How many seconds for instagram story
Instagram Video Length Guide (2022): Posts, Stories, IGTV
Adam is Head of Content at Wyzowl. Leading a talented, fearless team of writers, Adam's passions include video, growth marketing, brand storytelling and referring to himself in the third person.
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.
Article Contents
Instagram video length limitFirst 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 HacksIf 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):
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 lengthInstagram 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 lengthReels 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 limitWhen 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.
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 thoughtsCurrently, 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.
Instagram Story Video Length: How Long Your Videos Should Be
The maximum length for an Instagram Story video is 15 seconds.
But if you're wondering how to get around the time constraint, here’s a simple trick: You can string multiple 15-second clips together to make a longer video sequence.
IG Stories are short video clips that disappear after 24 hours. Stories are only visible to your followers.
Instagram Story videos are shorter than the average “story” format of other social media platforms:
- Facebook Stories: Up to 20 seconds
- Snapchat Stories: Up to 60 seconds
- WhatsApp Status: Up to 30 seconds
Story content isn't just limited to video. You can intersperse images and videos to create a more textured Story experience for your followers. Like a carousel post, viewers can tap through a mix of images and videos in your Story sequence.
How do Stories compare to other types of Instagram videos?
- Instagram Story videos: The maximum length for an IG Story video is 15 seconds.
Photos in Instagram Stories appear for 7 seconds. - Instagram Reels: Reels are Instagram's response to TikTok. A Reel video can last up to 60 seconds.
- Instagram Live videos: Livestream videos shot from the Instagram app can be up to 4 hours long. They can also be uploaded in their entirety to your Story or Feed after they've ended.
- Instagram Video: As of October 2021, IGTV video and Instagram Feed videos are now one format—Instagram Video. Video previews on the feed last up to 60 seconds. Regular accounts can upload video clips between 15 seconds and 10 minutes in length. Verified accounts or accounts with large followings can upload up to 60-minute videos.
- Instagram Video ads: Story ads can last between 5-15 seconds. Reels ads, up to 30 seconds. And Feed video ads can last up to 60 seconds.
How to edit the length of an Instagram Story video
If you're starting with a video that's longer than 15 seconds, and you want to post it to your Stories, you have two options:
Option 1
If you want to post longer videos from your camera roll to Stories, but they exceed the 15 second limit, Instagram automatically splits the first minute of your video into 4 x 15-second story cards.
As long as the video is less than a minute, you're fine. And since you're starting with a single video, your sequence will still maintain a sense of continuity, even though it's broken into separate parts.
Option 2
If your video is longer than a minute, Instagram will turn the first minute into 4 x 15-second cards like in Option 1, but will discard anything past the 60-second mark.
To upload the full video you’ll need to trim your content manually using Instagram's native video editing feature. Or, you can use a quality third-party video editor tool like CutStory to trim and edit your footage before posting.
Instagram has a new native editing feature that lets you trim videos to the desired length.Credit: Instagram
Is it better to use long videos or short videos?
Long and short Stories can both work well.
It ultimately depends on the type of content you're looking to post and how well you can capture and hold the viewer's interest.
→ Pro tip: As a rule of thumb, the longer the story sequence, the more you'll need to incentivize users to continue watching.
Keep reading for a few tips on how to do this.
But first, let’s take a look at how to make either format work for you. You’ll also learn how to make an Instagram Story video that gets people to engage.
Longer videos
Stringing several Instagram Story videos together gives you more space to share your message.
The challenge?
If your first video doesn't hook a user in the sequence, they will likely ignore it and tap to the next Story in their feed.
That first video has to grab their attention. Let’s take a look at how this works in practice.
Example
: EverlaneLength: 90 seconds+ across multiple Story cards
Everlane sells ethical activewear, including a variety of quality denim goods.
To communicate one of their central themes—transparency—they published a sequence of stories to educate followers on the truth about modern denim manufacturing.
But education alone isn't enough to hold people's attention.
You need to incentivize them to watch your content.
Everlane accomplishes this with interactive polls and quizzes to increase engagement and therefore, Watch Time. This makes it easy for viewers to tap through to the end of the Story sequence.
- Engage your audience by asking questions: Use binary yes-no engagement poll stickers (just tap a button to weigh in).
