Reference page · last verified 2026-05-15
Instagram Stories — Video Specs
Instagram Stories accepts 1080 × 1920 recommended at 9:16 (vertical), up to 60 seconds per segment (longer uploads auto-split into consecutive 60 s segments) per upload. Use this page as a quick reference before exporting from your editor — every value is sourced from the official platform documentation.
Specs at a glance
- Resolution
- 1080 × 1920 recommended
- Aspect ratio
- 9:16 (vertical)
- Max duration
- 60 seconds per segment (longer uploads auto-split into consecutive 60 s segments)
- Max file size
- 4 GB
- Framerate
- 23–60 fps (30 recommended)
- Video bitrate
- 3.5 Mbps recommended for 1080p
- Video codec
- H.264 in MP4 (MOV also accepted)
- Audio codec
- AAC stereo
- Audio bitrate
- 128 kbps, 44.1 kHz sample rate
- Max title chars
- N/A
- Max description chars
- Stickers and text overlays only (no caption field)
How it compares
Instagram Stories side-by-side with the platforms creators most often weigh against it.
| Platform | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Frame rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Stories | 1080 × 1920 recommended | 9:16 (vertical) | 23–60 fps (30 recommended) | Vertical ephemeral |
| Instagram Reels | 1080 × 1920 recommended (1080p is the maximum Reels resolution) | 9:16 (vertical) | 23–60 fps (30 recommended) | Vertical short-form |
| Instagram Feed videos | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) recommended; 1080 × 1080 (1:1); min 600 × 750 | 4:5 (preferred), 1:1 (square), 16:9 (landscape) | 23–60 fps (30 recommended) | Square / vertical mid-form |
| Snapchat Spotlight & Stories | 1080 × 1920 recommended (minimum 640 px wide) | 9:16 (vertical full-screen) | Up to 60 fps | Vertical ephemeral |
How to choose for Instagram Stories
1080 × 1920 at 9:16 is the only correct combination; Stories will scale anything else awkwardly. 30 fps is the right call — Stories are watched on mobile in passing, and 60 fps just inflates file size without perceived gain.
Best practices
- 01Respect the safe zone: keep all critical content within the central 1080 × 1420 area to avoid being covered by the profile bubble (top) or reply bar (bottom).
- 02Stories longer than 60 seconds split into segments automatically — design the cuts intentionally rather than letting them land mid-sentence.
- 03Use interactive stickers (poll, quiz, slider, question) — they compound reach and pull viewers out of swipe-through mode.
- 04Add a Link sticker for any traffic-driving Story — it's the only native off-platform link surface for most accounts.
- 05Save high-performing Stories to Highlights with a custom cover for evergreen profile-page conversion.
Related platforms
Vertical short-form
Instagram Reels
9:16 (vertical) · 3 minutes in-app; up to 20 minutes for uploaded clips (feed still favours ≤ 90 s)
Square / vertical mid-form
Instagram Feed videos
4:5 (preferred), 1:1 (square), 16:9 (landscape) · New video posts publish as Reels (3 min in-app, up to ~20 min uploaded)
Vertical ephemeral
Snapchat Spotlight & Stories
9:16 (vertical full-screen) · 5–60 seconds (Spotlight; 15–30 s performs best); 60 s per Story segment
FAQ
Instagram Stories supports up to 60 seconds per segment (longer uploads auto-split into consecutive 60 s segments). Anything longer must be split or uploaded to a long-form surface.