Since its launch, Instagram has continued to captivate everyone who uses it. It’s an excellent platform for sharing and getting updates from friends and family. It’s also perfect for unwinding as you scroll through scores of pictures full of life and unmatched beauty.

While the original creators may not have envisioned it, Instagram is as equally good with video as it is with images. But one concern remains. Instagram severely limits the length of videos shared on the platform.

Learn how to post long videos on Instagram easily and conveniently.

Video Length for an Instagram Post

Due to user demand, Instagram has released more features over the years, including more video options. You can now post videos as regular in-feed posts on Instagram, as Reels, Stories, or even as a Live Broadcast.

Each of these options has different video length limits.

Stories are the most versatile and user-friendly option regarding video length. These 15-second clips can give viewers a glimpse into your daily life, show off your latest product, or even use creative effects like Boomerangs and Superzoom.

However, remember that Stories disappear after 24 hours, so if you’re looking for something that lasts longer, you may opt for an in-feed post or turn it into a story highlight on your profile.

Also, if the 15-seconds are too little, you can always post a 1-minute video using four 15-second clips.

Reels are the latest addition to Instagram’s video arsenal and are great for showing off short snippets of your work. Each Reel can last up to 90 seconds and can be used to create more complex videos with audio and effects.

If you’re looking for a creative and effective way to boost your engagement on the platform, Reels are the way to go. You can always post videos on IG Reels in 15, 30, 60, and 90-second intervals.

In-feed posts and IGTV videos can be up to 10 minutes long, although the limit for in-feed video posts was capped at 60 minutes up until October 2021.

Live videos are similar to Reels in that they allow you to engage with your followers in real time and can last up to one hour. This is the perfect option if you’re hosting a Q&A session, giving a virtual tour, or simply having a conversation with your fans.

With a maximum allowed length of four hours, Instagram Live is the perfect solution for posting long videos; initially, the limit was one hour. However, it may only sometimes be ideal for posting all long videos on IG Live because it’s a live feature.

So, unless your target audience can watch your live at a moment’s notice, it generally isn’t a viable option to post long videos on Instagram.

Method 1: Upload Your Long Video to IG Stories (up to 1 min.)

Instagram Stories is an excellent option to share updates with your audience for a limited time on your profile.

With IG Stories, you can post 60-second videos that disappear from your profile after 24 hours. Alternatively, you can add them as story highlights on your profile, and they’ll be featured indefinitely on your profile.

Here’s how to upload a long video to IG Stories:

Before getting to it, you first want to crop your video to run 60 seconds max. Try and ensure all the essential parts are within the 60-second duration. You can also use editing tools like Wave.video to cut and swap the last final frames (probably 10 seconds to the end) and include a call to action or something similar.

• Open Instagram on your device.
• Slide to your left or tap the “+” icon at the top of your screen.

• Select “Story” from the menu below and tap on the gallery icon at the bottom left corner of your screen.

• Navigate to the video you want to upload to Instagram and tap once on it to upload it.
• Touch up on any editing you want and tap on the arrow in the bottom right corner to post the video on IG Stories.

Have a look at this piece on Instagram story video for more information on IG Stories.

Method 2: Split Your Videos Into Shorter Fragments

If your video can’t fit any of the video post options on Instagram, the only solution is to trim it to a size compatible with the platform’s video length limits.

Ideally, splitting and merging different clips requires honed skills and a capable editing tool. Fortunately, most of these tools, like Wave.video, have a short learning curve, and you can split your videos effortlessly and end up with excellent results for your IG posts.

Here’s a look at some of the best video editing tools:

Wave.video

Wave.video is a fantastic all-in-one platform for creating, editing, and sharing videos. The simple user interface makes it easy to upload your original footage quickly and then quickly break it down into smaller clips.

You can even apply professional-quality effects and captions to make your clips stand out.

InShot (Android and iOS)

This is the ideal choice for people who want to make their videos shine from the comfort of their mobile devices. It’s a great Android and iOS application that offers users simple editing options such as crop, adjust exposure and saturation, or break down footage into smaller parts.

CutStory (iOS)

If you’re a major iOS user, CutStory is the right tool. It’s an exceptional iOS application designed with one main goal: make editing quick and easy.

CutStory also enables users to select a specific part of their original video and export it into an individual clip without editing it manually. Thankfully, there are no ads, but all basic/free plan edits have a CutStory watermark.

