Meta previewed upcoming additions to its video editing app Edits at its invite-only creator event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, showing off 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 launching in the app today, including a “Beta” tab to expand experimentation and audience insights.
Edits first appeared last year as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s CapCut. By adding new and upcoming tools, Meta aims to both retain and attract new users.
Upcoming AI assistants will help creators analyze insights and brainstorm content ideas. The Assistant uses Instagram data, such as user views and video save insights, to help you see what’s working and why. It suggests video ideas based on your performance and suggests creating content with trending audio.
By integrating its AI assistant directly into Edits, Meta aims to keep creators engaged with Instagram as it continues to compete with TikTok and YouTube for their attention. Additionally, by providing content ideas to creators, Meta encourages them to post more frequently, which can increase user engagement. With direct access to the AI assistant, creators no longer need to rely on external tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm content ideas and understand performance.
Last week, Meta launched a similar AI assistant tool on Facebook for creators. 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, and TikTok provides creators with an AI assistant that brainstorms ideas and uncovers trends.
The desktop version of Edits not only gives creators more control over the editing process, but also allows them to work on a larger screen, helping them with more advanced editing workflows. The company says creators will be able to seamlessly sync their workflows between mobile and desktop devices.
The upcoming desktop version will allow Edits to further 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 that are still in development and allows them to provide feedback on the meta. The rollout of the “Beta” tab shows that Meta wants to be more competitive with CapCut and accelerate feature development based on what creators actually want and use.
Creators will now be able to see more detailed metrics, such as a breakdown of viewer demographics and the times of day when their viewers are at their peak. The new metrics join the app’s existing analytics, which include data such as how long viewers watch videos, how many followers they gain from a particular video, and where users stop watching a particular video.
Additionally, creators can search for specific topics in the app’s inspiration feed to find reels and templates that other creators are creating based on specific trends and ideas. You can also create multiple versions of a piece of content to test what performs best before publishing.
Instagram doesn’t provide specific numbers on how many users Edits has, but the company says content created on the app has a 10% higher save rate and a 2% higher reshare rate compared to content not created on Edits, and that more than half of people who watch Reels on Instagram view content created on Edits every day.
Edits is available for free download on iOS and Android.
The AI assistant announced today is currently being tested with attendees at Thursday’s Creator Event, while a desktop version of Edits is “coming soon,” Mehta said. The remaining features will be available to everyone starting today.
If you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect editorial independence.
