Meta previewed additional features coming to its video editing app Edits at an invitation-only creator event in LA on Wednesday, showcasing features like a new AI assistant and a desktop version of its previously mobile-only app.
The company also announced that other new tools are coming to the app today, such as a “beta” tab for experiments and expanded audience insights.
Edit first emerged last year as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s CapCut. With the addition of new and future tools, Meta is looking for ways to retain and attract new users.
The upcoming AI assistant will help creators analyze insights and brainstorm ideas for content. The Assistant uses Instagram data like views and video retention insights to help you figure out what’s working and why. We propose video ideas based on performance and suggest content production with audio that matches trends.
By integrating its AI assistant directly into Edits, Meta aims to keep creators engaged on Instagram as it continues to compete with TikTok and YouTube for creators’ attention. Meta also encourages creators to post more frequently by providing them with content ideas, which in turn can increase user engagement. Direct access to the AI assistant also eliminates the need for creators to use external tools like ChatGPT when brainstorming content ideas and understanding performance.
Meta launched a similar AI assistant tool for creators on Facebook last week. It’s worth noting that YouTube and TikTok also offer tools to help creators brainstorm ideas. For example, YouTube Studio has an Inspiration tab that uses AI to help creators generate video ideas, while TikTok provides creators with an AI assistant that can brainstorm ideas and spot trends.
The desktop version of Edits not only gives creators more precise control over the editing process, but also allows them to work on larger screens, which can aid in advanced editing workflows. The company says creators can seamlessly sync their workflows between mobile and desktop devices.
The upcoming desktop version will allow Edits to better compete with CapCut, which already offers a desktop version.
Among the new features launching today is a Beta tab, which gives creators early access to experimental features still in development and allows them to provide feedback on Meta. The launch of the beta tab indicates that Meta wants to better compete with CapCut and accelerate feature development based on what creators actually want and will use.
Creators can now see more detailed metrics, including audience demographics and when their viewers are most engaged. The new metrics join the app’s existing analytics, which include data such as how long viewers watched a video, how many followers a particular video gained, where users stopped watching a particular video, and more.
Creators can also search for specific topics within the app’s inspiration feed to find reels and templates that other creators are creating around specific trends or ideas. You can also create multiple versions of a single piece of content and test which version works best before publishing.
Instagram hasn’t released specific numbers for the number of Edits users, but the company says that content created with the app gets 10% higher save rates and 2% higher reshare rates compared to content not created in Edits, and that more than half of people who watch Reels on Instagram watch content created in Edits every day.
Edits is available for free download on iOS and Android.
The AI assistant announced today is currently being tested with attendees of Thursday’s creator event, and a desktop version of Edits is “coming soon,” Meta says. The remaining features are rolling out to everyone today.
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