It's no secret that video content reigns supreme, particularly on social media platforms like Instagram where video posts bring, on average, more than 1000 likes per post. As consumer preferences shift increasingly towards visual and dynamic media, marketers must adapt to maintain engagement and drive growth. Therefore, mastering the intricacies of Instagram video sizes and formats is crucial for optimizing content and maximizing reach.
This guide will cover everything from Instagram video dimensions, aspect ratios, and maximum file size to specific video size specifications for Reels, Instagram Stories, and IGTV videos. We aim to explain why you must consider the alignment of video elements to produce professional Instagram content.
So, with all that said, let's start.
- Instagram Feed Video Size
- Instagram Carousel Video Ads Size
- Instagram Stories Video Size
- Instagram IGTV Video Size
- Instagram Reels Video Size
- Video Formats for Instagram
- What Are Instagram Video Size Requirements and Why They Matter
- Why Use Dimensions Larger Than Your Smartphone Screen?
- How to Create Good Quality Videos on Instagram
- 6 Tools for Creating and Editing Instagram Videos
- Frequently Asked Questions
Instagram Feed Video Size
The most common form of video you may be used to seeing is Instagram’s Feed videos. Here are the video size and specifications:
- Video Size (Resolution): 1920 x 1080p, 1080 x 1350p , 1080 x 1080p (max)
- Video Aspect Ratio:
- For Landscape: 1.9:1
- For Portrait: 1:1
- For Vertical: 4:5 or 9:16
- Video Length: From 3 seconds to 1-minute maximum
- Video Maximum File Size: 4 GB
Instagram Carousel Video Ads Size
Instagram Carousel video ads are designed to deliver greater engagement. The ability to scroll to the left and enjoy video content makes them generate longer watchtime. Here are the specific video sizes and specifications:
- Video Size (Resolution): 1080 x 1080p
- Video Aspect Ratio: 1:1
- Video Length: 60 seconds max
- Video Maximum File Size: 4 GB
- Number of Cards: From 2 to 10
Recommended dimensions are 1080px wide by 1350px tall with an aspect ratio of 1:1.
Instagram Stories Video Size
Instagram Stories have been around since October 2010. It’s fair to say they are a staple for Instagram followers. They offer quick, engaging, and fun interactive experiences in short clips. Let's look at the specific video size requirements:
- Video Size (Resolution): 1080 x 1920p
- Video Aspect Ratio: 9:16
- Video Length: 60 seconds max
- Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
Instagram IGTV Video Size
IGTV was launched in 2018 and has been a hit ever since. It’s a standalone video app available for Android and iOS smartphones. It was designed to give users a more immersive experience, offering longer videos compared to typical Instagram feeds. As a standalone app, IGTV still offers basic functionality also available within the Instagram app and website.
- Video Size (Resolution): 1080 x 1920p
- Video Aspect Ratio: 9:16
- Video Length: From 3 minutes to 10 minutes (60 minutes for selected accounts)
- Video Maximum File Size:
- For IGTV videos that are 10 minutes or less - 650 MB
- For IGTV videos as long as 60 minutes - 3.6 GB
Instagram Reels Video Size
Instagram Reels was launched in August 2020. If you’re an avid social media video user, remember that when Reels were first introduced, the recording limit was 15 seconds. That’s because Instagram introduced Reels as a competitive feature to TikTok. But Reels have been growing in popularity, so as of 2022, we are able to share Instagram Reels up to 90 seconds long.
Reels allow you to create multi-clip videos. Like TikTok, your videos can include audio, effects, and a set of additional creative tools. Reels also come with the ability to be shared with your followers in feeds, or the public through the Explore feature.
- Video Size (Resolution): 1080 x 1920p
- Video Aspect Ratio: 9:16
- Video Length: 90 seconds maximum
- Video Maximum File Size: 4 GB
Video Formats for Instagram
To create the best possible Instagram videos, here are video format technical specs that will ensure yours are always high-quality videos. Note: width and height values below are minimum requirements.
- File type: MP4 or MOV
- H.264 codec
- AAC audio
- 3500 kbps bitrate
- File size is generally capped at 3.6 GB but can be 4 GB
- Frame rate of 30 fps (frames per second)
- Video can be a maximum of 60 minutes
- Maximum video width is 1080 pixels wide
- Best video height is 1920 pixels tall
The video specs above will help you produce videos that Instagram will have no problem accepting. Next, let's look at tools to help you create videos.
What Are Instagram Video Size Requirements and Why They Matter
Like all social media platforms, Instagram videos have basic requirements. These are to ensure that videos uploaded to the platform appear as high-quality and professional as possible. Instagram’s video size requirements include more than just dimensions. They cover aspect ratios (more on this below), and maximum file size (more on this later).