Story Cutter (Android)

This is the perfect editing tool for Android users looking to split their videos into multiple fragments. Its interface is similar to CutStory, but Story Cutter allows you to apply transitions easily between parts or separate frames, giving your video a more professional feel.

In-Built Video Editors on Your Device

Most smartphones in the market today, whether Android or iOS based, have impressive processing power and video editing capabilities that rival computers that existed a decade ago.

To split a video, you only need to open it on your device’s gallery and select the edit option to trim the video to an appropriate length.

Method 3: Upload Your Video to IG Feed (up to 10 min)

As discussed above, IG Feed can feature images and videos, and their main advantage is they’ll be available indefinitely on your feed until you delete them.

Users can preview the video for up to 60 seconds and choose if they want to continue watching it. This makes sense considering users are constantly bombarded by other exciting content on their feed, and if you can capture their attention.

Here’s how to post a video on Instagram.

Method 4: Go Live

Instagram Live allows you to share videos for up to 4 hours. With this amazing feature, you have two options. You can live stream in real-time, which is how the feature was conceptualized, or you can go live with a pre-recorded video.

With the pre-recorded video, you’ll want to engage with your audience as much as possible and, if necessary, include transitions to enable effective engagement.

Another thing to note is you must have the latest Instagram app version installed on your device and have access to a strong and stable internet connection. Without these, you won’t be able to go live on Instagram.

Here’s how to go about it:

• If you plan to go live in real-time, prepare your live streaming space, and if you intend to use a pre-recorded video, ensure you’ve added the necessary transitions and edits to make it feel like an actual IG Live.
• Open Instagram on your device and slide to the left or tap on the “+” icon at the top of your screen.

• Select “Live” from the options and start streaming your video. For best results, you should use a dedicated streaming software like Wave.video or something similar and connect all the video and audio input to the streaming software.
• Once you’re ready, click the “Live” button on the Instagram app and do the same on your streaming software if you choose to use one.

If you opted to stream a pre-recorded video on Instagram, here’s how you can go about it:

• Open Wave.video on your device, click “My Projects,” then select “My streams & recordings,” as shown below.

 

• Click “Setup Live Stream” and add the necessary details, and if you want, you can also schedule the live stream for a later date.
• Add Instagram as a destination for your Livestream. Click “Create Live Stream” to complete this step.

• Go to the “Upcoming” section, then select “Open Studio” from the live stream you’ve just set up.
• Click “Enter Studio” in the next tab, open the pre-recorded video on your computer, go back to the Live Studio, click “Share”> “Share Screen,” then select the media player tab with the video playing.

• Alternatively, you can click “Share”> “Share Video” and then select the pre-recorded video from your device.
• Click “Stop video” before hitting the “Go Live” button at the top right corner.

Feel free to add graphic effects, add captions, or change the text style on the Live Studio.

Method 5: Upload It to YouTube and Embed Your IG Link

What better way to bypass Instagram video length limits than uploading it to the largest and most reliable video-sharing platform, YouTube?

To do this:

• Upload the long video to YouTube, preferably one associated with your brand or business.
• Next, open the video you’ve uploaded, and if you’re on a computer browser, copy the YouTube video’s link from the browser’s address bar. You can also click the “Share” button and copy the link.
• Create an amazing thumbnail for your video. Wave.video has a tool built specifically for this purpose.
• Upload the video thumbnail on IG Stories and embed the YouTube video link there.

Here’s how to embed a link on an IG Story:

• After you’ve selected the thumbnail from your device storage, tap the “Media” icon at the top, as shown below.

• Select “Link” from the options.

• Paste the YouTube video’s link on the provided space as shown below, then tap “Done.”

• Finally, share the Instagram Story; your audience only has to tap on the embedded link and be redirected to the long video.

If you have over 10,000 followers and your Instagram account is a Business Account, your followers only need to swipe up the Instagram Story to access the embedded YouTube video.

Final Thoughts

Instagram is a powerful social media marketing platform that rewards effort and consistency. However, the platform has limits relating to the length of a video you can post. Fortunately, many workarounds deal with how to post long videos on Instagram.

Video length limits aside, remember to adhere to Instagram’s community and content guidelines. Here’s a guide on video format for Instagram in case you need a refresher.

Failure to which you may fail to achieve your objectives or face an outright ban on the platform.