Best Instagram Reels export settings (that survive the upload)
Export Reels at 1080×1920, the frame rate you shot, H.264 or HEVC at 8–12 Mbps and SDR colour. Why each setting matters, plus the one toggle most people miss.
The best export settings for Instagram Reels are 1080 × 1920 at the frame rate you shot, H.264 or HEVC in an MP4 at about 8–12 Mbps, SDR colour (BT.709) and AAC audio at 48 kHz. Instagram re-encodes every Reel whatever you send, so the aim is a clean file that its encoder has little reason to damage.
Reels export settings at a glance
| Setting | Use this |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) |
| Frame rate | The one you shot. Don’t convert 24 → 30 |
| Codec | H.264 (High profile) or HEVC, in an MP4 |
| Bitrate | 8–12 Mbps for 1080p is plenty |
| Colour | SDR, BT.709, unless it’s iPhone HDR going to iOS |
| Audio | AAC, 48 kHz, stereo |
What resolution should a Reel be?
1080 × 1920 pixels, a vertical 9:16 frame. Uploading 4K doesn’t get you a 4K Reel, because Instagram scales it down anyway. When you send 1080 × 1920 yourself, you decide how the picture is scaled instead of leaving it to the platform, and the upload is a fraction of the size.
What frame rate should I export Reels at?
The one your camera recorded. Converting 24 fps to 30 adds uneven motion (judder), and compression makes it easier to see. Phones sometimes record a variable frame rate to save power; export those clips at a constant frame rate, since some players stutter on VFR files.
What bitrate is best for Instagram Reels?
For 1080p, 8–12 Mbps. Past that, a higher bitrate mostly buys you a longer upload. Instagram’s own encode typically runs far below either number, so a 100 Mbps ProRes file and a 10 Mbps H.264 file of the same clip tend to look very close once they’re posted.
If your source is ProRes or Log, convert it before uploading. If you want to know how far a file can shrink before it shows, see how to compress a video without losing quality.
Should I upload Reels in HDR?
Usually not. HDR from Android phones, and Log footage from any phone, often comes out grey and flat on Instagram, so convert those to SDR before posting. iPhone HDR is the exception: Meta has said Instagram on iOS now keeps iPhone HDR in the encodes it makes for widely viewed videos. The details are in why your Reel looks washed out.
Why does Instagram lower the quality of my Reels?
Partly because it re-encodes everything, and partly because of one setting. In the Instagram app, go to Settings → Data usage and media quality → Upload at highest quality and switch it on. With it off, Instagram may compress harder on a slow connection so the upload finishes sooner.
Getting it right without memorising settings
Drop the clip into Becheloon, pick Reels, and it applies the right settings for that specific file while leaving alone anything that’s already correct. Each export shows a measured quality score, so you can see nothing that matters was lost. The pre-upload report is always free, and your first three videos get every feature. Download it for Windows.