An overview on updated Instagram video sizes for posts and reels
Do you want to have a perfect and aesthetic Instagram feed? Instagram has achieved billions of users worldwide in the shortest period of time. Not only that, in 2021, there were 1.21 billion monthly active users of Meta's Instagram, making up over 28 percent of the world's internet users.
These days Instagram reels are taking the world by storm. Instagram Reels are videos that can be up to 60 seconds long. Similar to TikTok, Reels offer a set of editing tools that allow users to create engaging and fun videos. Unlike Instagram stories, reels do not disappear after 24 hours and can be shared on your feed.
20% of all Instagram activity takes place on Instagram reels. Instagram users spend, on average 53 minutes per day scrolling through the platform.
Contents of this blog
Instagram videos can be posted on your feed and they do not disappear in 24 hours, unlike Instagram stories.
Instagram videos can make your feed look good and professional.
The most common form of video you may be used to seeing is Instagram’s Feed videos. These appear in your feed as 15-second to 1-minute-long videos. They come in two formats, portrait, and landscape.
For these videos, we recommend using an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 with dimensions 1080px wide by 608px tall, and 4:5 aspect ratio with dimensions 1080px wide by 1350px tall.
More than 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day. They are great because it lets you post as many videos and photos as you wish to post to your story without affecting your main news feed. If you want these stories to stay longer on your feed, you can add them to Instagram story highlights.
The dimensions for Instagram Stories are 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall (1080 x 1920, or 1080p resolution). Your Instagram Story size should have an aspect ratio of 9:16. The minimum width is 500 pixels; the maximum video length is 15 seconds.
Instagram stories were officially introduced on 2nd August 2016. Instagram Stories are only 15 seconds long and disappear 24 hours after they are posted but you can add them to your story highlights. Whereas, Instagram posts appear on your profile forever until you delete or archive them.
Unlike Instagram posts, Instagram Stories offer a wide range of tools that encourage engagement. This includes a variety of different stickers, polls, quizzes, music, and a lot more. People can even reply to your stories instantly after viewing them with a reaction emoji or a message.
Instagram Stories are packed full of features that are perfect for capturing viewers’ attention and most importantly, converting them into loyal customers.
Everything you need to know about Instagram stories
Early in 2020, Instagram released its Reels for Stories, snagging a use case from the increasingly popular platform TikTok. Instagram Reels are short-form, vertical videos that can be up to 60 seconds long.
Instagram users can record and edit together video and photo clips set to music and share them to their Feed, Stories, and the Reels explore page.
Much like Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels are designed to be viewed vertically, full-screen, and on mobile. With this in mind, it's best to create content with an aspect ratio of 9:16, and with a size of 1080 pixels x 1920 pixels. That’s why, when uploading a Reels video on Instagram, you should create it with an aspect ratio of 9:16 so that you can watch them conveniently on Fullscreen using your mobile device.
Instagram Reels will have a clickable button on the new Instagram homepage. Some users already have this, but it may be rolling out for some users.
When Reels was first announced last year, Instagram limited users to capture and upload videos to remain under 15 seconds in length.
The service has since extended the video length in Instagram Reels to 30 seconds. If a video was shot for over 30 seconds, Instagram lets you trim and delete parts of the clip to keep the final video under 30 seconds.
Depending on your video content, you can configure your Instagram Reels video to either be 15 or 30 seconds in length.
Instagram TV, which we all know as IGTV, allows creators to upload high-quality, long-form, vertical videos. IGTV allows Instagram users to create channels where they can upload videos between 15 seconds and 10 minutes long. Large accounts can upload videos that are up to 60 minutes long.
Like Instagram Stories, most IGTV videos are viewed in a vertical feed, so it makes sense to align your IGTV content approach with established viewer behaviors. As soon as users enter the IGTV platform, videos start to play automatically.
People often compare IGTV with YouTube because it's a place for users to discover content that covers a topic in detail such as educational videos or makeup tutorials.
Here are a few ideal post dimensions to keep in mind:
Portrait IGTV: 1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16 aspect ratio
Landscape IGTV: 1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio
IGTV cover photo: 420 x 654 pixels, 1:1.55 aspect ratio
When someone you follow shares a live broadcast, their profile picture will appear at the top of the Feed with a colorful ring around it and the word Live. You can tap or click their profile picture to view their live broadcast.
You've probably noticed that this is the standard size of most smartphone screens. Now, the best Instagram video dimensions are 1080px by 1920px. In other words, this means that your Instagram video should be 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels tall. This will provide the best quality video.
Instagram live videos have the same aspect ratio (9:16) as Instagram Stories but you can’t change the size of your Instagram live stream.
Now, you must be pretty aware of Instagram sizes and dimensions. Create the best Instagram stories and videos by using these guidelines. Short reel videos can help your video go viral by using trending hashtags and music. Track engagement on the Reels videos, but also keep an eye on your reach and impressions to see if it’s making an impact.
Happy Instagramming! 🥳