Movavi Video Converter
The ideal way to get your media in the format you need!
How to Resize a Video for Instagram (Feed, Story, IGTV, Reels, Ads)
Download and launch Movavi Video Converter.
Add files to the program.
Resize a video for Instagram, choose the output format.
Convert your videos.
In this guide, we show you how to resize a video for Instagram whether you are looking to use a video to use as an ad, or just on your feed. We’ve explained how you can resize video for Instagram Stories or for other types of video accepted by the social media platform, to ensure your viewers can enjoy a high-quality, HD video. Depending on how the video was shot, you might not need to resize or convert it for Instagram, but for the best effects in Insta Reels, ads, and other video types, it makes sense to find a way to rotate or crop the video to fit.
Using Movavi Video Converter, it’s easy to resize and reformat a clip. Read on to learn how to resize for Instagram in a matter of seconds, no matter what sort of file you are working with.
Resize a video for Instagram in 5 steps with Movavi
Movavi Video Converter can help you resize videos for an Instagram Story, feed, IGTV, Reels, or ads. Using this powerful yet user-friendly Instagram video resizer, you’ll be able to not only convert your videos into the most appropriate format but also crop and rotate them. Download Movavi Video Converter for PC or Mac and read the guide below to learn how to make the necessary edits to prepare your Instagram video.
Step 1. Install Movavi Video Converter
Launch the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install the Instagram video converter. Double-click the desktop icon to launch the converter.
Step 2. Add a file to the program
To add a video, open the import menu by clicking Add Media, choose Add Video, and browse your system’s folders to find the video you want to work with. Remember that you can convert a GIF to a video for Instagram as well. To do this, click Add Media, choose Add Image, and browse for the animation file on your hard drive. Alternatively, you can simply drag and drop your media file directly to the program interface.
Step 3. Edit your video
Below you’ll find the instructions on how to make a video for your Instagram feed. If you want to make a Story or an IGTV video, skip to the next guide.
Making a video for an Instagram feed
Step 3.1. Edit a video for your Instagram feed
To make your video square with an aspect ratio of 1:1, you need to crop it. Click the Edit button, located to the right of the video you’re working on, to open the editing tools.
Go to the Crop tab and in the preset list, choose 1:1. Change the size of the area selector by dragging its edges and move the frame to the desired place on the preview. Make sure that the width of the selected area is equal to its height (for example, 720 × 720). When you’re done, click Apply and Save and Close.
Making a Story or an IGTV video
Step 3.1. Create a Story or an IGTV video
If you want to publish your video as a Story or IGTV video, you will need to change the ratio to 9:16. There are two ways of doing this, depending on how you want your video to look.
Crop your video
When you try to upload a 16:9 video as a Story or IGTV video, Instagram crops it by default but only to the center of the video, so you won’t be able to move the focus to any elements on the left or the right side of the video. In this case, you can crop it manually. To do this, click the Edit button.
Go to the Crop tab and choose the 16:9 preset. Move the area selector to the position you want to crop, then click Apply and Save and Close.
Rotate your video
If you don’t want to crop your video because you want your friends to see the full view, you need to rotate the video. When you rotate a 16:9 video, it changes the aspect ratio to 9:16, but now you will have to flip your phone to the landscape mode to watch it. In the Edit window, go to the Crop tab and choose Rotate clockwise. Click Apply and Save and Close to go to the next step.
Step 4. Change the output format
Instagram is a mobile app, which means it works better with the video formats used in smartphones and tablets. So if your video is saved in MOV, AVI, or MKV, you’ll need to convert it to a more accessible format like MP4. To do this, go to the Video tab, choose the MP4 group of presets and select the MP4 H.264 - Original Size preset. If your original file was in Full HD or even 4K quality, it shouldn’t be a problem as Instagram works well with such files. However, the app does compress all files by default, so there’s unfortunately no way to upload your video without losing quality.
Step 5. Convert your Instagram video
When all the editing is done and the format has been chosen, specify the export settings by clicking the Save to button. Now click the Convert button to save the final result. When the conversion is complete, the folder containing your file will open automatically. Now all that’s left to do is to transfer your video to your device and upload it directly to your Instagram account.
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5 Instagram video types – specifications
There are five main types of video for posting on Instagram. You can use video on the feed, Story, IGTV, Reels, Ads, so a video resizer for Instagram needs to be able to handle the specs of all of these different pictures. The frame size is different for each and an editor can convert your videos to fit.
Feed. Feed videos can be 3 seconds to 60 seconds long and they are some of the most flexible in terms of size. Portrait or landscape videos can be used between 1.91:1 and 4:5 ratio.
Story. Instagram Story posts can be up to 15 seconds at a frame ratio of 9:16. If you exceed the max length then Instagram will split the big video into small videos of 15 seconds.
IGTV. IGTV videos can be up to 10 minutes in length. Different supported sizes include 1920 × 1080p, 1080 × 1350p (in the Instagram feed), 1080 × 1080p (on the profile grid.) You can also post large videos from your computer.
