How do you add videos on instagram


How to Post Videos on Instagram in 3 Different Ways

  • It's easy to post videos on Instagram in three different ways. 
  • You can post videos to your feed or your story, and you can also privately send videos through direct message. 
  • In each case, you will have the option to post an existing video from your library or record a new one using the Instagram app. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While photos are a great way to capture a specific moment, videos are better at showing movement, the process of making something, or capturing events where sound plays a significant role.

In addition to photos, Instagram is well-suited to share video content.

You can post recorded moments to your feed and stories, and Instagram also allows you to privately send videos to friends through a direct message.

Here's how to do all three.

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How to post videos on Instagram as a post

1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android phone. 

2. Tap the "+" icon at the bottom center of your screen.

3. You can either select a pre-recorded video from your library or take a video in the moment to post. For the former, tap on "Library" at the bottom of your screen and then tap on the video you'd like to post. For the latter, tap on "Video" then press down on the circle toward the bottom of your screen to record.

Select an existing video from your Library or record a new one to post to your feed. Christina Liao/Business Insider

4. Tap "Next" at the top right corner of your screen.

5. You'll be brought to a screen where you can edit your video. Once you've made any desired changes, tap "Next" again. 

6. Now you'll be brought to a screen where you can add a caption, select a location, tag people, and simultaneously post the video to another social media network. Once you've completed the desired fields, tap "Share" to post your video to your feed.

How to post videos on Instagram to your story 

1. Open the Instagram app.

2. Swipe right from anywhere in the feed or tap on the camera icon at the top left corner of your screen.

3. Your screen will now show your camera's view. Press down on the white circle at the bottom of your screen to begin recording a video. Alternatively, swipe up on the screen to pull up your library where you can select a pre-recorded video to post.

Swipe up to choose a video from your library. Christina Liao/Business Insider

4. Once you've recorded a video directly from the app or selected one from your library, tap "Send To >" at the bottom right corner of your screen.

5. On the "Share" screen you'll have the option to post the video to your story for all of your followers to see — and if you have a public profile, for anyone who comes across your account. You can also choose to share it with a specified list of "Close Friends." Tap "Share" or "Send" to select where and who you'd like to send the video to.

6. Tap "Done" at the bottom of the screen.

How to send a video in a direct message on Instagram

1. Open the Instagram app.

2. To access your direct messages, swipe left from anywhere in your feed or tap the paper plane icon at the top right of your screen. 

3. Find the person you'd like to send a direct message to by tapping on the pencil icon at the top right of your screen, selecting them from your existing list of messages, or via the "Search" bar at the top of the screen.

4. A chat screen will open up. Tap the camera icon at the bottom left corner to begin recording a video directly from the app or the photo icon at the bottom right corner to select a pre-recorded video from your library.

You have the option to record a new video or send an existing one through direct message. Christina Liao/Business Insider

5. If you're taking a video directly from the app to send to someone, their profile photo will appear at the bottom of your screen above the words "Send" once you've finished recording. Tap on the person's profile photo. If you're selecting a video from your library, tap on the video(s) you'd like to send and then tap "Send."

After you've finished recording a video, tap on the circle with the recipient's profile picture to send it to them. Christina Liao/Business Insider

 

  • How to save your Instagram stories in 3 different ways

  • How to go live on Instagram, to broadcast video in real time to your followers

  • How to repost a video on Instagram using the Repost app for iPhone or Android

  • How to get verified on Instagram, if your account meets these 4 standards for verification

  • How to save Instagram videos to your iPhone or Android phone

Christina Liao

Freelance writer

Christina Liao is a freelance contributor for Business Insider.

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How to Post a Video on Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, and IGTV

Instagram is one of the most popular and widely-used social media platforms. With the explosion of Instagram videos, users and brands are resorting to different video sharing formats from stories, reels to IGTV to reach wider audiences and engage them. In fact, we at InVideo, also create videos across formats for our Instagram channel that help our audience in the process of content creation. 

