YouTube to Reels
A YouTube video is 16:9. An Instagram Reel is 1080 × 1920, 9:16. Converting between them isn't a resize — it's deciding what happens to the two-thirds of the frame that no longer fit, and keeping your subject clear of the Reels interface that sits on top. Both of those are what this page is about.
We already had pages for YouTube to TikTok and YouTube to Shorts. Reels was the missing one — and it's the platform with the most intrusive UI, so it deserves its own specs.
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Updated 24 July 2026 · by Yohann Kipfer, who writes the encoder behind make-vertical.com
Instagram Reels specs, verified
The values you actually need before exporting. These are from Instagram's help centre as of July 2026 — Meta changes them without notice, so treat them as current, not eternal.
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 px — upload this |
| Max length | 3 minutes (raised from 90 s in 2025) |
| Max file size | 4 GB |
| Container / codec | MP4 · H.264 · 30 fps |
| Audio | AAC, stereo |
One number people quote that isn't a spec: the “ideal” Reel length. Instagram publishes a 3-minute ceiling and nothing about an optimum. Figures like “7–15 seconds” or “up to 90 s” are guesses dressed as facts. Post the length the clip needs.
The Reels UI covers more of your frame than you think
This is where Reels differs from TikTok and Shorts. Meta's own guidance for Reels creative asks you to keep anything that matters — faces, text, logos — out of the top 14% and the bottom 35% of the frame, plus the right-hand action column. On a 1080 × 1920 canvas that works out like this:
| Edge | Margin | On 1080×1920 | What sits there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 14% | 269 px | Profile name and the follow button sit here on Reels. |
| Bottom | 35% | 672 px | Caption, audio attribution, the progress bar — the busiest band by far. |
| Right | ≈ 10% | ≈ 110 px | The action column: like, comment, share, the spinning audio disc. |
| Left | ≈ 5% | ≈ 55 px | Almost clear — the calm side of the frame. |
Add the top 269 px and bottom 672 px together and 941 px of your 1920 — nearly half the height — is a UI risk zone. The genuinely clean band is roughly the middle 979 px. That's where your face and any burned-in caption should live. The bottom 35% is the one that catches people: it looks empty in your editor and is completely buried under the caption and audio row once posted.
The practical version
Keep subjects and captions in the central vertical third. If you burn in subtitles, push them up to roughly 60% of the height, not the bottom — Instagram's own caption will land under them otherwise. Then check the in-app preview before posting; it's the only place the real overlay meets your real video.
YouTube to Reel, step by step
- 1Grab the 16:9 clip
Download or export the segment you want from your YouTube video. Any horizontal source works — 1080p, 1440p or 4K. Aim for 4K if you plan to crop.
- 2Upload and pick the moment
Drop the clip into the converter and trim to the part that earns the Reel. Instagram plays Reels up to 3 minutes; short usually wins, but that's your call, not a spec.
- 3Choose crop or blurred background
For a moving talking head, crop with subject tracking so the 9:16 window follows the face. For a shot where the sides matter, use a blurred background — the whole 16:9 goes in and a blurred copy fills the rest, no black bars.
- 4Keep content out of the UI zones
Frame your subject inside the safe envelope: below the top 269 px, above the bottom 672 px, left of the right icon column. Baked-in captions especially must clear the bottom third.
- 5Export 1080 × 1920 and post
Export MP4 at 1080 × 1920, H.264. Upload to Instagram as a Reel. Check the in-app preview once before posting — it's the only place you see the real UI over your real video.
Blurred background vs black bars for a talking head
A YouTube talking head is the classic Reels conversion, and it's exactly the case where you don't want to crop — cut the sides and you lose the framing the shot was built around. So you fill the 9:16 canvas instead. Two ways:
Your 16:9 sits centred at 1080 × 608; a scaled, blurred copy of the same shot fills above and below. Reads as native vertical, keeps the whole frame, upscales nothing. Slightly larger file because the encoder has moving detail to store.
Same centred 1080 × 608, but flat black above and below. Smallest file — black compresses to nearly nothing. The downside is it screams “reposted from YouTube”, and Reels tends to reward content that looks made for the feed.
For a Reel, the blurred background almost always wins on look; black bars win only when you're going to drop captions into the bands and want the smallest possible upload. Both keep 100% of your picture — the choice is purely how the empty space reads.
Full comparison on the dedicated blurred background page.
Make your Reel
Online, no install. Upload the YouTube clip, choose crop or blurred background, trim, export at 1080 × 1920. The output is a true 1080p MP4 — no hidden downscale.
First video free · MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI · 1080 × 1920 out
Frequently asked questions
What is the best length for a Reel from a YouTube video?
Instagram plays Reels up to 3 minutes (raised from 90 seconds in 2025). That's the ceiling, not a target. There's no honest 'ideal' number — very precise figures like '21–34 seconds' circulate with no traceable source and I won't repeat them. Trim to the moment that stands on its own out of context, and stop there.
Do I need an Instagram account or to log in here?
Not to convert. The tool never touches Instagram — it just gives you a 1080 × 1920 MP4. You upload that to Instagram yourself, in the app, where you'll obviously need your own account. No login, and no Instagram connection, is required on this side.
Is there a watermark on the free version?
The first video is free and carries a small make-vertical.com watermark, bottom-centre. The paid tier removes it and unlocks subject tracking and longer clips. The crop, the ratios and all three fill modes work on the free video — the watermark is the only visible difference.
What's the maximum file size Instagram accepts for a Reel?
Instagram's help centre lists 4 GB for a Reel upload as of July 2026 — far more than a trimmed clip needs. The real limit you'll hit is this tool's free tier (200 MB in), which is still plenty for a minute of 1080p. Instagram re-encodes whatever you send, so a sane 1080p export uploads fine.
Will the quality drop converting from YouTube?
The export is a true 1080 × 1920 with CRF 21 H.264 — no arbitrary downscale. The only place quality can slip is cropping a 1080p source: the 9:16 crop is 608 px wide and stretching it to 1080 costs sharpness. Start from a 4K YouTube source, or use a blurred background (which crops nothing), and the Reel stays crisp.
Keep going
Post it as a Reel, not as a repost.
Upload your YouTube clip and get a clean 1080 × 1920 that clears Instagram's UI.
Convert my video to a ReelFirst one free · see pricing