TikTok recently launched an app called PineDrama to cash in on the rising popularity of vertical, short-form scripted dramas. Now, Instagram appears to be preparing to follow suit. Unlike TikTok, however, the Meta-owned platform may integrate the feature directly into its main app.
According to a recent post from leaker Alessandro Paluzzi on X, Instagram may soon introduce a new feature that will allow creators to publish short dramas on the platform. A screenshot of the in-development feature suggests these episodes would appear in a new tab on a creator’s profile page, alongside the grid, Reels, reposts, and mentions tabs.
While Instagram has yet to officially announce anything, Paluzzi notes that the platform could let creators lock episodes behind a subscription. This would give creators a new way to share and monetize episodic content.
Instagram may put individual creators, not studios, in the spotlight
Instagram’s approach appears to be fundamentally different from TikTok’s PineDrama and other short drama apps currently on the market. Those platforms typically host professionally produced vertical mini-series. In contrast, Instagram seems to be positioning the format as a creator-led feature, allowing individual users to produce and distribute episodic content directly within the app.
For now, though, all of this remains speculative. Instagram may reveal more details if and when it decides to move forward. As with other features spotted in development, the company could also change the concept significantly before rollout or choose not to release it at all.
In a separate post, Paluzzi notes that Instagram is also working on an AI-powered face swap feature that will let users create their likeness from a selfie and let others use it in a photo or video. Little is known about this feature at this point, but leaked screenshots suggest users will also be able to create someone else’s likeness with their consent.