Reels. Reels are exclusively 9:16 aspect ratio. They can be up to 60 seconds long. The video orientation is vertical.
Ads. A minimum video length for ads is 1 second and maximum is 120 seconds. The Instagram feed ad is 1080 × 1080 pixels. The Instagram Story ad size is 1080 × 1920 pixels at a 16:09 ratio. The video orientation can be vertical, horizontal, or square.
Aspect ratios are key to whether the frame looks more like a rectangle or a square. Instagram accepts different ratios for their feeds, so you can use any of the compatible images or videos. You can see the change made to the post by comparing the different aspect ratios. You may have to resize a video for Instagram, meaning you shrink or crop your video to fit the screen.
Instagram video requirements (comparison table)
In the tables below, you’ll find the requirements for different types of IG videos. Learn the correct resolution, sizing, normal width and height, frame rate, and if a cover or a thumbnail is needed.
Specs for in-feed, IGTV, and Stories
Specs for Reels and ads
Summary
Instagram doesn’t have an inbuilt tool for changing things like the aspect ratio and size of a video. Knowing how to resize a video for Instagram means that you will always have a professional end result, and that you won’t accidentally crop out important parts of the video. Getting the right aspect ratio, and high-quality video in a 30FPS format means that your videos will always look fantastic on the platform, which is especially important when it comes to adverts and running a professional brand.
Frequently asked questions
▶️ What video formats does Instagram support?
Instagram videos should be either MP4 or MOV in order to be uploaded to your Instastory or feed. If your video is not one of these formats, you will need to use a video converter for Instagram.
▶️ Which video format is best for Instagram?
The best video format for your Instagram posts, Stories, and IGTV is MP4. The most appropriate video and audio codecs are H.264 and AAC respectively.
▶️ How do I convert a video for Instagram?
There is not an inbuilt tool for converting video files to the right format for Instagram. You will need to use tools that help you to convert videos without losing quality, such as Movavi’s Video Converter.
To convert videos to Instagram-supported formats, like MP4 and MOV, you can use Movavi Video Converter to simply and easily edit, compress, trim and crop the clip to the correct size. Just follow three basic steps:
Add files. Simply drag and drop your files into the program window or select the files from their location on your hard drive.
Choose a format. A list of icons will appear at the bottom, including both MP4 and MOV file types, needed to upload to Instagram. You can ignore files like AVI, which are not compatible with Instagram.
Press the Convert button to start the conversion and export the file. It will download to the set folder on your computer, ready for uploading on Insta.
▶️ What aspect ratio is best for Instagram?
1.91:1
The aspect ratio recommended by Instagram is 1.91:1. But, of course, there are more options. For instance, photos can have an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 (1080 × 608), 1:1 (1080 × 1080), or 4:5 (1080 × 1350); videos can have an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 or 4:5. Two options are available for Instagram Stories – 1.91:1 or 9:16 (1080 × 1920). The best aspect ratio for IGTV videos is 16:9 or 9:16.
▶️ What are the dimensions of an Instagram post?
The dimensions of an Instagram video alter based on which type of post you are creating. The top video width is 1080 px wide, and videos should be 1920 pixels tall. Dimensions are not set in stone, and the table in this post will help you to understand how they can vary from one post type to another. For example, 1920 x 1080p is the exact pixel dimension needed for Reels.
▶️ How long can Instagram videos be?
A video for an Instagram post cannot be longer than 60 seconds. You can upload a video that is longer, but you’ll have to select a 60-second segment from it to post.
A video for a Story can be up to 15 seconds long. If you upload a video that is longer than one minute, the clip will be shortened to four 15-seconds long pieces.
A video for IGTV can be up to 15 minutes long if uploaded from a mobile device or up to 60 minutes long if uploaded via the web version of Instagram.
▶️ How do you post a long video on Instagram?
If you have a longer video you want to post on Instagram, you have two options. You can upload your long video and select a 60-second segment from it. To do this, select your video, tap Next, then Trim, then hold and drag your video until the length is 1 minute.
If you want to post a whole video, another option is to cut your video into multiple 1-minute-long clips and post them as a carousel. A carousel post can contain up to 10 videos. You can cut your video into parts with Movavi Video Converter.
▶️ How do you post a GIF on Instagram?
As Instagram doesn’t support GIF files, you have two options: you can either create an IG Story and add one of the GIFs from the free online GIPHY library, or you can convert a GIF to a video for Instagram and then add it to your feed.
▶️ How do I resize a photo for Instagram?
A video cropper or video resizer for Instagram is not needed to resize simple photos to fit in the square or to make them smaller. Both iPhone and Android photo apps have the option to make simple edits such as zoom, cropping, and uploading the image to your post. Instagram does have some photo editing tools inbuilt, so unlike when you upload your video, a picture can be cropped rather than uploaded and displayed in full size on your feed.
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