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How Long Can Instagram Videos Be? (Post, Story, Live, + IGTV)

October 17, 2019

Alexa Drake photo by Alexa Drake  /  October 17, 2019

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By now, you probably know that Instagram isn’t just for photos.</span></p> <!--more--> <p>Although the popular social networking app began as a photo-sharing platform, it has since branched out into the world of video. The development was exciting news for anyone working in <a href="https://www.g2.com/categories/social-media-mgmt" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram marketing</a>. Once Instagram launched video-sharing, new features such as <a href="https://www.g2.com/categories/social-networks" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram Stories</a>, Instagram Live, and now IGTV, more and more people have shared videos to their account than ever before.&nbsp;</p> <a id="how-long" data-hs-anchor="true"></a> <h2><strong>How long can Instagram videos be?</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The length of Instagram videos varies by the type of video you’re trying to upload.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="lh-featured-snippet"> <h2><strong>Instagram video length</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Instagram post:</strong> 3 seconds - 1 minute<br></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Instagram Stories:</strong> 15 seconds per Story<br><strong>Instagram Live:</strong> up to 1 hour<br></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>IGTV:</strong> 15 seconds - 10 minutes (up to 1 hour for some)</span></p> </div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s go over the four types of videos and how long each can be.</span></p> <a id="instagram-post-video-length" data-hs-anchor="true"></a> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Instagram post video length</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to post a video to your Instagram feed (otherwise known as your main Instagram profile), you’ll be limited to one minute. If you have a video longer than 60 seconds, you’ll have to trim it down to fit the limitations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To upload a video to your feed, select it from your photos and tap </span><strong>Next</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><img src="https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/select-instagram-video.png" alt="select instagram video" width="268" style="width: 268px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;"><br><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to trim the clip (if it’s over 60 seconds) by tapping </span><strong>Trim</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and sliding the clip left or right to crop it within the one minute limit.</span></p> <p><img src="https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/trim-instagram-video.png" alt="trim instagram video" width="268" style="width: 268px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;"><br><span style="font-weight: 400;">You are also able to drag the cropping bars to the left or right to trim the clip to a selection shorter than one minute if necessary.</span></p> <a id="instagram-story-video-length" data-hs-anchor="true"></a> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Instagram Story video length</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you post videos to your Story, you are limited to 15 seconds per individual clip. However, if you select a video that happens to be longer than 15 seconds, Instagram will automatically slice it into separate 15-second videos for you. You are only allowed four 15-second clips if your video is over one minute long, so make sure to trim it before uploading it to your Story.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><img src="https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/chopped-video-instagram-stories.png" alt="chopped video instagram stories" width="269" style="width: 269px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;"><br><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you choose to shoot your Instagram Story live in the app, you can record up to ten 15-second snippets in one go. This provides great flexibility for social media managers covering a live event.&nbsp;</span></p> <a id="instagram-live-video-length" data-hs-anchor="true"></a> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Instagram Live video length</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re thinking about going live on Instagram, you’ll be able to stream for up to 60 minutes. If you’ve got a lot to say, you can always start the Live over once the hour is up. Just keep your eye on the time so you know when the Live is ending and when you need to say goodbye to your viewers.&nbsp;</span></p> <a id="IGTV-video-length" data-hs-anchor="true"></a> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>IGTV video length</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IGTV is relatively new, but many have already discovered its purpose. You can upload videos that land between 15 seconds and 10 minutes in length. However, if your account is verified or you have a large number of followers, you’ll be able to post IGTV videos that are up to 60 minutes.</span></p> <div class="lh-callout"> <p><strong>Related: </strong>Reach star potential and discover <a href="/how-to-get-verified-on-instagram" rel="noopener" target="_blank">how to get verified on Instagram</a>.</p> </div> <h3><strong>Post away!</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These video length restrictions are subject to change in the future, so keep an eye out for any further developments. </span></p> <p><strong>Are you an Instagram fiend? Discover </strong><a href="/how-to-repost-a-video-on-instagram" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>how to repost a video on Instagram</strong></a><strong> or get more eyes on your posts and read up on the </strong><a href="https://www.g2.com/categories/social-networks" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>best time to post on Instagram</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
Alexa Drake
Alexa Drake

Alexa is a former content associate at G2. Born and raised in Chicago, she went to Columbia College Chicago and entered the world of all things event marketing and social media. In her free time, she likes being outside with her dog, creating playlists, and dabbling in Illustrator. (she/her/hers)

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