Videos are everywhere on Instagram in 2022.
There are so many different video types.
And I keep asking myself:
How long can videos be on Instagram?
Normal videos? Reels? Story videos? Live videos?
Here are the official Instagram video lengths for:
Instagram Feed video length
- Length: Between 3 seconds to 60 minutes (1 hour max)
- Aspect ratio: Between 1.91:1 and 9:16
Dimensions:
- 1080×1920 pixels (for full screen vertical videos), or
- 1080×1080 pixels (for square videos), or
- 1080×1350 pixels (for rectangle videos)
Important:
- If people watch your video from your feed or their home feed, they will see the first 60 seconds of the video (it’s called the “preview“). Once the preview is finished, the video pauses and people have to tap on “Keep watching” to watch the rest of your video. So make your first 60 seconds count!
Good to know:
- If you post a full screen video (1080x1920px), the preview will be cropped to 1080x1350px by Instagram. It’s good to know if you need to adjust your camera or props, to make sure your followers can see you / what you show in this 1080x1350px view.
Where does this “feed video” appear?
This type of video will appear in your feed AND in your “video tab”.
The video tab used to be the IGTV tab. But Instagram removed it in 2021.
The feed video limit is 60 minutes.
You have to make sure the video is at least 3 seconds long. If it is not at least 3 seconds, Instagram won’t be able to post your video.
How to make the video longer?
- You can add more clips or photos in your video (find beautiful free videos in Preview App), or
- Repeat the same clips in the video (this will create a loop effect)
Quick tip: You can also preview your feed with Preview App. This is awesome to double-check if you are happy with your thumbnail and if it fits with the rest of your feed:
What if you want to post a video that is longer than 60 minutes?
You will have to go post separate 60 minute videos on your feed. You could create a series for example.
Carousel video length
- Carousel video length: 60 seconds maximum per slide
- Potential: 10 minutes (one 60 second video per slide)
A carousel is a post that has multiple photos or videos in it. It’s also called an album.
You can post up to 10 slides per carousel.
Each video in the carousel can be up to 60 seconds long.
This means you can have ten 60 seconds videos, which amounts to a 10 minute video overall.
You can also plan your carousel post in Preview App, like this:
Instagram Reels video length
- Reels video length: 60 seconds max
- Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Instagram Reels can be up to 60 seconds.
And yes, you also can plan your Reels feed and test different video thumbnails with Preview App:
Instagram Live video length
- Instagram Live video length: Up to 60 minutes (1 hour)
- Dimensions: 1080×1920 pixels
Instagram Lives used to be up to 4 hours long. But Instagram changed it to 1 hour max.
Instagram Story video length
- Insta Story video length: 15 seconds
What if you want to post a video that is longer than 15 seconds?
Upload it to your Instagram Stories. Instagram will automatically split your video into multiple 15 seconds clips.
As people watch your Stories, they won’t be able to see the difference. The video will play normally.
You can also schedule your Instagram Stories with Preview. I also love that you can pre-watch them (as if you posted them on Instagram):
Instagram feed video ads
- Feed video ads length: Between 1 seconds to 60 minutes
- Ratio: 4:5 or 1:1
- Dimensions:
- 1080×1080 pixels (for a square video)
- 1080×1350 pixels (for a portrait video)
Instagram feed video ads appear in people’s home feed.
If you want to take more space in people’s feeds, use the portrait dimension (1080×1350 pixels).
Instagram Story video ads
- Instagram Stories video ads length: 15 seconds
If you want to experience seeing your ad as if it was already posted on Instagram, upload it in Preview. You will be able to see it with the Instagram interface.
Just press on the “Play” button:
Enjoy!
Have fun creating your videos!
Click here to use Preview too!