However, with all the different video formats available to choose from, it can be tricky to know the specifications of each format. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, where we’ll tell you everything about how to post a video on Instagram for all formats and some tips on how to post a long video on Instagram story and feed.

In addition to this, we will also show you how to create thumb-stopping videos in minutes using InVideo’s online editor. Don’t forget to check out InVideo’s Instagram channel for inspiration on how you can create effective videos for your business.

Let’s dive right in!

1. How to Post a Video on Instagram Feed?
2. How to Post a Video on Instagram Story?
3. How to Post a Video on IGTV?
4. How to Post a Video on Instagram Reels?
5. BONUS: How to create thumb-stopping videos for Instagram in minutes?

Create videos for all Instagram formats

With the world’s easiest Instagram video editor

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1. How to Post a Video on Instagram Feed

Posting videos on Instagram feed is similar to how we upload photos. You can upload a video on Instagram from your gallery or camera roll or record a video within the app and post it immediately. 

Here’s how to post a video on Instagram feed from your gallery or camera roll

Step 1: Launch the Instagram app on your phone. Go to your profile page and click on the “Plus” sign on the upper right side of the profile.

Step 2: From the drop-down list of options, choose Post. 

Step 3: You’ll find an option “Recents” that shows all recent images and videos. Tap the drop-down menu, and you’ll see different media albums such as favorites, WhatsApp, and much more.   

Step 4: Go to the videos folder and choose the video you wish to upload.

Here, many users wonder why the video is getting cropped. This is because the video is not in square format. To avoid your video from getting cut, you can tap on the arrow icon to adjust the video frame. Then click on the “Next” option.

Step 5: Just like you get different filter options when posting a photo, you get to apply filters to your videos as well. 

Instagram offers options such as “Trim” and “Cover.” Trim allows you to trim the video, whereas, the Cover option enables you to choose the cover picture for your video, which appears on the feed.

Step 6: Write a compelling caption. You can also tag people and add a location. Also, don’t forget to add hashtags for better reach. 

If you have more than one account, for example, a personal account, and a business account, you can also upload the video posted on your account to your business account. Similarly, Instagram offers publishing videos on other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. 

Now let’s see how to post a video on Instagram feed by recording a video from within the app itself.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Plus” sign on the upper right-hand side of the feed’s page.

Step 2: You will see a “Camera” icon on the left-hand side of the screen. Tap on that icon.

Step 3: Press and hold the white circle at the bottom of the screen to record a video.

Step 4: Once you’re done recording, post your video.

Specifications for Posting a Video on Instagram Feed

Instagram lays down certain specifications on posting videos for each format. If you wish to upload a video on Instagram feed, 

- It needs to be a minimum of 3 seconds and a maximum of 60 seconds.
- The format should be MP4 or MOV.
- The aspect ratio should be 1:1 for square videos, 1.9:1 for horizontal videos, and 4:5 for vertical videos.
- The file size should be of a maximum of 4GB with a frame rate of a maximum of 30 FPS.
- Video resolution for a horizontal video should be 600 x 315 pixels, square video should be 600 x 600 pixels, and vertical video should be 600 x 750 pixels.

But what if you have to post a video, which is longer than a minute on your feed? There’s a workaround for this. Here’s how to post a video longer than 60 seconds on Instagram feed using the carousel feature. 

Step 1: Cut your long video into smaller clips that are upto 60 seconds. You can put up to 10 individual clips of one video as consecutive slides of the carousel. You can cut the video in your phone using the edit option. 

Note: If you're using an Android, follow these steps to trim your video into smaller clips.

Step 2: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Plus” sign on the upper right side of the profile page.

Step 3: From the drop-down list of options, choose Post. 

Step 4: You’ll find an option of “Recents” with recent images and videos. Tap the drop-down menu and go to the videos folder. 

