The new Reels section in Instagram has brought the familiar social network to life and made it more dynamic. The feed of short videos is an analogue and worthy competitor to TikTok and YouTube’s shorts. Reels has only recently become available in the CIS countries, and not all users have access to the feature yet. However, the new content format has already made waves on the internet as a quick way to gain views, increase engagement, and promote accounts for free.
To take advantage of all the possibilities of the new feature without falling afoul of Instagram’s algorithms, it’s important to know what parameters your video should meet. In this article, you’ll find important information about the resolution, size, and format of Instagram Reels videos, as well as learn about the peculiarities of creating them.
Features of the Reels format
First, let’s find out what the new feature is all about.
Reels are short videos, ranging from 3 to 30 seconds, that are posted in a special section on Instagram. The icon is located right in the middle of the menu, as well as in the recommended section.
To post a video, you can either shoot it in the app or upload a pre-made one from your smartphone.
How to create a Reels video in the Instagram editor.
The easiest and quickest way to create a Reels video is to record it directly in the app, using the front or back camera.
There are three ways to access the editor:
1. Tap on the Reels icon at the bottom of the main Instagram screen.
- Tap on the “+” icon in the top right corner of the Instagram screen.
- Through stories – simply swipe left and select Reels at the bottom.
You can edit the video directly in the app, using the built-in editor:
- set a timer,
- speed up or slow down the video,
- apply filters, music, and text,
- create collaborative remixes, like in TikTok.
Once the video is edited, you can save it to your phone, save it as a draft, or share it immediately. Before publishing, you need to set a cover – a static image that will be visible in your profile. This can be either a fragment from the video or a separate image.
Video dimensions and resolution
To create more effective and dynamic videos, they are edited in third-party applications. Such videos look more impressive against the background of those created within Instagram itself.
To upload a ready-made video, you can click on the square icon in the lower left corner of the screen in the editor.
But uploading a video is not the main task. For the video to appear in the feed of other users, it must be of good quality and resolution. It is worth remembering several parameters that the Reels video should meet – this will help when creating a video.
Like stories, Reels videos correspond to a vertical full-screen format. The 9:16 aspect ratio is adjusted so that the video is convenient to view on the full screen of a mobile device.
In the Instagram feed, the video will be cropped to a 4:5 aspect ratio, so this should be taken into account when adding captions, stickers, and also paying attention to how well the main objects of the shooting fit into the square format.
The maximum supported resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels (4K resolution is not supported). The minimum video quality is 600 x 1067 pixels.
The format of Reels videos on Instagram.
Nothing has changed here – like any other video content on Instagram, Reels videos can be uploaded in MP4 and MOV formats.
Despite the short length of the videos, the size of the video for Reels can be up to 4 GB. There is also a limit on the frame rate – it should not exceed 30 frames per second.
Important! The video must be without any third-party logos and watermarks. Otherwise, Instagram immediately reduces the reach. The program is especially strict about the Tik Tok logo.
How to adjust a video to meet requirements
Making a video that meets the necessary parameters is quite simple. Most mobile video editing apps such as InShot, Adobe Premiere, KineMaster, FilmoraGo, and others have ready-made templates that allow you to stretch, crop, and adjust the video to the desired size. However, it is important to carefully monitor the quality of the video. In most apps, you can also choose the format and quality in which the video will be saved.
Reels allows you to impress your audience with original videos, attract attention, and gain new followers. The information in this article simplifies the process of getting acquainted with the new feature and saves time and effort when filling the Reels section in your Instagram account.