- Use micro commitments: A small form of engagement at the start, or micro commitment, increases the odds you’ll stick through to see the end.
- Combine education with interaction: Multiple polls interspersed with facts and insights for more engagement opportunities.
Why it works:
Everlane's first Instagram Story card opens with a simple question that immediately grabs your attention: "Denim is notoriously dirty… Do you know why?"
The hook in the first second of the video determines whether or not a user is sticking around to watch the rest of the Story.
Everlane interspersed "question" cards with "education" cards, which makes the educational experience fun and interactive, and makes it easy for people to tap through the full Story sequence.
Shorter videos
Once upon a time, there was an app called Vine. Vine videos were 6 seconds long and could tell entire stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Shorter instagram Story videos—under 15 seconds using a single Story card—can be highly effective and addictive too.
The key is remembering they need to stop a user in their casual Story swiping. You have to grab their attention, just like longer videos.
Let’s look at an example from a company that sells custom couches DTC and see why it works.
Example: CouchHaus
Length
: 14 secondsView this post on Instagram
A post shared by Couch Haus (@couch_haus)
- Design for sound-off: Most people don’t watch Instagram with sound on.
This is true of Stories and most other IG video placements. Be sure that your content doesn’t require sound to understand. Use captions to communicate the key points. - Quick video cuts: Within this single 15-second Story card, there are at least six different video clips strung together to tell a simple coherent story. This adds motion and visual variety, which keeps you watching. In just 14 seconds, you've learned exactly how the product works and what makes it interesting.
Why it works
While not necessarily the norm for Stories content (most are filmed spontaneously), this short video is heavily-edited to make the content shorter and easier to consume.
In a single Story card, CouchHaus walks you through the entire process of ordering a custom couch online. They use captions to communicate value props, and visuals to show off the product and simple order process.
If you strip away the video, you're left with a clear testimonial that explains the product and speaks to its value props:
- Custom couches online: I designed a custom couch on CouchHaus.
- Easy process: The process was so easy.
- Wide selection: I picked the color, fabric, and size.
- Pet-friendly: I chose the performance fabric, which is perfect for pets.
- Easy to clean: It's easy to keep clean, and it looks amazing in my house.
- Positive experience: I never knew it would be that easy.
Pro tip
If you're going to invest the amount of time and energy to create a video like this, make sure to repurpose it in as many places as you can.
For instance, this example is clearly a repurposed social ad, but it still works as an organic Story post. The same principles that make this CouchHaus video effective apply to all social ads and social media platforms.
How to make an IG Story video
There are several ways to do it. Here’s an easy tutorial:
Step 1
Log in to your Instagram account.
Tap the “Your Story” icon in the top left of the Instagram app on iPhone, iOS device, or Android. You’ll jump straight into the camera.
Step 2
Shoot a video in the default “Normal” mode or drag the side menu to any of the following video modes:
Create
Use text, music, stickers and GIFs to bring your Story videos to life. You can also use a number of interactive features to increase engagement with your Stories posts, including:
- Shoutouts: @ another account in your Story.
- Polls, Questions, and Quizzes: Let your audience engage with your Stories.
- Donations: Build goodwill by asking for donations to a good cause.
- Countdown timers: Drive urgency for product launches and special events.
- Gifs, stickers, templates: Use visual overlays to enhance your content.
Boomerang
Videos that play forward. Then play backward.
Then forward again.
Layout
Divide your Story video into various grid patterns.
Hands-free
Record without holding the button down. Or, select a video from your camera roll, simply by swiping up.
Multi-capture
Take up to 8 photos at a time, in quick succession.
Dual
Record video using both camera lenses simultaneously.
Level
Displays an on-screen level to help orient your shot.
Step 3
Your video preview should now be looping. Tap the arrow icon in the bottom right of the video to instantly post the video to your Instagram Story.
Tap "Your Story" to post your video.
Tip: To upload multiple videos to your Stories sequence, consider using a tool like Sked Social to upload assets in bulk rather than one-by-one.
Instagram Stories tips
There’s no right way to make an Instagram Story video. But here are some tips to help you get started:
Optimize for the format
Instagram Story videos are always vertical.