Step 5: Tap on the “Square” icon to select multiple videos. Select all your clips in the order that you want to post them, and go “Next.”

Step 6: Once you’ve selected all your clips, you can add filters for each clip. 

Step 7: You can write a caption, tag people, add location and share the video on other social media platforms. 

PRO-TIP: If you want to create super-effective posts, here’s a guide for Instagram post ideas that you can leverage for your own brand. It comes with suggested templates that you can use right away to create engaging videos for your Instagram using InVideo’s online editor.

2. How to Post a Video on Instagram Story

Instagram stories last for 24 hours and they’re a fun way to engage with your followers. You can post a pre-recorded video or record a video within the app and upload it to the Instagram story.

How to post a video on Instagram story from your phone gallery

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Your Story” icon on the upper left side of the home page. 

Step 2: Tap on the “Plus” icon on the lower left side of the screen to select a video from the gallery. To avoid scrolling, you can choose the “Videos” folder from the drop-down menu by selecting the arrow icon.

Step 3: Make your story interactive by adding creative elements like GIFs, stickers, text, and much more. You can do this by tapping on the “Smile” icon on the upper side of the screen. Select the “Aa” icon for text, and to scribble anything, select the “Scribble” icon besides the “Aa” icon. 

Step 4: You can now even add music. Click on the music icon, search and choose a song. 

Adjust which part of the song you want to add by scrolling the bar below on the screen. Choose how your music icon should look by tapping on the options and later move it freely to a desired location. 

Step 5: Once you’ve finished editing, tap on the arrow and share your story for everyone to view, or just share it with your close friends, or individually send it to anyone from the list.

How to Post a Video on Instagram story by recording a video within the app

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Your Story” icon on the upper left side of the home page.

Step 2: You can use different features Instagram offers and record a video like Boomerang, Hands-free, Multi-capture. Select the drop-down menu arrow and choose the element you want. 

Step 3: Start recording a video by pressing on the white circle at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: Once you’re done, add stickers, GIFs, etc. Then share your story.

Specifications for Posting a Video on Instagram Story

- Your video should be of a minimum of 2 seconds and a maximum of 15 seconds.
- The video file should be MP4 or MOV format.
- Video aspect ratio should be 16:9 for horizontal video and 9:16 for vertical video
- Video file size should be of a maximum of 4GB with a frame rate of a maximum of 30 FPS.
- Video resolution should be 600 x 1067 pixels. 

Note: Instagram offers a margin of 250 pixels for stories, both top, and bottom. So, make sure all your essential elements are within that margin.

Now let’s talk about how you can post long videos that are over 15 seconds on Instagram stories? Instagram will automatically trim down your long video into multiple 15-second clips. It becomes a series of clips that form a long video. 

You can edit and add creative elements to each clip/story and post it. 

PRO-TIP: If you wish to create unique Instagram stories, check out this article for different ideas and tips, and you can also leverage the 5000+ ready-to-use templates that take only minutes to edit on InVideo’s online editor.

3. How to Post a Video on IGTV?

IGTV (Instagram TV) is meant for in-feed videos longer than 60 seconds and can go up to 60 minutes. So, if you’re wondering how to post a video longer than 60 seconds on Instagram, you can do it through IGTV. 

Step 1: Open the Instagram app on your mobile phone and go to your profile page. Click on the “Plus” sign on the upper right side of the profile.

Step 2: From the drop-down list of options, choose IGTV video.

Step 3: Choose the video you wish to upload from your camera roll. You’ll only be able to select videos longer than 60 seconds.

Step 4: You’ll get a preview of the video to ensure you have selected the right video. Select the “Next” option to proceed.

Step 5: Tap and slide to choose your cover image. However, if you wish to have a different cover image, you can select the “Add from Camera Roll” option and choose a custom image. Then, tap “Next.”

Step 6: In this step, you need to add a title and a description. You can also add a preview of your IGTV video on your feed. 

