Instagram reduces video quality on clips with low engagement

In a recent Q&A session on Instagram Stories, Instagram head Adam Mosseri shed light on the platform's approach to video quality for Stories and Reels, revealing that video resolution can fluctuate based on engagement levels. Mosseri’s explanation has sparked debate, especially among content creators concerned that variable video quality could hinder the reach and engagement of their content.

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Mosseri addressed a question from a user regarding why some older Stories appear blurry. He clarified that Instagram adjusts video quality dynamically, depending on initial viewer interest.

“In general, we want to show the highest quality video we can when someone is watching a Story or Reel, but if something isn’t watched for a long time, because the vast majority of views are in the beginning, after initial posting, we will move to a lower quality video, and then if it’s watched again a lot, then we’ll re-render the higher quality video,” Mosseri explained.

Additionally, video quality can shift based on internet speed. If a user has a slower connection, the app automatically serves a lower-quality version to ensure faster loading times.

This strategy aims to optimise resources by providing a high-quality experience to the most active viewers. However, critics argue that reducing quality for less-watched content could further reduce engagement, creating a feedback loop where content with lower engagement is displayed in lower resolution, thus making it less appealing to viewers.

Following these comments, social media commentator Lindsey Gamble prompted further discussion, with Mosseri elaborating that the quality adjustment “It works at an aggregate level, not an individual viewer level. We bias to higher quality (more CPU intensive encoding and more expensive storage for bigger files) for creators who drive more views. It’s not a binary threshold, but rather a sliding scale.”

In other words, Instagram prioritises creators with higher engagement rates, which has raised concerns about an inherent advantage for established influencers over smaller creators, a contentious issue given that Mosseri previously stated his intention to level the playing field. In April, Instagram modified its recommendation algorithms to promote smaller creators, aiming to “give smaller creators a better chance of breaking through.” 

However, giving established creators superior video quality may contradict this objective, highlighting the complex balance between fostering inclusivity and maintaining a high-quality user experience. In response to user concerns about this potential disadvantage, Mosseri added that in practice, the impact on engagement may be minimal.

“In practice, it doesn’t seem to matter much, as the quality shift isn’t huge, and whether or not people interact with videos is way more based on the content of the video than the quality. Quality seems to be much more important to the original creator, who is more likely to delete the video if it looks poor, than to their viewers,” he noted.

Mosseri’s insights suggest that content relevance outweighs technical quality in driving engagement. However, for creators focused on maintaining a polished image, the fluctuating quality could influence their willingness to share content, potentially impacting the platform’s diversity of posts over time.

While Mosseri insists the quality adjustment has minimal impact, the decision may still influence creator strategies, particularly for smaller accounts vying for visibility in a competitive digital landscape.