Do you sometimes get frustrated by Instagram’s short video restrictions? Do you sometimes wish you knew how to post videos on Instagram?
Ever since its debut in 2010, Instagram has been growing in popularity as users love its focus on communicating with pictures and videos. The platform is always adding additional features as users demand more and more ways to communicate with their friends and followers. The app is also optimized for mobile devices, making it the perfect social media platform for today’s technology age.
With Instagram, it has never been easier to take and share high-quality photos.
However, Instagram continues to limit those same functions, requiring users to jump through hoops to accomplish their goals. One such goal is longer-length videos.
Length of Instagram Videos
With the advent of TikTok and YouTube, Instagram has been focusing more and more on videos to compete with these new platforms. Users can now take videos, share them on their profile, post them to their Story, and send them via direct message.
However, while Instagram has supported video content for a long time now, it still doesn’t give you nearly as many options as the other platforms. One of the biggest constraints on Instagram video content is the length of videos you can post — and it is different for each video platform within Instagram.
These videos come with time limits, and these restrictions are as follows in order of length:
- Instagram Videos: Known as IGTV and feed posts up until Oct. 2021, these videos appear on your feed and can last up to 10 minutes.
- Instagram Live: Can last up to four hours (previously one hour).
- Instagram Reels: Can last up to 90 seconds (previously 60 seconds).
- Instagram Stories: Can last up to 15 seconds.
To post videos longer than 90 seconds on Instagram, you have two options:
Option 1: Cut your video into shorter clips to share on Reels and Stories
Option 2: Upload to your Feed with Instagram Video (formally known as IGTV)
So, which option should you choose, and which one works best for Instagram? Let’s take a look.
Cut Your Video into Shorter Clips
If you have a long video and you want to post it on your Instagram Stories or Reels, your best option will be to cut the video up into shorter sections:
- For an IG Story, cut the video into 60-second clips and post them one after another in the same post.
- For Instagram Reels, trim your video until it’s shorter than 90 seconds. Most trending Reels songs are within this shorter time frame, anyway.
You have the option to trim your video on Instagram before sharing to Stories. However, the in-app editor does not have the precise control you would need to trim videos to a specific time stamp. If you want control over your own content and you want the video to flow smoothly from one Story clip to the next, your best option is to cut and edit the video yourself.
These are but some of the tricks and tips you can use to get your longer videos up on Instagram. However, it starts with you deciding which option is best. You cannot make Reels, Live, or Feed Videos longer than their preset limit, but you can make Stories “appear” longer.
If you have a prerecorded video that fits within the Reels’ time constraints, it is best to post it there so that the entire video goes public. However, if you want to use Instagram Stories, it can overlap to appear as one. You can post up to 100 clips at 15 seconds each with a slight, almost unnoticeable pause between them. This gives you plenty of time to use it in a 24-hour duration.
Upload to Your Instagram Feed
Instagram launched a solution for longer videos in 2018 known as Instagram TV, or IGTV for short. They’ve since retired IGTV, and have combined existing IGTV videos with Instagram Feed videos to create Instagram Video.
With this, you can now post longer videos, up to 10 minutes long, directly to your Feed.
However, the trick with Instagram Video is to pick the right thumbnail for your video to show up in your feed. Instagram gives you an option for this when posting, so all you have to do is make sure you know exactly which shot from the video you want your followers to see in your feed.
You can also create and upload a custom thumbnail to use.
How to Post Longer Instagram Stories And Videos
It can be pretty annoying when you want to share something that doesn’t fit within any of Instagram’s time constraints. So how do you get around Instagram’s video limits?
Instagram Stories have a limit of 15 seconds per clip. If your video exceeds that limit, Instagram cuts it into 15-second segments (up to 60 seconds total). The best option would be to use a third-party app to trim your videos before uploading them so that you can clip longer videos that overlap the 60-second limit. This way, it auto-plays the way you want, specifying the duration for each clip rather than the default 15-second increments.
You can clip the first segment at 20 seconds, followed by 25 seconds for the second clip, and then continue beyond 60 seconds to make your Instagram Story longer. According to Mashable, the maximum number of Stories (segments) per day on Instagram is 100.
Even though Instagram limits your Story to 60 seconds in total, you can continue adding more clips/segments to make it as long as you need — up to the 100 Story limit. Instagram auto-plays each piece, one after the other, with almost seamless precision.
Note: If you experience blurred videos or strange transitions between each clip, it could be due to your internet speed at the time of uploading. It could also be that Instagram needs more time to finish the publishing process.
Here are the methods available to make Instagram Stories longer:
Upload Your Long Video to Instagram Stories Directly
The fastest way to upload your long video to Instagram Stories is to add it directly to the app. However, keep in mind that Instagram only uses the first 60 seconds of the video which it cuts into segments of 15-second increments. Therefore, only the first minute of your video gets published, which is often undesired.