Step 7: There are other settings such as “Edit Profile Cover”, which allows you to adjust your profile cover. 

You can increase the reach of your IGTV video by sharing it on Facebook through the “Make Visible on Facebook” option. You can then tap “Post to IGTV” to share your video. However, if you don’t wish to upload it immediately, you can also select the option of “Save as Draft” to publish later.

In advanced settings, you can add captions by turning on the “Auto-generated captions” button.

You can even post an IGTV from your computer.

Step 1: Open your Instagram account on a web browser. Go to your profile icon and select the profile option.

Step 2: Select the IGTV option below your bio. Click on “Upload” to post an IGTV video.

Step 3: Click on the “Plus” sign and add the video to the upload. 

Step 4: Select the cover image of your IGTV video by clicking on “Edit”. Give your video a Title and add a Description. If you wish to post a preview of your IGTV on feed and profile, click on “Post a Preview.” Similarly, if you want to add auto-generated captions, you click on the box of Auto-Generated Captions. 

Step 5: Click on “Post” to post your video now or “Save Draft” if you wish to post it later.

Create engaging IGTV videos in minutes

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Specifications for Posting a Video on IGTV

- Your video must be between 1 minute and 10 minutes long. Verified accounts can upload IGTV videos 60 minutes long. However, to upload a 60 minutes long video, you need to upload it from a computer/web browser.
- The video format has to be MP4.
- The video aspect ratio should be 16:9 for horizontal video and 9:16 for vertical video.
- Video file size should be a maximum of 650MB for videos between 1 minute and 10 minutes long, and a maximum of 3.6GB for video up to 60 minutes. 
- The frame rate should be a maximum of 30 FPS with a resolution of a minimum of 720 pixels. 
- For a cover photo, resolution should be 420px by 654px.

Pro-tip: Since you have the liberty to make videos up to 10 minutes long, you can use IGTV videos for creating richer and more impactful content. If you want to dig deeper on how you can leverage IGTV for your brand, check out this comprehensive guide where we cover everything you’ll need to know to hit the road running. We also show you how you can create engaging videos for Instagram using InVideo’s online editor.

4. How to Post a Video on Instagram Reels?

Instagram’s latest video format - Reels, was launched in August 2020. Initially launched as a 30-second video format, it now allows up to 60 seconds and is the most preferred format for creating content on Instagram today due to the massive organic reach creators are experiencing on it. Let’s jump into how you can post your videos on Reels in this section.

How to Post a Video on Instagram reels from within the app

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Your Story” icon at the upper left side of the feeds page.

Step 2: At the end of the screen, click on the “Reels” option. 

Step 3: Tap the white button with a video icon to record your video. 

Step 4: You can edit the video from multiple editing options such as adding music, changing the speed, adding effects, using a timer. 

Note: Below the Music icon, you can see a circle icon with 15 written on it. That is the length of your video recording. Tap on it to make it 30 seconds, and tap twice to make it 60 seconds. 

Step 5: Once you start recording, you’ll see a progress bar on the upper left-hand side of the screen in red color. Once you have recorded and edited, proceed by selecting the “Preview” option. 

Step 6: You can add creative elements like stories in reels as well. Tap on the “Smiley” icon and select GIFs, stickers, etc. You can even add voiceover by selecting the “Microphone” option and recording your voice. Then click “Next.”

Step 7: You can now write a catchy caption, select the cover image of your video and tag people and then “Share” or “Save as Draft" if you wish to post it later. You can add hashtags in the caption to reach out to more people. 

How to post a video on Instagram reels from your phone gallery

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and click on the “Your Story Plus” icon at the upper left side of the feeds page.

Step 2: At the end of the screen, click on the “Reels” option. Click on the “Plus” sign on the left-hand side to add a video from the gallery. 

Step 3: Choose the video, select the “Add” option, and go ahead with “Preview.”

