How Long Can an Instagram Video Be? 2025 Guide to Reels, Stories, Feed, Live, and More

Planning Instagram video content in 2025 can feel confusing as limits and features shift across formats. This guide lays out the current time caps for Reels, Stories, Feed, Live, Carousels, and Ads, with practical pointers on where each format shines. You’ll also find essential specs, trimming workflows, and ffmpeg snippets to keep your uploads sharp, compliant, and audience-friendly.

How Long Can an Instagram Video Be? 2025 Guide to Reels, Stories, Feed, Live, and More

If you’re planning content across Instagram’s surfaces, you’re probably asking: how long can an Instagram video be today? Here’s the 2025-length snapshot by format, plus practical strategy to decide what to post where, how to repurpose one master video, and the specs that keep your uploads crisp and compliant.

Quick Answer by Format (2025)

Note: Instagram regularly runs limited tests (e.g., 3–10 minute Reels) that are not available to all accounts. Always check the in-app indicator when you upload.

Reels Length and Strategy

Reels are Instagram’s discovery engine. While the hard cap is widely 90 seconds, the sweet spot for reach and completion is often shorter.

• Why 15–60 seconds wins:
• Strong hook in the first 2–3 seconds reduces early swipes.
• Shorter clips loop more often, boosting watch time.
• Easier to maintain narrative tension without drop-off.
• Looping mechanics:
• End on a visual echo of your opening frame.
• Use seamless transitions or audio loops so a replay feels intentional.
• When to consider longer Reels:
• Tutorials, recipes, and step-by-steps that genuinely need 60–90 seconds.
• If your account has early access to >90-second Reels (test features), only use the extra time when the value density stays high.
• If your upload exceeds 90 seconds:
• Instagram may prompt you to trim or post as a standard feed video. Reels-only features (Remix, Reels placements) may not apply.
• If you must go long, consider posting as a feed video and cut a 30–60 second Reel teaser that links viewers to the full piece.

Stories Duration in Practice

Stories play in 60-second uninterrupted segments. If you import a 2-minute clip, the app slices it into four segments that run back-to-back.

• Daily limit: commonly ~100 segments per 24 hours, after which new stories won’t publish.
• Keep viewers from dropping:
• Front-load context: add a title card or quick headline on the first frame.
• Use stickers (Poll, Q&A, Quiz) every 2–4 frames to reset attention.
• Caption everything for sound-off viewers; auto-caption and then correct any errors.
• Pace: cut dead air and keep each segment focused on one micro-point.
• Pro tip: Use Highlights to turn your best sequences into evergreen story albums.

Feed Video Limits and Best Uses

Feed video is your home for flexible length and aspect ratio, especially if your content needs more than 90 seconds.

• Length:
• Mobile uploads: typically up to 15 minutes.
• Desktop uploads: often up to ~60 minutes (subject to account/region).
• When to go long-form:
• Tutorials, interviews, webinars, product walkthroughs, and testimonials.
• Consider chapters in the caption with timestamps for longer posts.
• Distribution differences:
• Reels are pushed into Reels-specific discovery. Long feed videos rely more on follower graphs and Explore.
• A hybrid approach works: publish a long feed cut, plus a 30–60s Reel that teases the core takeaway and points viewers to the full post.

Instagram Live: Up to 4 Hours

Live streams can run up to 4 hours per session—ideal for launches, AMAs, or co-hosted interviews.

• Plan for retention:
• Break into 10–15 minute segments with recurring resets (“If you’re just joining…”).
• Pin key comments or links; use badges and Q&A to interact on cue.
• Repurpose efficiently:
• Save the Live to your device or archive, then cut:
• 15–60s Reels highlights
• 60–120s feed clips
• Story snippets with captions and stickers
• Publish a carousel “recap” with 5–10 short video moments plus text slides.

Carousels with Video

Carousels can combine up to 10 slides of images and/or videos, with video slides typically capped at 60 seconds each.

• Sequencing tips:
• Slide 1: a punchy cover image with headline-style text.
• Slides 2–4: tight video moments advancing the story.
• Mid-sequence image slides to reset focus or show step-by-step bullets.
• Final slide: CTA (comment prompt, save/DM, link in bio).
• Cover image matters:
• Design a vertical 4:5 cover that reads in the grid and in feed.
• Keep key text within a centered safe area to avoid UI overlap.