To do this, go into Instagram and add the long video to your Story. Instagram automatically creates clips of 15 seconds which continue for up to 1 minute in total. The rest of the video gets cut.
You can also work your way around this with the tip shown above.
Use Multiple Clips to Make Longer Instagram Stories
The best and most straightforward way to post longer videos on your Instagram Story is to manually share your video in increments. This strategy allows you to post clips that exceed the 60-second Story limit.
There are several third-party apps that do the legwork for you. They split your video into 15-second segments or less, and some even ensure that your video is up to Instagram’s standard (resolution, framerate, etc.). If not, Instagram automatically converts them to the required specs.
Here are some of the third-party app options to make Instagram Stories longer:
InShot for Android and iOS
InShot is one of the best options because it allows you to make numerous edits to your video before uploading it. These include filters, stickers, transitions, audio, etc. Also, you can get InShot for Android or InShot for iPhone.
Add your video to InShot, apply any desired edits, and then select to share it on Instagram. From there, you post it to your Instagram Story.
Split video for iOS/iPhone
Split Video by New Marketing Lab, Inc is a good option for iOS users. The app is 100% free with full functionality, and it stands apart from others thanks to controlled/limited ads.
Story Cutter for Android
On the Android side of the street, Story Cutter by Cubetix Private Photo Vault is an excellent choice, thanks to its speed and ease of use.
With Story Cutter, all you need to do is choose the video, select Instagram as the desired source, and tap on Done. The app automatically starts the splitting process. Once done, you share each clip/segment to Instagram Stories, and Instagram combines them to make your longer video.
Continual for Instagram for iPhone
If you hate ads and don’t mind paying, then as an iPhone user, you should consider shelling out $7.99 for Continual for Instagram. This app automatically trims your long videos into 15-second increments so you can share them on your Instagram Story. You can then upload the clips together or individually, based on your preference.
If you’re looking for a way to cut and upload long videos to Instagram, it doesn’t get easier than this. Except, of course, you have to pay.
StorySplitter for iPhone
Okay, you don’t feel like paying? Well, we still got you. StorySplitter is free for iOS users (.99 for the premium version), and it does effectively the same thing — splitting videos into 15-second clips.
However, unlike Continual for Instagram, StorySplitter doesn’t allow you to post videos in landscape format. And unless you opt for the premium version, it will watermark your images. Still, for a free app, it should get the job done.
CutStory for iOS
CutStory by LLC Sport Star Management is another iOS app that gets high ratings and offers extra editing options when making sequential 15-second clips for Instagram Story videos. However, CutStory incorporates a watermark unless you pay a premium price (relatively cheap) or subscribe, but there are no ads.
Built-In Video Editors
You can also use your phone’s video editing features to trim your selected video into 15-second increments. However, this is challenging to do, as it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact times to clip, and you may miss segments during the cutting process.
If you go with this option, you’ll have to make your 1-minute video and trim it to four (or more) 15-second (or less) clips, which you can easily upload to Instagram one by one.
Here’s how to upload your clips to Instagram Stories from your phone’s image gallery. Note, though, that third-party apps have an Instagram button that automatically takes you to Instagram Stories.
- Tap the + icon (add icon) in the top-right section.
- Select Story from the dropdown options.
- Tap on the video you want to add to your Story. You can also select multiple videos and images by long-pressing one of them to open the multi-select option.
- Tap Next in the bottom-right section to continue to the next step.
- Tap on Separate for videos, images, or both, or choose Layout for images only.
- The selected files appear as clips/segments at the bottom of the new screen. Tap on Next to go to the next step.
- The Share screen appears at the bottom. Ensure Your Story has a checkmark, then tap on Share.
- Instagram will start the conversion/upload process.
Regardless of the method you use to make your Instagram Stories longer, when someone visits your Story, they’ll see your video clips in the order you posted them. It won’t be 100% seamless, but it’ll be very close to your wanted narrative.
Go Live
The one major disadvantage to the two methods mentioned above is that your videos won’t be 100% seamless. And while your Instagram Stories will play in order automatically, they may come across as mildly jerky where one clip ends and another begins.
So, if you want your video to be whole, try doing it live first. Instagram live videos can be up to 4 hours long.
Wrapping Up How To Post Longer Videos On Instagram
Instagram is very popular because it is an excellent platform for sharing photos and videos with your followers. However, its time restrictions can be pretty frustrating when you want to upload a video longer than one minute.
If you need to have your video posted on your Instagram feed, your best option is to take your time and make it as impactful as possible. Packing a catchy, high-quality, and engaging video into 15 seconds isn’t easy, but it’s possible.
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