They’re designed to be watched on your phone. So when you’re creating content, be sure that it’s also natively vertical. If it isn’t, Instagram automatically adapts it to the Story format. But vertical videos that are designed for the platform tend to have higher engagement than non-native videos.
Keep it casual
You don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on expensive video equipment. Video recorded from a smartphone works just fine. In fact, many times phone footage outperforms high-production video because it feels more natural and less like marketing.
Use Instagram add-ons
There are infinite ways you can deck out your Instagram Story videos. Draw all over them. Use hashtags, emojis, polls, and text to spice them up. These make your videos pop and make them more engaging. And they fit how Instagram users use the Stories placement.
Turn your top Story videos into highlights
Instagram Story videos last for 24 hours. Then they’re gone. But you can turn your Story videos into highlights that stick around on your profile forever.
This is a great way to feature your best Story content.
Reshare Story video posts you’re tagged in
If you’re tagged in another user’s Instagram post, you can re-share their post to your Story. This is a great way to feature happy customers shouting out your brand. And sharing that enthusiasm with the rest of your audience.
How many seconds is 1 Instagram story: how to upload long videos
One Instagram story lasts 15 seconds, so users have a question how to upload long stories? To do this, you need to follow simple instructions.
Content
- Maximum and minimum length of Stories
- Photo duration
- How to upload short and long videos to Stories
- Allowed photo and video formats for Stories
- How many hours is Instagram Story available?
- How to make Instagram Stories permanent?
The minimum clip length is 3 seconds. The maximum time is 15 seconds. A longer video is also published, 1 minute in size.
In this case, the application will automatically break it into frames, each 15 seconds long. You can add not only pictures, but also videos.
Photo duration
Stories allow you to warm up the interest of the target audience, as well as attract new subscribers. The question arises, how many seconds does an Instagram story last? Most often, users add photos to Stories. One picture is shown to subscribers for 5 seconds.
Up to 10 photos can be added to create a mini story from photos. The result is a 1-minute story.
How to post short and long videos to Stories
Anyone can upload a 15 second video to Instagram Stories. It does not matter what type of account is used.
To add a short video:
- Launch the Instagram application.
- Click on the icon with the inscription: "Your story" (upper left corner).
- Activate hands-free mode.
- Press the record button.
- Click on the "Recipient" button.
- Select "Stories".
The duration of the video in the Instagram story during the shooting is calculated automatically. If you want to record a 1-minute video, you just need to shoot. The application will automatically split it into 15 second files.
There is another way to load long clips. First you need to shoot a video using your phone or camera. When the video is ready, it needs to be broken into short stories.
This can be done using the Android application:
- Video Splitter;
- YouCut;
- VidTrim
iPhone owners are recommended to install on their mobile device:
- CutStory;
- Crop Video;
- Contiual.
Apps uploaded to Play Store and App Store.
To post split 15 second files on Instagram:
- Launch the app.
- Click on "Stories" - open the gallery.
- Click on the inscription: "Select several" - leave checkboxes on the desired videos.
- Click "Next" - add captions or emoji.
- Click Next.
- Select "Your story".
After that, Stories from the prepared files will appear in the feed.
Allowed photo and video formats for Stories
In order for the story not to be cut off and attract attention, you must adhere to the correct proportions - 9:16. Therefore, photographs must have a size:
- minimum - 600 × 1067;
- maximum - 900×1600;
- recommended - 720×1280.
The extension of photos added to Stories can be png or jpg. Other formats are not supported by the social network.
Videos are also subject to restrictions. The file size is 4 GB. In this case, the video must have the extension mov or mp4. If the camera shoots in a different format, you need to convert.
How many hours is available Stories on Instagram
Stories attract more target audience. Unlike a post, Stories cannot stay in the feed for a long time.
Regardless of how long Instagram Stories are, the post will be archived after 24 hours. During this period, the history can be supplemented. To do this, you need to publish a new Stories. It will automatically be added to the post.
How to make Instagram Stories timeless
Some people use Timeless Stories. Thanks to this, you can increase the duration of Stories. To create an everlasting story:
- Launch Instagram.
- Click on the person icon.
- Click on "New" in the "Recent" section.
- Select posted Stories.
- Click Finish.
After that, an eternal story will appear in the profile. For some users, 15 seconds of an Instagram story does not allow them to reveal a thought. Therefore, you can use the eternal Stories to increase the length of the video.
