Why Instagram Downgrades Video Quality & What It Means for You
Published On: October 28, 2024
In a recent AMA session, Instagram head Adam Mosseri addressed concerns about the video quality degradation seen on some older posts, explaining that Instagram dynamically adjusts video quality based on popularity. Mosseri’s remarks were sparked by questions from users who noticed that older stories or highlights often appeared blurry over time. According to Mosseri, Instagram initially aims to present the highest quality video possible, but if a video sees little engagement, it may be rendered to a lower quality to save on storage and processing resources. Should the video later experience a resurgence in views, Instagram will re-render it in higher quality.
Instagram’s approach to managing video quality hinges on view performance, with a bias towards high-quality rendering for creators who consistently draw larger audiences. Mosseri elaborated that videos from creators with high engagement are encoded using more CPU-intensive processing methods and stored as larger files, while videos with lower engagement are subject to less intensive encoding over time. He explained that Instagram’s quality system operates on a sliding scale, ensuring that adjustments impact all viewers of a video equally, rather than focusing on individual users.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has previously noted similar practices, stating they use different encoding configurations to balance resources. This approach, according to Mosseri, is crucial for efficiency, as the majority of a video’s views typically occur shortly after it’s posted. However, he also pointed out that “quality seems to be much more important to the original creator” than to viewers, who reportedly prioritize content over quality. This statement, however, didn’t quell concerns entirely, as many small creators and users voiced frustration over what they perceive as a disparity in treatment between creators with large followings and those with smaller platforms.
Critics argue that the system inherently disadvantages smaller creators by favoring popular creators with higher-quality videos, which can reinforce the visibility gap between different tiers of users. Some users went as far as describing the policy as “truly insane,” suggesting it creates a reinforcing loop that limits the discoverability of smaller accounts. The discussion surrounding these practices has sparked broader debates on fairness within Instagram’s platform dynamics, with concerns that the algorithmic emphasis on popularity may marginalize new or smaller creators who rely on quality to showcase their content.
Mosseri acknowledged this feedback but insisted that the quality differences are subtle enough that they don't typically impact viewer engagement significantly. Nonetheless, the controversy underscores ongoing tensions between Instagram’s need to manage technical resources and creators’ desires for consistent quality.