Meta on Wednesday previewed upcoming additions to its video editing app Editing at an invite-only creator event in LA, showing off features like a new AI assistant and a desktop version of the previously mobile-only app.
The company also announced other new tools to be introduced to the app today, such as a “Beta” tab for testing and expanded audience insights.
The arrangement first arrived last year as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s CapCut. With the addition of new and upcoming tools, Meta aims to eventually attract new users.
The upcoming AI assistant will help creators analyze their data and compile ideas for their content. Assistant will use their Instagram data, such as their views and video storage information, to help them see what’s working and why. It will suggest performance-based video ideas and suggest creating trending audio content.
By integrating an AI assistant directly into Edit, Meta aims to keep creators engaged on Instagram as it continues to compete with TikTok and YouTube for creators’ attention. Additionally, by providing creators with content ideas, Meta encourages regular posting, which can, in turn, improve user engagement. Direct access to the AI assistant also removes the need for creators to turn to external tools like ChatGPT when discussing content ideas and understanding performance.
Meta launched a similar AI assistant tool for Facebook creators last week. It’s worth noting that YouTube and TikTok also provide tools to creators to help them brainstorm ideas. For example, YouTube Studio has an Inspiration tab that uses AI to help creators generate video ideas, while TikTok offers creators an AI assistant that can collate ideas and uncover trends.
The desktop version of Editing will give creators more precise control over the editing process and the ability to work on a larger screen, which can be useful during more advanced workflows. The company says creators will be able to sync their workflows seamlessly between mobile and desktop devices.
The upcoming desktop version will also allow Editing to better compete with CapCut, which already offers a desktop version.
Among the new features introduced today is the Beta tab, which will give creators early access to test features in development and allow them to provide Meta with feedback. The release of the Beta tab shows that Meta wants to better compete with CapCut and accelerate feature development based on what creators really want and will use.
Creators will also now be able to see more detailed metrics such as the demographic breakdown of their audience and the time of day their audience is most engaged. The new metrics join the app’s existing analytics, which include data such as how long viewers watch a video, how many followers a particular video has earned, where users stop watching a particular video, and more.
Additionally, creators can search for specific topics within the app’s Inspiration feed to find reels and templates that other creators are creating on a particular trend or idea. They will also be able to create multiple versions of a single piece of content to test what works best before publishing.
Although Instagram didn’t share specific numbers about how many users are Editing, the company says that content created with the app sees a 10% higher save rate and a 2% higher re-share rate compared to content that isn’t edited, and that more than half of people who view reels on Instagram see content created by Editing every day.
The app is free to download on iOS and Android.
The AI assistant announced today is in testing with attendees at Thursday’s event, and a desktop version of Edits is “coming soon,” Meta said. Some features are introduced to everyone today.
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