How to post 60 second videos on instagram

Instagram's new feature will now increase the video limit in a single Story post. Users will be able to post 60-second long videos in a single story. Here are the details. 

By Divya Bhati: Instagram is set to roll out a new feature for uploading longer, uninterrupted IG Stories. The new feature will let users share 60-second Stories in one slide. Currently, Instagram does not allow users to share longer videos in stories in one go. Instead, it breaks the video into 15-second mini-clips. In a report by TechCrunch, a spokesperson from Meta confirmed the new update on Instagram stories. "Now, you'll be able to play and create Stories continuously for up to 60 seconds, instead of being automatically cut into 15-second clips," says the spokesperson.

Instagram is introducing new features to keep the app more engaging and interactive to rival the short video app TikTok. The new update will be helpful for creators who want to push more video content on without any interruptions. It would also come in handy for viewers who constantly have to tap to see the full video. It may also help users de-clutter their Story tray. However, it might not go well with all users since they'd have to wait longer to see the full video. Instagram Stories does not offer an option to adjust the playback speed (yet).

The Meta-owned social media is slowly blurring lines between Reels and other formats on the platform. For instance, video posts now get uploaded as Reels. The company recently increased the Reels' length from 60 seconds to 90 seconds. With that, the app developers are also testing a new Story layout. The new feature will hide excessive posts. Currently, users can post up to 100 stories. With the update, the story sharing count will be the same, but users will see a "Show All" button to see the rest of the Stories.

The updates are not entirely surprising, since Instagram head Adam Mosseri revealed the company's plans to tweak the algorithm to make video content more visible. Instagram is prioritising more towards video content and may focus on revolving the majority of its content around Reels and short videos. The app continues to face stiff competition from TikTok. However, the company is also facing a severe backlash from users, including the Kardashians, who want the app to remain a photo-centric platform. Users want Instagram to stick to its roots as a photo-sharing app.

--- ENDS ---

Published On:

Sep 26, 2022

In this article we’re going to break down the ideal Instagram video lengths for posts, Stories, Reels and Live video.

Video performs incredibly well on Instagram, with the platform seeing an 80% increase (since 2017) in the time that users spend watching video on the platform. 

And marketers are taking note. According to our State of Video Marketing survey, 58% of video marketers plan to include Instagram in their video marketing strategy. 

But simply posting videos to Instagram isn’t enough to guarantee success. You need to make sure that your content fits and is engaging for users – and that includes ensuring the video length is just right. 

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the video lengths for each different type of Instagram video. 

• Instagram video length limit
• Instagram Length Hacks
• Instagram Video post length
• Instagram Stories video length
• Instagram Reel video length
• Instagram Live time limit
• Instagram video ad length
• Final thoughts

Instagram video length limit

First of all, let’s take a look at the length limits. This is the maximum amount of time each type of Instagram video can run for. 

It’s important to note here that, as of October 2021, IGTV no longer exists. Instead, in-feed video posts and IGTV have been combined into Instagram Video. 

This means it will be easier to upload and find long-form videos on the platform. In a public statement about the update Instagram stated: 

“We love that our creator community has embraced video as a key format to tell their stories, entertain and connect with their audiences, and that’s why we want to make it even simpler to create and discover videos on Instagram.”

Instagram Video posts have a maximum length limit of 10 minutes (although some verified accounts have an extended length of 60 minutes). 

All of these videos can be found under the video tab on a user’s profile: 

When users scroll through their feed and see an Instagram Video post, they can watch a 60 second preview within their feed and then decide if they want to watch the full thing.

As for the length limits of other types of Instagram videos:

If you have videos that exceed these length limits then there are some ways to get around this. 

Instagram Length Hacks

If you have an existing video that exceeds the length limit on Instagram but you really want to post it, then you have the opportunity to trim the video to fit the limit. 

This functionality is built right into Instagram so you are given the easy option to do this when you upload: 

If you’re happy with your trimmed video then you can stop there. However, if you want to include the whole thing (length limit be damned!) then you can create a carousel post. 

A carousel post allows you to share up to 10 photos or videos in one post, which your users can simply swipe through.

So if you want to share a long video then you can just cut this up into separate clips and upload as a carousel post: 

You can do the same with Instagram Stories. Each story is only 15 seconds, but you can upload 4. These will play one after the other to a maximum limit of 60 seconds (each story is represented by a bar at the top of the screen): 

Instagram Video post length

An Instagram Video post is exactly what it sounds like! It’s a video post to Instagram. These videos appear in-feed, alongside image posts. Here’s an example: 

Instagram Video posts can be between 3 seconds and 10 minutes in length (60 minutes for selected accounts). 

If your video post is longer than 60 seconds then a preview will be played in the feed and users can choose to watch the remainder of the video on your profile.

As mentioned above, if you have a video that exceeds the 10 minute mark that you’d really love to post to Instagram then you can get around this by using the in-platform editor to trim the video, or you can upload the video in segments as a carousel post.

Instagram Stories video length

Instagram Stories are short videos that are posted to your profile and automatically disappear after 24 hours. Here’s an example: 

Each Story can be up to 15 seconds in length. However, you can share up to 4 Stories at a time, to a maximum length of 60 seconds. 

Instagram Stories last for 24 hours, or you can save them to a highlight reel so that people who visit your profile can view them any time: 

Instagram Reel video length

Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok. They’re short, vertical clips, usually set to music that can be anywhere from 15-60 seconds long. Here’s an example: 

Reels have their own dedicated section in Instagram. Here, like TikTok, you can scroll through trending videos. 

Reels can also be found on user’s profiles and on the explore feed: 

Instagram Live time limit

When you go live on Instagram you can stream for up to 4 hours. This has been extended from the original limit of 1 hour. 

You can also save your live stream to your profile for up to 30 days so that people who weren’t able to watch in real time can catch up. 

Instagram video ad length

The rules for Instagram video ads differ to those of regular videos. In-feed video ads can be between 3-120 seconds long, like this one: 

Instagram Story ads are a little bit different. Typically, users can share up to 4 Story cards (to a total of 60 seconds). With Story ads, this is extended to 10 cards (to a total of 150 seconds).

However, only the first 3 cards will be displayed within the normal Instagram Story feed. After that viewers are asked to opt in to watching more with a tap. 

Final thoughts

Currently, almost 15% of all posts on Instagram are videos. Video is only growing in popularity on Instagram, so there’s never been a better time to start upping your video marketing game on the platform. 
Looking for somewhere to start? Check out our Social Media Videos page.

Can I post a 60 minute video on Instagram?

How do you get 60 seconds on Instagram?