Meta launches Facebook Reels worldwide along with new ways for creators to make money

Meta announced yesterday that Facebook Reels, which it launched in the US last September, has now globally launched for iOS and Android in more than 150 countries. 

Facebook’s TikTok competitor Reels lets creators share short-form video content on the social media platform or cross-post Reels from Instagram. Along with the launch of Facebook Reels, the company is also introducing new ways to earn money, new creation tools and more places to watch and create Facebook Reels. 

Reels on Facebook 🎉

Today, Reels is launching globally on Facebook. Creators can now share their Instagram Reels as recommended content on Facebook for more visibility and reach.

We are deeply invested in Reels across Meta. A lot more to come! ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/m3yi7HiNYP

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) February 22, 2022

Meta says watching video is half of time spent on Facebook and Instagram, and Reels is its fastest growing content format by far. “We’re focused on making Reels the best way for creators to get discovered, connect with their audience and earn money. We also want to make it fun and easy for people to find and share relevant and entertaining content.” the company said. 

Meta will also expand its Reels Play bonus program, part of its $1 billion creator investment, to more countries in the coming months. 

The company is also expanding tests of Facebook Reels Overlay Ads to all creators in the US, Canada and Mexico, and to more countries in the coming weeks. It’s starting the expanded test with two non-interruptive ad formats: banner ads that appear as a semi-transparent overlay at the bottom of a Facebook Reel, and sticker ads: a static image ad that can be placed by a creator anywhere within their reel. 

Now, all creators in the US, Canada and Mexico who are part of the in-stream ads program are automatically eligible to monetize their publicly-shared reels with ads. By mid-March, these tests will expand to creators in nearly all countries where in-stream ads are available, the company says. 

Meta also begins testing Stars on Facebook Reels in the coming weeks, so that people can buy and send Stars while watching reels to support creators. 

The company is also launching brand suitability controls, including Publisher Lists, Blocklists, Inventory Filters and Delivery Reports for Banner and Sticker Ads in Facebook Reels in every region they are available. 

Additionally, the company has been testing full-screen and immersive ads in between Facebook Reels since October of last year, and will roll them out to more places around the world over the coming months. “Just like with organic content on Facebook, people can comment, like, view, save, share and skip them.” Meta explains. 

In addition to all these, Meta will also allow creators worldwide to access: 

• Remix: Create your own reel alongside an existing, publicly-shared reel on Facebook. When you create a Remix, you can create a reel that includes all or part of another creator’s reel. 
• 60-second Reels: Make reels up to 60 seconds long.
• Drafts: You will soon be able to create a reel and choose to “Save As Draft” below the Save button. 
• Video Clipping: In the coming months, it’s planning to roll out video clipping tools that will make it easier for creators who publish live or long-form, recorded videos to test different formats.