Step 4: Edit the reels using editing options and click “Next.” 

Step 5: You can now add music to your reels. Select the “Music” icon and choose the song you wish to add. Select which part of the song you want by scrolling the bar below on the screen.

Step 6: Add a caption, select the cover image, tag people, and then “Share” or “Save as Draft” if you wish to post it later.

Specifications for Posting a Video on Instagram Reels

- Video can be between 2-60 seconds.
- Video resolution should be 1080 x 1920p.
- Video aspect ratio for reels is only for vertical mode, 9:16 
- For the cover photo on profile, the video aspect ratio is 1:1, and the resolution is 1080 x 1080 pixels.
- Reels are visible on the feed as well. For that, the aspect ratio is 4:5, and the resolution is 1080 x 1350 pixels. 

Note: Make sure there are no text or essential elements on the top or bottom of the video, as it might get cropped when viewing reels on the feed.

Leverage the latest trends on Reels to grow your reach

Pick from 1000+ trending Reels templates

Get started with a template

5. BONUS: How to Create Thumb-stopping Videos for Instagram in Minutes

InVideo has over 5000 templates that can help you create an eye-catching video in less than 5 minutes. Follow this step-by-step guide to create professional-quality videos even if you’ve never edited a video before. Or head over to this tutorial if you’d prefer a demonstration.

Step 1: Sign in to your InVideo account. If you don’t have one, you can easily create your free Invidee account. You can select from different categories of pre-made templates.   

Step 2: Once you select a template, you’ll be taken to the Invideo’s editing page where you can make creative videos. 

Step 3: You can try out different options from the panel located on the left-hand side such as adding music, image, uploading video, adding text, etc. 

Step 4: The center of the screen is the preview of the edits made to the video.

Below the preview screen is the video timeline. You can edit, add multiple videos, images, etc. 

Step 5: Once you’ve finished editing, you can save and export the video. After rendering, you can download it and share across social media channels.          

         

Wrapping Up

Now that you know the differences between all Instagram video features, you are all set to upload a video on Instagram.

Don’t forget to sign up for a free account on InVideo to access and try out the 5000+ templates that make it extremely easy to create videos for Instagram.

If you want to know how Instagram can be helpful for your business and how to leverage it, read our guide and if you have any more questions, you can join our community to know and learn from 25K other marketers and creators.

FAQs

1. How to Post a YouTube Video on Instagram?

You can repurpose Youtube videos and post them on Instagram stories, feed, or IGTV.  It’s important to understand that you cannot post Youtube videos directly on Instagram as the specification of each feature of Instagram is different. Don’t worry, we've put together this step-by-step guide for you to know how to post a video from YouTube on Instagram, along with some tips for each feature.

2. How to Post a Video Link on Instagram?

It is feasible to post a video link on Instagram stories only for users having verified profiles or more than 10K followers. Users can easily swipe up on your story by tapping on “See More” and get access to the link you post.  

For Instagram posts, you can add the link in your description. However, it is not clickable. Hence, people place the link in your bio and write in your caption “link in the bio.” You can change links in the bio as many times as you want. 

How to record Reels video on Instagram?

Help Center

Instagram features

Sharing photos and videos

From July 2022, most videos will only be able to be shared using the Reels feature. These changes will not affect videos previously posted to the feed and posted to Instagram on the web.

The Reels feature is not yet available to everyone. Some account holders will be able to view Reels videos, but will not be able to shoot them.

Reels function allows you to shoot and edit 90 second Instagram videos. Reels videos can be overlaid with various effects and music, as well as use original audio tracks in them.

Video Recording Reels

Instagram app for Android

Tap the icon at the top of the screen or swipe right anywhere on the feed.

Scroll to the Reels option at the bottom of the screen.

Tap and hold to record a clip, or tap this icon to start recording and again to end. You can also click on the camera roll at the bottom left of the screen to add a video from it.

Press Preview.

