Instagram says that its First Draft feature can edit a Reel in under ten seconds

Instagram is taking on the tedium of video editing, one Reel at a time. A process that can be laborious can now be done in seconds thanks to First Draft, a new feature that automates basic editing tasks.

As explained in a Threads post, First Draft “cuts the pauses and trims down your clips,” delivering “a starting point to build from.” Instagram claimed that those edits can be completed in as little as ten seconds, so if you’re sick of fine-tuning frame-perfect cuts, First Draft figures to make your life easier.

Similar features are available in other editing apps, like the TikTok-affiliated CapCut. Notably, Instagram hasn’t yet integrated First Draft into Edits, its in-house CapCut clone. Instead, Reels editors can try out the new feature via the central Instagram app.

That may seem like an odd choice, and replies on Threads have questioned the logic behind the Edits snub. But Instagram’s policies related to original content explain its release strategy for First Draft. The Meta-owned app really wants its creators to post Reels that haven’t been reuploaded from similar platforms like TikTok or YouTube Shorts. To encourage that behavior, Instagram has promoted original content in its ranking algorithm

If Reels creators are going to make their videos on Instagram rather than porting them over from another platform, then Instagram needs to match the quality-of-life features that can be found on apps like CapCut. A recently-launched audio swapping tool is a key addition to the Instagram editing suite, and First Draft fits that description, too.

By taking the drudgery out of editing, Instagram can give its users the space they need to focus on higher-level creative choices. That alone should bring more exciting clips to the Reels feed without making the upload process more time-consuming than it needs to be.