Ads and Branded Placements

Ad time limits generally mirror organic surfaces (e.g., Reels ads typically up to 90 seconds), but specs shift often.

• Always verify:
• Before exporting, confirm placement-specific limits in Ads Manager (Reels, Stories, In-Stream, Explore).
• Check file size caps, safe zones, and whether sound-off compliance is required (it usually is).
• Creative guidance:
• 6–15 seconds tends to be the performance sweet spot for cold audiences.
• Add burned-in captions and a clear CTA within the first 5 seconds.

Choosing the Right Format by Goal and Length

• Discovery and top-of-funnel:
• Reels, 15–45 seconds, snappy hook and loop.
• Day-in-the-life and high-frequency updates:
• Stories, 3–10 segments, interactive stickers, captions.
• Deep dives, interviews, webinars:
• Feed videos (2–10 minutes) or Live (30–90 minutes).
• Portability and save-worthiness:
• Carousels with short clips and text slides.

Decision flow (repurposing one master video):

• If your master cut is 10–20 minutes:
• Export a 2–5 minute feed cut.
• Pull 2–4 short Reels (30–60s) highlighting key moments.
• Build a 5–8 slide carousel recap with 2–3 sub-60s clips.
• Draft 3–5 Stories with a behind-the-scenes angle and swipe/DM prompt.
• If your master cut is 60–120 seconds:
• Make a 45–60s Reel.
• Create a 15–30s teaser Reel variant.
• Post the full version to feed; Stories for quick context and link-in-bio CTA.

Technical Specs and Upload Tips

• Bitrate: Aim for 5–8 Mbps for 1080p vertical to balance quality and file size.
• Audio: 44.1 kHz AAC, -12 to -6 LUFS integrated loudness to avoid clipping.
• Captions: Instagram doesn’t support separate SRT files on upload; add burned-in captions or use in-app auto-caption and proof.

Quick Trimming Workflows

• Mobile
• iOS: Photos > Edit > Trim, then use Clips/CapCut for captions.
• Android: Google Photos > Edit > Trim, then CapCut/InShot for overlays.
• Desktop NLEs
• Premiere Pro: Auto Reframe for 9:16; export H.264 Match Source High Bitrate.
• Final Cut: Vertical project; use Roles to control dialogue/music levels.

Command-line (ffmpeg) Examples

Trim to 59 seconds and center-fit to 9:16 with padding:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 0 -t 59 \
-vf "scale=1080:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,\
pad=1080:1920:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" \
-r 30 -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 20 -pix_fmt yuv420p \
-c:a aac -b:a 128k output_reel.mp4

Burn in captions from an SRT file:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt:force_style='Fontsize=24,Outline=2'" \
-c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac output_burned.mp4

Downmix loud audio to a safe level:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -af "loudnorm=I=-14:TP=-1.5:LRA=11" \
-c:v copy output_loudnorm.mp4

FAQs

• Are 3–10 minute Reels available to everyone?
• No. As of 2025, longer Reels are in limited testing. Most accounts still have a 90-second cap.
• What happens if I post a 2-minute vertical video as a Reel?
• You’ll likely be prompted to trim to 90s or post as a standard feed video without Reels-specific distribution.
• Is there still a 15-second story limit?
• Instagram moved to 60-second story segments. The app now slices longer imports into contiguous 60s chunks.
• Do long feed videos hurt reach?
• Not inherently. However, completion rate matters. Consider chapters, strong hooks, and a short Reel to funnel attention.

Bottom Line: “How long can an Instagram video be?”

• Reels: up to 90 seconds (longer lengths in limited tests).
• Stories: 60 seconds per segment, ~100/day.
• Feed: 3 seconds to 15 minutes (mobile), up to ~60 minutes (desktop).
• Live: up to 4 hours.
• Carousels: 10 slides, video slides typically ≤60 seconds.

Match your message to the surface: short and punchy for discovery (Reels), snackable and interactive for Stories, and deeper cuts for Feed and Live. Then repurpose smartly so every second earns its place.

In short, keep Reels concise for reach, use Stories for frequent, interactive updates, and lean on Feed and Live for depth. Repurpose one master edit across surfaces, follow current specs, and check in-app limits since tests and rollouts vary by account and region.