How to Change the Length of an Instagram Reel

Trying to get an Instagram Reel to the perfect length can feel unnecessarily complicated. You have a great video, but the best part is buried in the middle, or the clip is just a few seconds too long. This guide will walk you through exactly how to change the length of an Instagram Reel, whether you're trimming a single uploaded clip or editing a masterpiece with multiple cuts.

Understanding Instagram Reel Length Requirements

Before you start editing, it helps to know the sandbox you're playing in. As of now, Instagram Reels can be anywhere from a single second up to 90 seconds long when you upload a pre-made video. If you're recording directly within the app, you can choose a length of 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds. This is your maximum runtime, giving you a clear boundary for your creative work.

Most viral Reels, however, are much shorter. Often, they clock in between 7 and 15 seconds, matching the length of a trending audio clip. The key isn't always to hit the 90-second max, it's to make every second count. Knowing how to trim and adjust your clips precisely is what separates a good Reel from a great one.

How to Choose Your Reel Length Before You Record

If you're starting from scratch and record a Reel directly in the Instagram app, you can set your maximum length beforehand. This is a handy way to keep yourself on track, especially if you're doing a lip-sync or a timed challenge.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Instagram app and swipe right to open the camera, or tap the + icon at the bottom and select "Reel."
2. On the left side of your screen, you’ll see a toolbar with several icons. Tap the one that says "Length." It usually shows a circle with "30" or "60" in it.
3. You can toggle between 15, 30, 60, and 90 seconds. Select the maximum time you want for your Reel.
4. Now, when you press the record button, the timer at the top of the screen will show you how much time you have left within your chosen limit.

This method is great for setting a creative constraint. If you know you're working with a 15-second audio clip, setting your Reel length to 15 seconds prevents you from accidentally recording too much B-roll.

How to Change the Length of a Reel By Trimming Clips

This is the most common scenario: you have a video (or several videos) saved to your phone that you want to turn into a Reel, but you only need a specific portion of the footage. Instagram’s built-in editor makes this straightforward once you know where to look.

Trimming a Single Video Clip

Let's say you have one long video and just want to pull out the best 10-second segment for your Reel. Don't worry about editing it in a separate app - you can do it right inside Instagram.

• Step 1: Open the Reels Editor. Open Instagram and navigate to the Reels camera. Swipe up or tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner to access your phone's camera roll.
• Step 2: Select Your Video. Find the video you want to use and tap on it. Instagram will load it into the editor.
• Step 3: Access the Trimmer. Once the video is loaded, a timeline scrubber will appear at the bottom of the screen. This is your trimming tool. It has a slider with handles on both the left and right sides.
• Step 4: Trim the Beginning. To change the start time of your clip, press and hold the left handle of the slider and drag it to the right. As you drag, you'll see a preview of the video frame in the main window, so you can stop exactly where you want the action to begin.
• Step 5: Trim the End. To change the end time, press and hold the right handle of the slider and drag it to the left. Just like before, the preview window will show you the exact frame where your clip will end.
• Step 6: Add the Clip. Once you're happy with your selection, tap "Add" in the top-right corner. This adds your newly trimmed clip to your Reel project.

Editing the Length of Multiple Clips

What if your Reel is made up of five different short video clips and you need to tweak the length of just one of them? This is where the "Edit Clips" feature becomes your best friend. It’s the key to making clean transitions and controlling the pace of your video.

• Step 1: Assemble Your Clips. Add all the videos you want to include in your Reel using the method described above. After you add each one, you’ll see them in a sequence. Don’t worry about getting the timing perfect just yet.
• Step 2: Open the "Edit Clips" Menu. After adding your videos, look for the "Edit Clips" button at the bottom left of your screen on the "Preview" page. Tap it.
• Step 3: View Your Timeline. This screen will show all of your clips laid out in a sequence at the bottom. It looks like a simple video editing timeline.
• Step 4: Select and Trim. Tap on any clip in the timeline. The selected clip will be highlighted, and the trimmer interface will appear for that specific clip. You can now drag the handles to shorten it from the beginning or end, just as you would with a single clip. Tap outside the trimmer or on "Done" to save your changes for that clip.
• Step 5: Reorder if Needed. While in the "Edit Clips" view, you can also press, hold, and drag a clip to change its order in the sequence. This is perfect for fine-tuning your story.
• Step 6: Fine-Tune Transitions. You can also tap on the button between two clips (it looks like two squares overlapping) to add a transition, which can help smooth out your edits and make the changes in clip length feel more natural.

This is how creators make those fast-paced "day in the life" or outfit-change Reels. They shoot several short clips and then use the "Edit Clips" timeline to trim each one down to less than a second, creating a dynamic, jump-cut-style video.

Adjusting Music and Audio Timing to Match Your New Length

Changing your video's length often means adjusting your audio to match. Nothing feels more unprofessional than a Reel where the sound cuts off weirdly or doesn't align with the video's best moments. Luckily, Instagram gives you control here, too.

After you’ve added music to your Reel from Instagram’s audio library:

1. On the Preview screen, tap the music note icon at the top.
2. This will open the audio controls. You'll see the song’s waveform at the bottom of the screen in a timeline.
3. You can drag this waveform left or right to select the exact segment of the song you want to play during your Reel. For example, instead of the song starting at the beginning of the verse, you can scrub forward and start it right at the chorus.
4. Once you've aligned the music perfectly with your visual edits, tap "Done."

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the beat. Often, the most satisfying edits are ones where your scene changes happen right on the beat drop of the music. Use the trimming and audio selection tools together to line this up perfectly.

Quick Tips for Perfecting Your Reel’s Length and Pace

Knowing how to technically change the length is just step one. Using that skill to make better content is step two. Here are a few strategic pointers:

Grab Attention Immediately

Regardless of your Reel's total length - whether it's 8 seconds or 80 - you have about three seconds to convince someone to stop scrolling. Use the trimmer to cut out any dead space at the beginning of your first clip. Start directly on the action.

Let Trending Audio Guide You

If you're using a trending sound, try to keep your Reel's length similar to how other creators are using it. If most of the Reels using a sound are 7 seconds long, there's a reason - that's probably where the audio's punchline or best part sits. Your video will feel more native to the trend if it follows the unwritten rule.

Think in Scenes: Beginning, Middle, End

Even a 15-second Reel should tell a micro-story. Use the multi-clip editor to structure it. Your first clip is the hook, the middle clips provide the context or build-up, and the final clip delivers the payoff or call-to-action.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the length of your Instagram Reels gives you complete creative control, allowing you to build suspense, land a punchline, or simply showcase a product in the most effective way possible. By using the built-in trimmer, the multi-clip editor, and the audio sync tools, you have everything you need to transform raw footage into a polished, engaging piece of content right within the app.

Creating compelling video is a huge part of social media, but reliably scheduling and managing that content across different platforms is where the real work begins. We built Postbase because we knew there had to be an easier way. Since our platform was designed for short-form video from day one, uploading your newly-perfected Reel and scheduling it across all your accounts is seamless. It’s about giving you back the time to focus on creating, not wrestling with an outdated tool to get your content published.