While it may feel like overkill to know all of these details, it’s well worth the effort and time to stick to these requirements. Doing so will make your content more appealing -- something that matters to Instagrammers. Instagrammers, like social media users on all other platforms, are picky. If your Instagram videos don’t look attractive or seem in any way undesirable, you’re likely to lose a viewer in seconds.
What should you know to create videos that look great and meet Instagram’s video size requirements? Let’s start with the aspect ratio.
What is Aspect Ratio and Why Does it Matter?
Aspect ratio is a metric. It relates to the size of a video or image on a screen as a ratio. Aspect ratios are communicated as width and height numbers. For example, an aspect ratio of 1:1 is used to describe a square. The vertical aspect ratio and the horizontal aspect ratio are identical. The first number of an aspect ratio is the width, while the second number describes the height.
Understanding aspect ratios is essential because it directly affects how your content appears on different devices and platforms. For instance, the most common aspect ratios used on Instagram include:
- 1:1 (Square): Ideal for profile pictures, carousel posts, and certain types of ads. This aspect ratio ensures that the content fits uniformly across various devices without cropping.
- 4:5 (Vertical): Often used for feed posts and ads. This taller aspect ratio maximizes screen space on mobile devices, making the content more engaging for viewers who primarily use Instagram on their phones.
- 9:16 (Full Portrait): Used for Stories, Reels, and IGTV videos. This aspect ratio fills the entire screen of a smartphone, creating an immersive viewing experience.
Making Your Content Fit
There’s a good chance you’ve seen videos with content that seems cut off on the edges of your screen. This happens when creators don’t use the right aspect ratios, but also let important elements (think text, stickers, etc.) in their Instagram videos play a less important role.
This is more common when videos are created using third-party apps on a personal computer. To correct this in your videos, align elements towards the center of your screen. Instagram, like other social media platforms, also crops content to try and optimize it as much as possible.
Why Use Dimensions Larger Than Your Smartphone Screen?
Video, like all other image-based content, can be distorted. This leads to poor viewer experiences. The larger your video dimensions, the better the quality of your video. While both will be viewable on your PC and mobile devices, the viewing experience of a landscape video on a smartphone is far less appealing than a portrait video.
Portrait videos are better known as vertical videos. Since their release with IGTV, they have become a favorite because they use more screen real-estate, making it easier to watch content. This is why selecting the right aspect ratio matters.
How to Create Good Quality Videos on Instagram
Creating high-quality videos for Instagram requires attention to detail and a keen understanding of the platform's nuances. Here are five tips to help you craft engaging and visually appealing Instagram videos:
Shoot Vertically
Instagram is primarily a mobile app, and vertical videos (9:16 aspect ratio) make full use of the screen space, especially for Stories, Reels, and IGTV. Shooting vertically ensures that your content looks natural and immersive on users' devices.
Pro Tip
If you're a travel influencer and want to shoot Instagram Stories, hold your phone vertically to capture stunning landscapes and activities in a format that fills the entire screen, making viewers feel like they're part of the journe
Utilize Instagram's Built-In Features
Instagram offers a variety of tools and features that can enhance your videos. Utilize effects, filters, stickers, and text overlays to make your videos more engaging and interactive.
For example, you can use the "Poll" sticker in your Instagram Story videos to engage with your audience by asking them questions about their preferences or opinions, making the content more interactive and fun.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Attention spans on social media are short. Aim to keep your videos concise and to the point. Instagram Stories can go as long as 60 seconds, while Reels can go up to 90 seconds. With that said, focus on delivering your message quickly and effectively.
Make the First Few Seconds Count
The first few seconds of your video are crucial in capturing viewers' attention. Start with a compelling hook or an eye-catching visual to draw viewers in immediately.
For example, if you're a fitness influencer and are shooting a fitness routine video, start with an energetic introduction or a sneak peek of a high-intensity exercise to grab viewers' attention right away, encouraging them to watch the entire video.
Add Captions and Subtitles
Many Instagram users watch videos without sound. Adding captions or subtitles ensures your message gets across even when the audio is muted. This also makes your content more accessible.
This is even more important if you're creating motivational speeches or informational videos. If so, use Instagram's text tools to add subtitles, ensuring that viewers can follow along with the content even if they're in a noisy environment or have their sound turned off.
6 Tools for Creating and Editing Instagram Videos
Creating amazing Instagram videos is easier than you think, but you’ll need the right tools. Here’s a collection of free and premium video editing software to try.
Quik by GoPro
Quik was built by GoPro. Originally created for GoPro users as an on-the-go editing tool, it can also be used to edit videos and images captured on other devices.
