TikTok recently launched an app called PineDrama to capitalize on the rising popularity of vertical short-form dramas. Now Instagram appears to be preparing to follow suit. However, unlike TikTok, the Meta-owned platform can integrate the feature directly into its main app.
According to a recent post by leaker Alessandro Paluzzi on A screenshot of the feature in development suggests that these episodes would appear in a new tab on a creator’s profile page, alongside the Grids, Reels, Reposts, and Mentions tabs.
While Instagram hasn’t officially announced anything yet, Paluzzi points out that the platform could allow creators to lock episodes behind a subscription. This would provide creators with a new way to share and monetize episodic content.
Instagram may be putting the spotlight on individual creators, not studios
Instagram’s approach appears to be fundamentally different from TikTok’s PineDrama and other short drama apps currently on the market. These platforms typically show professionally produced vertical miniseries. In contrast, Instagram appears to be positioning the format as a creator-led feature, allowing individual users to produce and distribute episodic content directly within the app.
However, all of this remains speculative for now. Instagram may reveal more details if it decides to move forward. As with other features discovered in development, the company could also significantly change the concept before launch 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 allow users to create their likeness from a selfie and let others use it in a photo or video. Little is currently known about this feature, but leaked screenshots suggest that users will also be able to create someone else’s likeness with their consent.
