Instagram Reveals It Adjusts the Quality of a Post Based on Performance
In a recent AMA, Adam Mosseri revealed that the platform will adjust the quality of Reels, Stories, and Photos, based on performance and network conditions, such as slow Wi-Fi. When asked about blurry Stories, he explained:
"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."
I tune into these weekly sessions for insights into new features and the platform's functionality. I often share clips of what stood out to me, and in this case, I did as usual—though I didn’t think it was a big deal. I was wrong—a lot of people, creators included, voiced frustration, and it picked up enough momentum that Mosseri chimed in to clarify further:
"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."
He also addressed a specific concern from another user regarding the impact on smaller creators: "Doesn't this make it harder for them to compete?"
“It’s the right concern, but In practice it doesn’t seem to matter much, as the quality shift isn’t huge and wether 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.”
What to Make Of This?
Creators have every right to feel upset, especially when they invest time and effort into high-quality uploads, but it actually might not be that simple.
From a business angle, Instagram’s approach makes sense. High-quality uploads are costly in terms of storage and processing power (Meta actually shared a blog post about this in 2023). This isn’t unique to Instagram; many platforms use similar strategies, especially with slower network connections. Showing a lower-quality video is better than showing nothing but a loading spinner.
While there aren’t concrete examples of other social platforms adjusting quality based on performance, it’s likely happening in some form across the industry.
What Might Actually Be the Biggest Issue
As much as no one wants their content displayed at less-than-optimal quality, the real issue may be that this practice indirectly works against Instagram’s recent goal of supporting smaller creators.
A few months back, Instagram announced changes to its ranking system to level the playing field, helping smaller, original content creators compete alongside larger accounts and content aggregators.
Comparing it to the Retail World
To illustrate, it’s like how retailers manage shelf space. Let’s say bigger brands represent larger creators, smaller independent brands represent smaller creators, and prime shelf space is the equivalent of high-quality content.
Imagine a retailer wants to support more independent, smaller brands and initially gives them prime shelf space. But if they don’t sell well right away, the retailer might move them to less visible spots and replace them with a bigger brand that’s driving sales. Once that smaller brand is moved, how likely is it to get the same opportunity as the bigger, well-known brands to sell off the shelf?
In Instagram’s case, if a smaller creator’s video decreases to lower quality because doesn’t gain quick traction, it’s like the smaller brand being relegated to a low-traffic shelf—reducing its chances to get noticed and make its way back to prime shelf space.
Even if the retailer’s goal is to support smaller brands, ultimately, sales are likely to matter most—regardless of their source. What if we applied that same lens to Instagram or any other platform? Although Instagram may want to help smaller creators, if the content that keeps viewers engaged the most comes from bigger creators, is that a good thing, a bad thing, or something in between?
The answer will vary depending on the shoes you’re wearing—whether you’re a larger creator, a smaller creator, a viewer, or Instagram itself.
On a good note, the platform is reportedly looking into ways to notify creators when the quality of their video changes.
