How to Create Instagram Reels from YouTube Videos

You’ve already done the hard work of scripting, filming, and editing long-form videos for YouTube. Instead of letting that valuable content sit on one platform, you can turn it into a steady stream of engaging Instagram Reels that builds your audience and saves you a massive amount of time. This guide shows you exactly how to do it, step-by-step.

Why Bother Turning YouTube Videos into Reels?

Repurposing your content isn't about being lazy, it's about being smart and efficient. Your YouTube videos are a goldmine of clips perfect for grabbing attention on Instagram. Here’s why this strategy is so effective:

• Saves Immense Time and Effort: Creating original content from scratch is demanding. By pulling clips from existing videos, you cut your creation time down from hours to minutes. You've already done the heavy lifting.
• Expands Your Reach to a New Audience: The audience scrolling Reels might not be the same one actively searching for 15-minute videos on YouTube. Repurposing introduces your brand and expertise to a completely different user base on a platform designed for discovery.
• Maintains Brand Consistency: Using your core YouTube content ensures your messaging and brand voice stay consistent across platforms. Every Reel reinforces the value you already provide.
• Boosts Engagement on Instagram: Reels are currently one of the best ways to get organic reach on Instagram. Feeding the algorithm with consistent, high-value video content can dramatically increase your impressions, follows, and interactions.

Step 1: Find the “Reel-Worthy” Moments in Your Videos

Not every part of your YouTube video will make a good Reel. Your goal is to find short, punchy, self-contained clips that deliver value or entertainment in 15 to 60 seconds. Before you even download your video, scrub through it and look for these golden nuggets.

What makes a great clip for a Reel?

• Actionable Tips & Quick Tutorials: Did you share a single, powerful tip? Isolate that moment. For example, a clip from a long SEO tutorial showing exactly how to find one specific keyword works perfectly. A quick shot from a cooking video demonstrating how to properly chop an onion is a winner.
• A Compelling Opinion or "Hot Take": Did you make a bold or slightly controversial statement? These clips are fantastic for sparking conversation in the comments. Isolate the one or two sentences where you challenge a common belief in your industry.
• Powerful Story Snippets: If your video tells a story, pull out a key moment of conflict, a turning point, or a satisfying resolution. People are wired for stories, even micro-ones.
• Funny Outtakes or Bloopers: Humanizes your brand and is incredibly shareable. If you have bloopers at the end of your YouTube video, those are prime candidates for Reels.
• "Aha!" Moments: Find the point in your video where you deliver the core insight or the big reveal. This is the moment that makes a viewer feel smart and gives them a reason to follow you for more.
• Before-and-After Shots: Visual transformations are incredibly satisfying and perform exceptionally well on platforms like Instagram. If your video showcases a change - a room makeover, a fitness transformation, a website redesign - that’s your Reel.

Step 2: Get the Video File Ready for Editing

Once you’ve identified the clips you want to use, you need to get the video file onto your computer or phone so you can start editing. You have a few options here.

The Best Method: Use Your Original Video File

By far, the easiest and highest-quality method is to simply use the original, final-edit video file that you uploaded to YouTube in the first place. You have complete control, and there's no loss in audio or video quality. Keep your completed video files organized in cloud storage or on an external hard drive so you can access them easily.

Downloading Your Own Video from YouTube Studio

If you can't find the original file, you can download your own video directly from your YouTube Studio account. The quality might be slightly lower than the original source file due to YouTube's compression, but it will still be more than good enough for a Reel.

1. Log in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click on "Content" in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Find the video you want to use, hover over it, and click the three-dot "Options" icon.
4. Select "Download" from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Edit and Reformat for a Vertical World

This is where you transform your horizontal (16:9) YouTube clip into a vertical (9:16) Instagram Reel. A simple crop-and-export won't cut it, you need to make the content feel native to the Reels experience.

Choose Your Editing Tool

You don't need professional-grade software to do this well. Many amazing mobile and desktop apps can handle this job perfectly.

• For Mobile (Easy and Fast): Apps like CapCut and InShot are fan-favorites for a reason. CapCut, in particular, has incredible features for a free app, including an excellent auto-captioning tool that makes your videos more accessible.
• For Desktop (More Control): If you’re already comfortable with video editing, desktop software like DaVinci Resolve (which has a powerful free version), Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro gives you the most flexibility.

The Editing Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Import and Trim Your Clip
2. Start a new project in your editor of choice and make sure the project format or aspect ratio is set to 9:16. This gives you a vertical canvas. Import your downloaded YouTube video and trim it down to only the 15-60 second golden nugget you identified earlier.
4. Reframe Your Horizontal Video Now you have a wide video sitting in the middle of a tall frame, with lots of empty space above and below it. You have three main ways to handle this:
   • Punch In & Reframe (Best for single subjects): This is the most popular method. You simply scale up your video until it fills the vertical frame completely. The trick is to keep the main subject or point of action in the center. If you’re talking to the camera, you’ll keep your face centered. You may need to manually add new keyframes to "pan" the video left or right to follow the action.
   • Layered Background (Good for B-Roll): Place the full horizontal clip in the center of the vertical frame. Then, duplicate that clip, place it on a layer underneath, scale it up to fill the whole screen, and apply a heavy blur effect. This creates a visually interesting background that fills the empty space without being distracting.
   • Use a Custom Background: You can also put the horizontal clip over a simple branded background that includes your logo, a title, or a solid color. It’s clean but can sometimes feel less dynamic than the other methods.
5. Add Dynamic On-Screen Captions
6. This is not optional. A huge percentage of people watch Reels with the sound off, so hardcoded captions are essential. Use a bold, easy-to-read font and animate the words to appear as you say them to keep viewers engaged. Apps like CapCut can do this for you automatically, saving a huge amount of time.
8. Consider Trending Audio
9. Scroll through Reels for a few minutes and see what sounds are trending. You can layer a popular song or sound effect quietly underneath your own original audio. To do this, edit your video with your voice at full volume, export it, and then add the trending sound at a very low level (vol 1-5%) within the Instagram app itself. This can sometimes give your Reel a little boost from the algorithm.
11. Create a Compelling Hook and CTA
12. People decide within 1-2 seconds whether to keep watching your Reel. Make sure your first few words or the first visual are attention-grabbing. You can use on-screen text like "Stop doing this with your plants!" or start with an exciting shot. At the end of the Reel, tell people what to do next. A simple CTA like "Full tutorial on YouTube! Link in bio!" or "What’s your take? Let me know in the comments" drives traffic and engagement.
14. Export and Post
15. Once you’re happy with the edit, export the video in the highest quality possible.

Final Thoughts

Repurposing your YouTube videos into Instagram Reels is one of the most efficient content strategies you can implement. It respects the time, effort, and creative energy you have already invested while unlocking new avenues for growth. It takes a little practice, but once you get into a rhythm, it will become second nature.

When you have a lot of Reels ready to go, the right tools can make all the difference. We built Postbase to be a social media management tool that helps you schedule your content in a single visual calendar. This lets you consistently engage your audience without feeling like you have to reinvent the wheel every single day.