TL;DR – here are the optimal lengths for social media videos.

Instagram:

Feed posts – 1 minute

Reels – 15 – 60 seconds

Stories – 15 seconds

TikTok: 7 – 15 seconds

YouTube: 10 minutes

YouTube Shorts: 60 seconds

Twitter: 44 seconds

LinkedIn: up to 30 seconds

Snapchat: 7 seconds

Pinterest: 6 – 15 seconds

Facebook: 15 seconds – 3 minutes

Douyin: Less than a minute

Stream: 2 hours

Bilibili: 5 minutes

According to the recent SEMrush report dedicated to content on social media, videos are among the best performing forms of content on the Internet. So no wonder that if you manage your own or a brand social media account, video content is a must.

But it’s not enough to just make videos; it’s vital to make them wisely. Considering the optimal length for each social media platform is one of the wisest things to do.

Now let’s dive deeper into the optimal lengths of videos for social media channels.

How Long Instagram Videos Should Be

Grid Instagram video length – 60 seconds

Back in 2021, Instagram merged its grid videos with IGTV ones, thus disregarding the Instagram TV content whatsoever. Now all Instagram clips except Reels are called Instagram Video. The maximum length that you’ll see in the feed is one minute; this is why this length is considered optimal.

Tip: Download any Instagram video or Reels with 4K Video Downloader just at the touch of a button.

Although users are free to make 15 minute long videos on Instagram, if your account is verified, you can make clips up to 60 minutes long and even upload them from your PC.

Don’t forget to add an eye-catching thumbnail that will make your video stand out from the feed and include some on-screen captions to make sure those who watch your video with sounds off also enjoy it.

Instagram Story video length – 15 seconds per slide

Apart from the video length of a Story, you should also think through the amount of the Story slides (1 – 7 is optimal) to cover everything you want to say. Beyond keeping in mind the Story video length, think through the hook you’ll include in the Story and a call to action. Thus, you’ll acquire more reach and views for your Story.

Suggested read: How to Download Instagram Stories

Instagram Reels optimal length – 15 – 60 seconds

Reels are short videos (TikTok-like) on Instagram. You can find Reels in your main feed, on the Explore page or in the separate tab that consists of Reels only. Since Reels are short-form videos and their brief length is their distinguishing feature, the optimal length is shorter than for in-feed videos: 15 – 60 seconds.

Tip: Easily download Instagram Reels with 4K Stogram!

You can choose the runtime of a Reel before making one. The options include 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and 1 minute.

Note that regardless of the length you choose, the sweet spot should be within the first several seconds of a clip to attract viewers' attention and make them watch the entire video.

How Long TikTok Videos Should Be

Optimal TikTok video length – 7 – 15 Seconds

TikTok gained its popularity due to super short videos. And though TikTok’s now changing its vector to longer pieces, it’s still recognised as a platform for short videos.

TikTok’s content is fast, and its users' attention spans are short, so the videos’ lengths must be concise.

​​

@combinapp That kiss in the end though #instagramnews #reelsupdate #differentpeople #socialmediatips original sound -

Last year, TikTok expanded the maximum length if their videos from 1 to 3 minutes, and then even to 10 minutes. Yet, the optimal video length still remains at about 15 seconds.

How Long YouTube Videos Should Be

Optimal YouTube video length – 10 minutes

YouTube is one of the most prominent video hosting websites and now even a search engine for video content. There are plenty of videos of various sizes on the platform, yet it’s recommended to keep your videos about 10 minutes long.

But it’s obvious, though, that the optimal length of a YouTube video depends on the goal of its creator. If you want, for example, to monetise YouTube ads, keep your videos to about a 10-minute duration. Some videos require more information to be included, so their optimal length is much more significant.

YouTube Shorts', optimal video length is 60 seconds. YouTube will automatically categorise any YouTube content 60 seconds or less as a YouTube Short.

How Long Twitter Videos Should Be

Optimal Twitter video length – 44 seconds

As a social media platform, Twitter aims for brevity both in text tweets with its 280 characters limit and in videos allowing users to upload videos that are no longer than 140 seconds (2 minutes 20 seconds).

A recent study found that videos 43 – 45 seconds were more likely to have the highest engagement rates in-feed.

How Long LinkedIn Videos Should Be

Optimal LinkedIn video length – up to 30 seconds

LinkedIn is a business-focused social media platform for networking, recruiting and looking for a job, and building a business contact base.

On LinkedIn, you can upload videos up to 10 minutes long and video ads up to 30 minutes long.

To leverage LinkedIn videos to their maximum potential and get the most of them, keep the videos as short as 30 seconds or under as such videos get a 200% completion rate. LinkedIn recommends this length for its customers and users. Yet, the platform also says that you should make longer videos if you want the audience to take immediate action.

How Long Snapchat Videos Should Be

Optimal Snapchat video length – 7 seconds

Like TikTok or Twitter, Snapchat strives for succinctness when it comes to video content. The maximum video length is 10 seconds for regular posts, so the optimal length is about 7 seconds.

How Long Pinterest Videos Should Be

Optimal Pinterest video length – 6 – 15 seconds

Pinterest just recently launched video content on the platform. The maximum length of a video on Pinterest is 15 minutes, with the optimal video length ranging from 6 to 15 seconds. Pinterest suggests this range since such videos drive more engagement.

On Pinterest, there are two ways to make videos: Video Pins and Pinterest Stories. Video Pins can run 4 – 15 minutes, with Pinterest Stories having a maximum runtime of 60 seconds.

How Long Facebook Videos Should Be

Optimal Facebook video length – 15 seconds to 3+ minutes

The maximum video length of Facebook clips is 240 minutes (4 hours), with an optimal length of up to 3 minutes or under. For Facebook stories, it’s recommended to keep them under 20 seconds.

Optimal Video Lengths on Chinese Social Media

We got you covered if you’re looking for recommendations on Chinese platforms such as Douyin or Bilibili.

The optimal video length for Douyin is less than 1 minute, with a maximum runtime of 5 minutes. Meanwhile, the optimal length of Douyin streams should be about 2 hours.

On Bilibili, a Chinese video hosting similar to YouTube, the optimal video length should be about 5 minutes.

Regardless of the video length, 4K Video Downloader, 4K Stogram, and 4K Tokkit can easily download clips from most of the sites we talked about in this piece. Learn more about all apps and download them on your PC or Mac.