How many seconds an Instagram story lasts: limits
January 28, 2022
7 minutes
Read the article Hide
Stories time limit
Instagram stories do not last long, because in general, the concept of stories is bright, selected and unique moments of your life.
For longer videos that can be created by bloggers in order to convey information that is difficult to perceive, another format has been created - posts in the feed. By the way, from October 2021, they can last up to 60 minutes! However, now influencers are experimenting with formats, and stories have been especially affected by changes. Now, storytelling is a whole art, in which you can find dozens of courses. The boundaries of the story format are blurred, and creators are overstepping various restrictions.
And therefore, if you still need to upload a long video, and the length of the stories limits you, then there is a life hack to overcome the limit. Now you will find out how many seconds a story lasts, what is its storage period, and in what ways you can bypass the application limits.
For photo
How much?
15 seconds photo story. During this time, most users have time to see what is happening in the picture, and if you need a more detailed view, you can pinch the story with your finger or just take a screenshot.
What does it depend on?
The limit does not depend on anything, no matter what photo you upload, no matter what size and proportions it has, the story will last 15 seconds. There is no way to do less, but read below how to increase the limit.
For video
How much?
For videos, the limit is 15 seconds. If you upload a video that lasts a minute, then Instagram will automatically cut it into 4 short parts of 15 seconds each.
Can I take a video longer than a minute?
No, but again, this can be bypassed, and below we will tell you how to upload long videos (at least five minutes long) quickly and easily.
Expert opinion
Elnara Petrova
SMM marketer
How many seconds does a story last for different accounts? It's simple: both for business accounts and for personal pages, the limit is the same, so you shouldn't waste time and effort changing the profile category. If you are interested in how long the story lasts with GIFs or the addition of music and other interactive stickers, then the limit is still the same - 15 seconds.
How to increase the duration of stories
If we talk about photos, you can extend the duration of such files by re-uploading the same story. Thus, a person will look at the photo for 30 seconds, if he does not scroll and close the content.
Is this action appropriate? It is impossible to give an exact answer: on the one hand, it will attract attention and be stored in the memory of a person, and on the other hand, if the content is really interesting to the viewer, he himself will hold his finger on the story and watch as much as he needs.
Speaking of how to make videos longer in stories and how to upload videos longer than a minute, you need editors. It can be a built-in editor on your phone, and by clicking “edit”, you can divide the video into segments of a minute, and then add it to the story.
There are also programs with which you can automatically divide the video into segments of 15 seconds, which will save you a lot of time. Sometimes such programs are paid, but if you search well, you can find free software or just use the trial period.
How to extend the life of a story
Everyone knows that uploaded stories disappear after a day, regardless of the category of the account. This is especially unpleasant for those who invest their energy, time and soul into stories, taking vertical photos and videos seriously. How to act in such a situation?
The answer is simple: keep up to date. Highlights, also known as “highlights”, is a section under the profile header specially created for timeless stories. The section can be beautifully designed and modernized for yourself. How to keep history up to date? A small instruction will help you:
Enter the story creation mode, select content, add the necessary filters, effects, music, etc. Publish.
After publishing, open stories and find the button below, which has the name “add to current”.
Click on it, create a section in highlights. Write down the title. Later, you can add a cover and edit the section however you like.
What is the topical section for and how is it useful for business? There are at least five topics that you can arrange as separate five sections in highlights.
All these topics will help the customer get to know the product and increase trust: About us
Catalog
Discounts and promotions
Reviews
Contact information
the most boring story, and also with their help you can create an original design for highlights
The service is suitable for absolutely all sections of all existing social networks. Follow the link, hundreds of unusual fonts in Russian and English are waiting for you:
You may find it useful
beautiful font
Choose a beautiful font in Russian and upgrade your profile
Hashtag selection
Social hashtag generator: collections by topic
Total
Now you know everything about Instagram story limits and how to bypass the time limit. If you want to get into boosting your Instagram profile, increasing your post and story reach, and learning how to do SMM marketing, but don't want to buy courses, check out our free articles for beginners and pros alike: 50 Ideas for TikTok Videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, Everything you need to know about Instagram Reels: 10 life hacks to get recommended, Instagram video ads to get customers and orders: 10 life hacks.
