What’s the best Instagram video size, format, and resolution?

When Instagram first graced our iPhone Home screens, it was primarily a photo-sharing app. But as the quality of our picture-taking (and editing) skills increased, so did the app’s capability to incorporate other mediums we can use to elevate our digital footprints. Video was, without a doubt, the most notable addition. 

Instagram introduced video-sharing in 2013 with posts enabled to feature videos up to 15 seconds long. It was a glorious time in social media, as accounts creatively curated new content for this format. 

Now, video is a massive component of an overall high-quality and engaging Instagram presence. So if you want to add video to your Instagram strategy, there’s no better time than now. 

Instagram video size and length restrictions

As with all good things, there are still limitations in place today on Instagram videos. In this section, we’ll go over all of the size and length restrictions you need to be aware of prior to shooting. 

Instagram Story video size and length

Instagram Stories are arguably one of the most popular features on the app, so it’s no surprise that Instagram allows and encourages users to post their videos through Stories. 

Even though it may seem like the sky is the limit for videos posted to Stories, there are some restrictions to be aware of, such as: 

• Video dimensions need to be a minimum of 600 x 1067, but Instagram recommends video dimensions of 1080 x 1920 for Stories. 
• The maximum Instagram file size is 4GB.
• The Instagram Stories video length limit is 15 seconds. However, you can post an unlimited number of 15-second videos back-to-back to essentially create one long video. 

It’s also important to note that when you upload a video longer than 15 seconds to Stories, it automatically splices it up into 15-second chunks for you. So you might have to trim your iPhone video if you want it to fit in one Story.

Instagram video size and length for posts

You won’t find any feature-length films on this social media app. While videos on Instagram have drastically changed from the original 15-second rule, there is still a short-form limitation in place. And the dimensions depend on which kind of video you use: vertical, landscape, or carousel and square.  

Here are the requirements and restrictions for vertical videos:

• The minimum Instagram vertical video dimensions are 600 x 750.
• The maximum Instagram file size is 4GB.
• The maximum frame rate is 30fps.
• While there is no minimum length for vertical videos, the maximum Instagram video length is 60 seconds.

Here are the requirements and restrictions for horizontal videos:

• The minimum Instagram landscape video dimensions are 600 x 315.
• The maximum Instagram file size is 4GB.
• The maximum frame rate is 30fps.
• While there is no minimum length for vertical videos, the maximum Instagram video length is 60 seconds.

Here are the requirements and restrictions for carousel and square videos:

• The minimum Instagram square and carousel video dimensions are 600 x 600.
• The maximum Instagram file size is 4GB.
• The maximum frame rate is 30fps.
• While there is no minimum length for vertical videos, the maximum Instagram video length is 60 seconds. However, you could post up to 10 60-second clips to create a video up to 10-minutes long. 

IGTV video size and length

In June 2018, Instagram launched IGTV in an effort to meet users’ requests for long-format video. IGTV videos can be posted to your feed or can be found in the IGTV section of your homepage. 

While you have more wiggle room when it comes to length for IGTV videos, there are still some limitations to be aware of: 

• The minimum IGTV video length is 60 seconds. 
• When you upload from a mobile device, the maximum IGTV video length is 15 minutes. However, when you’re uploading from a computer, the maximum length increases to 60 minutes. 
• The maximum file size is 650MB for videos 10 minutes or shorter, or 3.6GB for videos up to 60 minutes. 
• The recommended size for IGTV cover photos is 420 x 654.

Instagram video resolution and aspect ratio

Uploading videos might seem as simple as pressing a button — and often, it is — however, there are two components to consider if you want your content to be high quality: resolution and aspect ratio. 

A video’s resolution is the number of pixels that can be displayed in each dimension, which determines how clear or unclear a video is. The aspect ratio is the relationship between the video’s height and width, which also determines the overall picture. 

As you may have guessed, Instagram has its own requirements regarding resolution and ratio. We’ll dive deeper into those numbers in the sections below. 

Instagram Story aspect ratio and best resolution

Having crystal clear videos on your Instagram Story can lead to an increase in engagement and user action. Here are some requirements and recommendations to keep in mind: 

• Instagram Story videos are recommended to be at a ratio of 9:16 and 16:9 and 4:5. 
• The recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels. 
• However, the minimum width is 500 pixels, and the maximum aspect ratio is 90 x 160.

Recommended aspect ratio and resolution for Instagram posts

It’s no surprise that using high-quality videos counts the most in your posts. 

In general, Instagram supports photos and videos that have a width between 320px and 1080px. However, the recommended resolution and aspect ratio depends on the format you choose: vertical, landscape, or square and carousel. 

Below are the requirements and recommendations for vertical video posts: 

• Vertical videos can have a maximum aspect ratio of 4:5 (if they are larger than that, they will get cropped).
• Instagram recommends a resolution of 1080px by 1350px or as close to that as possible. 

These are the requirements and recommendations for landscape video posts: 

• Horizontal videos can have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 16:9. 
• Instagram recommends using 16:9. 
• Instagram also recommends a resolution of 1080px by 607px.

And here are the requirements and recommendations for square and carousel video posts: 

• Square videos should have an aspect ratio of 1:1. 
• Square videos should have a resolution as close to 1080px by 1080px as possible.

Video aspect ratio and resolution for IGTV

Since IGTV is increasingly growing in popularity and use, it’s important to make sure the videos you share there are easy to watch. Below are the requirements and recommendations for aspect ratio and resolution on IGTV videos: 

• IGTV video dimensions should be 1080px by 1920px,  but the minimum resolution is 720px. 
• IGTV videos should have an aspect ratio of 9:16 for vertical videos and 16:9 for horizontal videos. 

Does Instagram support 1080p video?

Yes, Instagram does support videos with a resolution of 1080px for IGTV, posts, and Stories. 

How to crop a video for Instagram

If you need or want to crop a video for Instagram, the process is fairly simple. Here are the instructions: 

1. Open your iPhone Photos app. 
2. Navigate to the video you wish to crop. 
3. Press the Edit button in the top-right of the screen. 
4. Select the crop tool at the bottom-right of the screen. 
5. From there, you can either manually crop the photo by sliding the corners in and out, or you can choose one of the formatted crop sizes by pressing the square tool at the top-right of the screen. 
6. Press Done. 

Once you go through these instructions, your newly cropped video will be saved to your Camera Roll. 

How to resize a large video for Instagram

If your video is too large to upload, you’ll have to resize it first. Thankfully, there are many apps and tools designed to change the Instagram video size. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be using the app No Crop, which is free to download in the App Store. 

Here’s how to resize a video for Instagram using No Crop: 

1. Open No Crop. 
2. Press Videos.
3. Give No Crop access to your Camera Roll by selecting OK.
4. Select the video you wish to resize. 
5. Use the slider tool to make your video smaller or larger. 
6. Press the checkmark at the top-right of the screen to save. 

What Instagram video format is supported?

Instagram supports the video format MP4 for IGTV, posts, and Stories. To get even more technical, the supported video codecs are H.264 and VP8, and supported audio codecs are AAC and Vorbis.

If you’re active on Instagram — or are strategizing to be more active in the future — you’ll want to include video content. Not only is it one of the leading online formats, but it’s a creative way to break up your feed and be even more engaged with your followers. Hope this guide helps you figure out the optimal Instagram video size, format, and resolution to best tell your story.