos, and Live content making it possible for users to create, explore, and engage with videos on Facebook.
Videos have always been a major part of Meta’s Facebook, users were allowed to post short videos to Feed from 2007. But as the usage trends evolved, the platform has also evolved by introducing a unique cross-section of Reels, long-form, and Live content options that have attracted people to stick to Facebook for entertainment.
Nowadays, users come to Facebook and rely on the platform to watch videos about the things they like, new stuff they’d want to know about and to engage with real people with similar interests.
Meta renames the ‘Watch’ tab to ‘Video’ now
Meta has made it simpler to explore and engage with the best videos on Facebook, by renaming its ‘Watch’ tab to ‘Video’, representing the platform’s expanded video offerings and features, going a step beyond its dedicated exposure in the original Watch feed.
Therefore, the Video tab which was previously popular as Facebook Watch, will be the one-stop shop for everything. Users can scroll vertically through a personalized feed that recommends all types of video content. But additionally, now it will also have new horizontal-scroll reel sections to highlight recommended reels, so users can quickly move to short-form videos in the app.
Users will see Video as a tab in the shortcut bar soon. For iOS users, this bar is found at the bottom of the app, and on Android, it’s found at the top. The tabs in the shortcut bar change based on the parts of the app users use the most.
In Meta’s words:
“The Video tab, previously known as Facebook Watch, is now the one-stop shop for everything video on Facebook, including Reels, long-form, and Live content. The Video tab will look familiar – you can scroll vertically through a personalized feed that recommends all types of video content – but will also feature new horizontal-scroll reels sections that highlight recommended reels, so you can quickly jump into short-form video.”
Video Editing tools
Meta has started to roll out video features and updates bringing more Reels editing tools to the table. Now more editing features will appear in Feed, making it even easier to create dynamic videos on Facebook.
Whether you want to post a video for friends and family to watch, or you are trying to reach people with similar interests, Facebook’s video editing tools will make it possible for users to express themselves in new ways via Reels or long-form videos.
According to Meta, “People also now have the ability to upload HDR videos from their phones to Reels and for that video to playback in full HDR, the first of our efforts to bring true HDR video support to our family of apps.”
Let’s understand more about these features in detail:
- Seamless editing
- Audio, music, and text are all in one place on Reels, making it easier to layer and time creative elements to create the perfect reel. And now, it’s also available on Meta Business Suite for reels and for videos on Feed.
- More clip-editing tools
- Get creative with your video by speeding up, reversing, or replacing your clips. You can use it creatively, but only if you know.
- Enhanced audio
- Mixing the right sound into your video by exploring and adding music and audio clips, recording voiceovers, and reducing unwanted noise.
Easier to find videos on popular topics
Now, it would be a lot easier to find videos on popular topics and trends and engage with recommended Instagram Reels directly on Facebook. Meta has redesigned the video Explore to help users discover and research popular video topics.
As per Meta, “You can find Explore by tapping the search icon in the Video tab. Here you’ll see a variety of reels, long-form and live videos related to relevant topics and hashtags. We use a mix of human curation and machine learning to select topics and videos that are popular and surface the ones we think you will enjoy and find interesting.”
Giving away new video features and the ability to watch Instagram Reels on Facebook would help Creators reach more people and drive engagement, even for those who don’t have an active Facebook profile. This will definitely help people enjoy the best of both worlds, i.e., Instagram and Facebook Reels, all in one place.
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