Video Quality Depends on Engagement
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, revealed that video quality on the platform is influenced by its popularity. Blurry posts may result from Instagram prioritizing higher quality for videos with greater reach.
During an “Ask Me Anything” session, Mosseri explained how video clarity can fluctuate for reels or stories. The number of views a video receives affects whether it appears clear or blurry.
“If a video isn’t watched for a while, we downgrade it to lower quality,” Mosseri stated. “If it regains traction, we re-render it in high quality.” This explanation, shared via a screen-recorded clip, sparked discussions on Threads and was reported by media outlets like The Verge.
Mosseri emphasized that the goal is to “show people the highest quality content.” However, some creators argue this approach disadvantages smaller accounts, affecting their content’s visual appeal. Users with slower internet connections might also see lower-quality videos. “We prioritize a lower quality video for faster loading rather than a loading icon,” Mosseri explained. “It’s a dynamic system.”
Story Quality Over Time: Does It Degrade?
The issue of video clarity arose when a user asked if story quality degrades over time. This sparked further discussion on Threads, with one user joking, “Now I know why my old videos look like I’m filming with my microwave.”
Addressing this concern, Mosseri clarified that quality changes occur on an aggregate level, not for individual viewers. He explained that creators with more views are prioritized for higher-quality rendering. This system operates on a sliding scale, not a strict cutoff.
While acknowledging user concerns, Mosseri argued these quality shifts “don’t seem to matter much” in practice. “Viewer engagement depends more on video content than quality,” he stated. Creators, however, are more likely to remove videos that look poor, even if viewers don’t notice the difference.
Despite Mosseri’s explanation, some users remain frustrated. They argue that prioritizing popular creators hurts smaller content creators. One user commented, “It’s demotivating, especially for creators focused on video quality to grow their audience.” This concern is shared by many emerging creators, as video quality can directly impact follower growth.
