YouTube vs. IGTV: Which Is Better for Videos?

YouTube is one of the most popular places to post videos. But Instagram is another worthwhile marketing tool and content creation platform. And IGTV lets you post longer videos than on your feed or in stories.

But which is better for videos? While both let you share videos with the world, keep reading to learn which one you should focus on first.

Video Layout

One of the biggest differences between YouTube and IGTV is the video layout. While IGTV now allows landscape videos, portrait mode is still the better option for the platform. But no matter which layout you choose, the video has to have a 16:9 aspect ratio to fit on the screen.

YouTube lets you upload videos in a variety of different orientations, so you have more control. You can upload videos with a 16:9 aspect ratio, but you can also upload other ratios. The YouTube website and app will adjust to accommodate the size of any video.

Audience

When you upload to IGTV, you can target your existing Instagram audience. You can share the video link in your Instagram stories or on your feed to get more reach.

If you already have a following on Instagram, this can be a great way to get started and share your videos quickly. You don’t have to start from zero when building your audience.

However, you won’t have this option with YouTube. You’ll have to build a YouTube channel from scratch to get followers and subscribers. But with that extra work comes more reach since YouTube is one of the biggest search engines online.

Analytics

Both YouTube and IGTV offer analytics you can use to track how well a video does. On YouTube, you can learn more about your audience and which videos get more engagement.

While Instagram offers analytics for IGTV, it doesn’t have as many options. You can see how long people watch your videos, but you can’t compare videos as much as with YouTube. If you want to track your videos to inform future videos, you should use YouTube.

Time Limit

Another difference between the platforms is how long the videos can be. IGTV limits videos to only 15 minutes long if you upload through the mobile app. If you use the website to upload videos, your videos can be up to an hour long.

However, YouTube videos can be much longer. While you may not want to upload a full hour of content, longer videos can come in handy. You can also string videos together on YouTube to create a playlist, but IGTV doesn’t have that option.

Monetization

Because IGTV is still relatively new, there aren’t any ads on the platform. But YouTube uses Google Adsense to pay video creators to play ads on their videos. If you want to make some extra cash from your music videos, YouTube will be the better choice.

You’ll have to get 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch time hours before you can put ads on your videos, but it’s still something. If you want to make money from IGTV videos, you’ll need someone to sponsor a video directly.

On both platforms, you can include affiliate links in your video description. If you show a product in your video, you can link to it. Many video creators also link to their camera and filming equipment in their video descriptions.

Which Is Better?

Both YouTube and IGTV offer great video features. However, YouTube offers more control and insight into the videos you post. You can reach more people and grow your audience on a different platform outside of social media.

While IGTV allows you to upload videos, there aren’t as many options as on YouTube. Still, you can take your YouTube videos and upload them to IGTV to help grow your audience and career.