4 Ways Upload Video to Instagram from Computer Directly.
Most of the videos you see on Instagram are professionally edited content. This means that more and more people are editing their Instagram videos on a computer using video editing software like Final Cut Pro and then pushing them to their smartphone to upload it to Instagram. But it would be great if you could just upload videos to Instagram directly from your computer.
So, the next time you sit down at your computer and want to upload an Instagram video that is saved on your hard drive, you don’t need to use Airdrop or email that video to your mobile phone. So, whether you are social media managers or regular users, here are some tools to download Instagram videos directly from your computer.
Related: 9 Ways to Post to Instagram from Computer
Instagram must allow uploading of the video from computer
Last year, around May 2017, Instagram mobile sites were allowed to upload photos. This means that you can use this workaround on PC as well. Just change your desktop browser to mobile using developer tools. You can upload images to Instagram from computer without any third party software. But, unfortunately, this method does not work with video.
While there are some tools that will allow you to upload Instagram videos from your computer, these are paid tools with a monthly fee, except for one. I’ll share a few quick and free and some paid ways to do the same.
Also Read: Try These 7 Online Watermark-Free Video Editors
Video specifications
Before uploading a video, make sure it complies with the following guidelines as prescribed by Instagram:
- The maximum file size is 100MB.
- The playback length is limited to 60 seconds.
- Frame rate should be no more than 30 frames per second.
- The maximum size should not exceed 1080 frames.
- Preferred format is MP4 (H.264 codec and AAC audio, 3500 kbps video bitrate)
- Landscape aspect ratio is 1: 91: 1.
- The aspect ratio of the square is 1: 1
- The aspect ratio of the vertical is 4: 5.
Upload video to Instagram from computer directly
1. Cloud storage (free)
The oldest trick in the book. You create a Dropbox account, or you can use Google Drive on your computer linked to your Gmail account. Download and install it if you haven’t already, and create an account. Copy and paste the video to your Dropbox / Drive folder and let it sync.
Then open the corresponding Dropbox app on your smartphone and select the video you just uploaded. There will be a Share option. When you click the Share button, you will see other options such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and others, depending on which apps you have installed on your smartphone. Select Instagram and the video will be downloaded.
Do you know what is the problem with the cloud storage method? The video will have to be dealt with twice. First from the computer to the cloud, and then from the cloud to Instagram. This is still acceptable if the file size is small. What if it isn’t? Read more.
2. Gramblr (free)
It is a desktop application that you can install on both Windows and Mac. Let’s go through the steps and see how it works.
Visit the homepage and download the software. For this tutorial, I will be using the Windows version. Install and run the desktop application. You will be prompted to create an account. Do this. You will also need to enter your Instagram ID and password. There is no validation, so you will immediately see a drag-and-drop interface.
When you’ve uploaded your video to Gramblr, you should see a thumbnail with options to crop the video. You will notice that there is a horizontal line that you can drag back and forth to crop the video.
After trimming the video, press the red thumb up button in the upper right corner and you will be taken to the last step. Here you can write a caption and either post the video to Instagram or schedule it to air at a later date and time. You can see your story and get followers, however the later feature is only available in the paid version.
Note: In order for the scheduling function to work, you must run Gramblr, otherwise the scheduling will not work.
Once you’re done, hit the big green “Submit!” and the video will be streamed to your Instagram account. While Gramblr is a free tool and does what the tin box says, I found it to be a little buggy. It may or may not work on the first try, but it will eventually work. I had to try 3 times, but other users reported that everything was working fine. I think you will have to try this for yourself.
Check out Gramblr
3. Flume (macOS)
Flume is one of the best options for Mac users. This is as close as possible to having the Instagram app on your Mac. Not only is it a video downloader, it works exactly like the Instagram app on your mobile devices.
The Flume app installer will need to be downloaded directly from the website. Unlike other third party apps, Flume may not appear on the launcher. You can just copy the icon of the installed application to the application folder, or work from the icon itself on the desktop. Once you open the application, you will see the phone as an application interface that works as such.
To download a video, simply click on the camera icon in the lower left corner. A separate download window will appear where you can upload a photo or video. To select videos from the system drive, click the camera icon in the center, or the three dots in the upper right corner to select other options. Alternatively, you can simply drag and drop the video file into the window.
After the file has been inserted, you will see several options similar to those offered by the application on the phone. You can edit, upload multiple parts of the video, apply a filter, and even choose a thumbnail for your video. You can also write a description, add hashtags and tag people in the usual way.
Once the process is complete, all that remains is to post the video to your feed. But if you haven’t noticed yet, the app download feature is only available in the professional version. So if you want to take full advantage of the macOS app, you have to spend a little. It’s not that expensive considering the features on offer.
Download Flume (Free, $ 10 Pro)
4. Uplet (macOS)
As far as possible, Uplet does exactly what is required of it and nothing more. The app can be installed from the website directly like any other third-party app. You can access the app from the launcher.
After installation, you will notice that the application has an extremely minimalistic interface. It’s so minimal that you can’t even resize the application window. This leaves a tiny window with several options.
Just click on the add symbol on the screen to select one or more files. It doesn’t say it, but you can also drag and drop files into the window. After the video appears in the window, you will see the download options.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do before uploading other than write a description and hashtags. It’s the same with photographs.
Just click the Share button and your file will start downloading. The download process is instant and works exactly like the app. The free version now has a five download limit, after which you will need to buy a license according to your needs.
Download Uplet (Free, $ 20-50 after trial)
Conclusion: Upload the video to Instagram from computer
Instagram should have taken care of uploading Instagram videos from your desktop or computer, but perhaps they are deliberately pushing users towards the mobile app.
I liked Gramblr because it is a free desktop client, fast and simple, but a bit buggy. And for macOS, Flume is my favorite. Even though it’s paid, you get a suitable Instagram-like app on your laptop with a similar interface and settings. Another way to do this is to use an Android emulator like GennyMotion, however, in my experience, they just run too much with less reliability. Gramblr is currently the only option.
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