Mastering Instagram Video Resizing: A Comprehensive Guide to Ideal Video Dimensions

As an ever-evolving social media platform, Instagram is a hub for content creators to showcase their creativity. Videos are a significant part of the Instagram...

As an ever-evolving social media platform, Instagram is a hub for content creators to showcase their creativity. Videos are a significant part of the Instagram experience, which include Instagram posts, Instagram Story, Reels, IGTV, and carousel. However, a common challenge for many beginners is understanding how to resize video content to fit Instagram's unique requirements. This comprehensive guide will navigate you through the process of resizing your video for Instagram on various devices like iPhone, Android, and Mac.

Understanding Instagram's Video Size and Ratio Requirements

Instagram's video size and ratio requirements vary depending on the type of content. For instance, Instagram Stories and Reels usually require a vertical video with an aspect ratio of 9:16. Instagram feed posts, on the other hand, can accommodate square (1:1), landscape (1.91:1), and portrait (4:5) video formats. For IGTV, videos should ideally have an aspect ratio of 9:16 for vertical videos and 16:9 for landscape videos.

These ratios ensure that your video fits perfectly on Instagram without losing any crucial details due to cropping. The recommended video dimensions are 1080 pixels wide for square and landscape videos, and 1080x1350 pixels for portrait videos.

Resizing a Video for Instagram

Resizing a video for Instagram involves altering its aspect ratio to meet Instagram's requirements. You can easily do this using a video editor tool that allows you to adjust the aspect ratio, crop video clips, and more. The general steps include:

1. Upload your video file into the video editor.
2. Choose the video aspect ratio that fits the Instagram content type you're creating.
3. Crop or adjust your video to fit the chosen aspect ratio.
4. Preview your video to ensure it fits perfectly.
5. Export the video in the right format, ensuring high video quality and appropriate frame rate.

Remember to add subtitles, if necessary, choosing from a range of fonts provided by your chosen video editor. You can also enhance your video with transitions, preset sizes, gifs, and watermarks for a professional touch.

Free Apps to Resize Videos for Instagram

Here's a rundown of the top 8 free apps and software to resize videos for Instagram:

1. Kapwing: This online video editor is beginner-friendly, offering a specific Instagram video resizer tool. It also includes features like adding subtitles and watermarks.
2. InShot: Available on both iOS and Android, InShot provides versatile video editing features, including resizing, cropping, and adding transitions.
3. Adobe Spark: This tool offers templates and a user-friendly interface for Instagram video editing, including resizing and aspect ratio presets.
4. VSCO: Best known for its photo filters, VSCO also has video editing capabilities. You can resize videos to fit Instagram and enhance them with preset filters.
5. Quik: Developed by GoPro, Quik offers robust video editing tools including cropping and transitions. It is available for iOS and Android devices.
6. Clipomatic: This iOS app stands out with its automatic subtitles feature, ideal for Instagram Stories.
7. Canva: Known for graphic design, Canva also provides video resizing and editing options, including templates suitable for various Instagram content.
8. FilmoraGo: This mobile app offers a range of video editing options, from resizing to adding music, making it perfect for Instagram Reels and TikTok.

Resizing Videos on iPhone

For iPhone users, apps like InShot and iMovie make resizing videos for Instagram quite easy. Here's a brief tutorial using InShot:

1. Open the InShot app and select the 'Video' option.
2. Upload your video clip and select the 'Canvas' option.
3. Choose your desired aspect ratio (for example, 9:16 for Instagram Stories).
4. Edit your video as necessary, then save and export it.

Resizing and Converting Videos for Instagram

Once your video is resized, it’s important to export it in a format compatible with Instagram. The most widely supported video format is MP4. Ensure to keep the file size under 100MB for Instagram posts and under 4GB for IGTV. Most video editing tools provide options to convert your video file to MP4 during the exporting process.

In summary, resizing videos for Instagram doesn't have to be a daunting task. With the right tools and understanding of Instagram's video dimensions and aspect ratios, you can easily create engaging and professional-looking video content. Whether you're aiming to become the next big influencer or simply want to share your life's moments in the best quality, mastering video resizing will undoubtedly help you achieve your goals on this popular social media platform.