Reels now on Facebook as popularity for short-form content grows

Users will now be able to create 60-second videos on the platform

Meta is introducing Facebook Reels in more than 150 countries. Photo: Meta

As short-form content creation gains more momentum on social media, Meta is the latest to announce that it will be introducing Reels to Facebook starting Wednesday.

The roll-out will happen in more than 150 countries around the world, including the Mena region. According to Meta, users on their platforms spend half their time watching videos on Facebook and Instagram, with Reels as their fastest-growing content format.

“We’re focused on making Reels the best way for creators to get discovered, connect with their audience and earn money. We also want to make it fun and easy for people to find and share relevant and entertaining content,” Meta wrote in a blog post.

Over the coming weeks, Meta has plans to introduce updates that the company says will make it easier to create and discover new reels. This includes being able to share public reels to Facebook Stories, being able to watch Reels directly within a new Watch tab, adding a Reels label to the top of Facebook News Feeds and having a “suggested Reels” to follow section.

It should also be noted that Reels on Facebook are automatically set to be public for creators who are over 18, but users will still be able to change the audience setting at any time to options such as public, friends or friends except.

How content creators can earn more money

As Facebook adds Reels, content creators can start to monetise their videos on the platform as well.

As part of Meta’s $1 billion creator investment, the Reels Play bonus programme offers up to $35,000 a month, based on the number of views of a qualifying reel. However, it’s currently only available in the US as an invite-only initiative, with plans to expand globally over time.