The Instagram Sizing Show

Episode Summary: A practical follow-up to the Pixels 101 episode — exactly how to size photos and videos for Instagram's main feed and Instagram Stories, file types, aspect ratios, and pixel dimensions included. What You'll Learn What file types and video lengths Instagram accepts, feed vs. Stories The exact pixel dimensions for every Instagram post format: square, horizontal, vertical, and Stories How Mike's own export settings differ from Instagram's minimums for extra quality headroom Why aspect ratio fundamentals from Episode 92 carry directly into Instagram sizing decisions The Two Sides of Instagram Instagram Feed — where photos and videos get posted and browsed for accounts you follow. Instagram Stories — similar to Snapchat, with its own size requirements, built for ongoing 24-hour posts. Past episodes on Instagram: Episode 37: The Instagram Show and Episode 49: The Instagram Stories Show. What File Types Does Instagram Accept? Photos: JPEG or PNG. Animated GIFs are not supported — Boomerang from Instagram is the closest alternative. Videos: Instagram accepts a range of formats, but H.264 codec with an .mp4 extension is the safest bet. Video Length Limits Main feed: 60 seconds or less Instagram Stories: 10 seconds or less Aspect Ratios & Dimensions Builds directly on Episode 92: The Pixels 101 Show — aspect ratio is the width-to-height relationship of a photo or video. The most popular aspect ratio for video is 16:9 (wide), typically 1920×1080px HD. Resolution (measured in PPI) applies to photos, usually 72–96 PPI; PPI isn't a concern for video. How to Size Photos and Videos for Instagram Profile image: 1:1 (square). Instagram's recommended size is 160×160px, but any 1:1 image works — Mike uses 1024×1024px (overkill, but Instagram scales it down cleanly). Square posts: 1:1. Instagram's spec is 1080×1080px at 72 DPI for photos, 1080×1080px H.264 .mp4 for video. Mike's own settings: 2048×2048px at 96 PPI (photos), 1920×1920px H.264 (video). Horizontal, option 1 (16:9 wide): Instagram's spec is 1920×1080px at 72 DPI (photos) or 1920×1080px / 1280×720px H.264 (video). Mike's settings: 2048×2048px at 96 PPI (photos), 1920×1920px H.264 (video). Horizontal, option 2 (1.91:1 wide): Instagram/Facebook spec is 1200×630px or 1080×566px for photos and video. Mike's settings: 1800×945px. Vertical (4:5 portrait): Instagram's spec is 864×1080px or 1080×1350px for photos and video. Instagram Stories (9:16 tall): 1080×1920px at 72 DPI for photos, 1920×1080px H.264 for video. Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai. Support the show Subscribe To Weekly Newsletter: AI Unplugged Connect With Me 🌐 Website 📧 Newsletter 🎥 YouTube 🐦 X 💼 LinkedIn Comments, Questions & Feedback: [email protected]