Quik features include:
- Import up to 500 items at a time
- Import MOV, MP4, and H264 file formats
- Add text and music
- Play footage in fast or slow-motion
- Add text overlays, emojis, and title slides
- Choose video duration based on the social media platform you’re posting to
- Find the best filter from a large collection
- Includes size formatting for Instagram
Plans
Free.
Magisto
Magisto is an Instagram video editing tool. It’s powered by AI. Magisto’s AI can create videos based on sound and facial recognition, landscapes, and action sequences. The AI was introduced to help creators streamline the creation of videos that trigger emotional responses from viewers.
Magisto’s features include:
- Access to a media library of content
- Animation
- A drag and drop builder
- Adjusts speed for slow and fast-motion
- Use custom branding
- HD resolution support
- A large variety of filters
- Analytics and privacy options
Plans:
- Premium: $4.99/month
- Professional: $9.99/month
- Business: $34.99/month
Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe Premiere Rush is a free video editing app that uses AI. The tool gives users two types of editing. The first, freeform mode, gives you the flexibility to control all aspects of the editing process. Automatic, the second option, creates your video using smooth transitions once you’ve added all elements.
Adobe Premiere Rush features include:
- Sync-to-cloud
- Transfers your work into Adobe Premiere Pro for extra editing
- Download videos on any device
- Exports for all social platforms
- Built-in transitions, filters, and text
Plans
Free to download and use. You also get 2GB of free storage space. If you’d like more storage, upgrade for $9.99/month for the Premiere Rush Premium Features and 100GB of cloud storage.
Inshot
InShot is an Android and iOS video editing app. It’s designed to make creating quality videos on-the-go a breeze. It’s less complex than larger, more feature-rich apps out there, and that’s what makes it effective. While we like to think of it as a video-first app, it can also be used to add filters to images and create collages.
Inshot’s features include:
- Add stickers to videos
- Add text to your videos
- Set a frame size for IGTV, stories, or Instagram Feed
- Trim, cut and split videos
- Blur backgrounds and unused areas in videos and images
- Add filters, colors and a collection of effects like ghost, glitch, TV, and more
- Apply slow-motion and fast-motion effects
- Adjust volume, video rotation and flipping, and music
Plans
Free with the option to upgrade to Pro and unlock more features.
Horizon
Horizon is one of the few video editing apps that allows fullscreen recording, just as you would if creating vertical videos using Instagram. Vertical video dimensions are easily applied, and while this is a core feature, it is possible to still use the app’s landscape video dimensions and recording mode for videos for other platforms.
Horizon features include:
- Capture horizontal videos and photos
- Real-time filters
- Direct-to-app footage uploads
- Shoot in slow or fast-motion
- Shoots in 2k resolution
Plans
Horizon offers a free version for Android users with limited features. Video clips run for up to 15 seconds, include a watermark in the bottom corner, and with a Horizon brand advertisement. An upgrade for $2 unlocks all features and removes watermark and advertisements.
iMovie
iMovie is an iOS-specific video editing tool. Its easy-to-use interface makes it a favorite for many on-the-go users. Like Adobe Premiere Rush, it offers self-editing, an option to automatically edit videos, and create an accompanying trailer.
iMovie features include:
- Media libraries to arrange all content
- Access to 30 video filters and 20 audio filters
- Color matching for a consistent look and feel
- Supports HD and 4K
- A stability feature
- Sharing with social media platforms
Plans
Free.
Wrapping Up…
Creating amazing Instagram videos requires creativity and a good understanding of what specs to use for each video. Remember to stick to video format requirements and video specs, be mindful of aspect ratio recommendations and video resolution (and minimum resolution) to produce easy and enjoyable videos. Also, pay attention to file sizes and create long-form video ads and shorter content to elevate your social media marketing strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best size for Instagram video?
Videos in the standard Instagram feed look best if they have a 9:16 aspect ratio. However, a 4:5 aspect ratio works as well. Videos will appear on Instagram Stories, IGTV, Instagram Live, Instagram Reels, and Instagram Carousel ads and look best with a 9:16 ratio.
What resolution should be used for Instagram Reels?
The recommended resolution for Instagram Reels is 1080 x 1920 pixels.
What size format is Instagram?
All images for Instagram can be cropped to a square size in your feed. The ideal size is 1080x1080 at a 1:1 aspect ratio. For landscape posts, you can use 1080x566 with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1. Vertical images are sized at 1080x1350 and an aspect ratio of 4:5.
Can I upload 4K video to Instagram?
Instagram does not support 4k videos. On Instagram, you can upload videos with a maximum of 1080x1920 resolution. If you video does have 4k resolution, you will need to compress it dramatically.
What is the best framerate for Instagram videos?
The best framerate for Instagram videos is 1080p/H.264 at bitrates around 16-25 Mbps, with some users preferring even higher settings for quality.