Select Edit Clips to view, trim or delete your previous clip and click Done.

Tap the appropriate icon at the top of the screen to add stickers, pictures, and text to your Reels video. Click to download the video to your device. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to choose when you want the text to appear on the video and click Next.

Click Edit Cover to edit the cover photo and add a caption.

Select Share or Share to Reels.

Instagram app for iPhone

Touch the icon at the top of the screen or swipe right anywhere on the feed.

Scroll to the Reels option at the bottom of the screen.

Tap and hold to record a clip, or tap this icon to start recording and again to end. You can also click on the camera roll at the bottom left of the screen to add a video from it.

Click Next in the lower right corner of the screen.

Select Edit Clips to view, trim or delete your previous clip.

Tap the appropriate icon at the top of the screen to add stickers, pictures, and text to your Reels video. Click to download the video to your device. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to choose when you want the text to appear on the video and click Next.

Click Edit Cover to edit the cover photo and add a caption.

Select Share or Share to Reels.

Note. You can record one or more clips up to 60 seconds in total. The progress bar at the top of the screen will show the remaining recording time. If you post a Reels video in Explore, it will also be available in the Reels tab on your profile.

Interactive stickers such as "Poll", "Challenge", question sticker and others cannot be used in Reels videos. Learn more about saving and editing a Reels video draft.

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Hello, Igor Zuevich is in touch. Today, social networks have become part of the lives of many people. The younger generation cannot imagine life without communication through special applications. Sharing photos and videos has become so relevant that people cannot imagine a different life. Through special programs, you can not only communicate with friends and acquaintances, but also share your life.

The rhythm of modern life significantly affects live communication. Using social networks allows you to keep abreast of the latest news. The current generation of young people cannot imagine life without these programs. They have become a part of modern life.

Watch the video: Common Instagram Mistakes

One of the most popular programs is Instagram. It quickly gained popularity around the world many years ago. This is a great program that allows you to share photos and videos. Users can follow the news in the personal life of a particular person. Recently, Instagram developers have introduced new features. Now in the application you can not only share media, but also chat in Direct and share History. However, many prefer to share videos.

Posting videos on Instagram is as easy as posting photos. Each novice user will be able to deal with the program.

To publish a video, just go to the main profile page of and click on "Plus" at the bottom of the screen.

In the window that appears at the bottom, select item "Video"

The camera immediately opens in front of the user. He can shoot video by himself through the app. Just click on the circle. The user can take advantage of various options and functions that will allow you to create beautiful videos.

An existing video can be loaded. To do this, go to item "Gallery" . The user immediately opens all the videos and photos that are on the gadget.

Click on the video you are interested in and "Next"

In the window that appears, you can tame the video or select a specific time period. You can also choose the cover of the video and use different modes.

Once the video is ready, you need to click "Next" and "Share" again.

The application allows you to specify the location where the video was filmed and tag friends who are on it.

Developers offer interesting features for all users.

Video Upload Features

Adding a video to Instagram is not as difficult as it sounds. But at the same time, the developers made certain restrictions. Upload a video can only last 3-60 seconds. Video for Stories should not exceed 15 seconds. In this application, you should not shoot long videos if you do not have a blog. Otherwise, you can lose subscribers. The video should be interesting and to get people interested, you need to keep within 15 seconds.

Users may encounter problems during download. Most often this is due to the large weight of the video or format mismatch. The size of the video should be no more than 128 MB, but the application supports the format mp4, m4v, vi, 3q2, 3gp, mpg, wmv, asf. As soon as the video is uploaded, it will appear in the news feed and subscribers will be able to watch it.

You can edit the description during and after the download. It should attract readers and people like it. The description should be beautiful and interesting for readers.

As you can see, if you already know that step-by-step instructions will allow everyone to learn how to add a video to Instagram, then study the detailed algorithm of actions that will allow you to quickly solve all problems and understand the program.


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