Remember when anyone could just hop on Instagram Live to chat with their friends? Well, those days are over. Instagram has officially changed its rules, and you now need a public account with at least 1,000 followers to go live.
This is a huge change from when anyone; no matter their follower count or whether their account was private could use the feature. If a user tries to go live without meeting the new requirements, they’ll see a notification saying they’re no longer eligible.
The change brings Instagram in line with a similar policy on TikTok, which also has a 1,000-follower minimum for live-streaming. YouTube, for comparison, has a much lower requirement of just 50 subscribers.
From Instagram’s perspective, this change seems to be all about improving the overall experience. By limiting live access to more established accounts, they’re likely aiming to reduce low-quality streams and focus on content from people who have a proven audience. They also might be looking to save some money, as live broadcasting is expensive to host. Ultimately, it’s a push towards a more professional, and potentially more monetized, platform for live content.
