Here’s How to Share a YouTube Video on Instagram the Easy Way

YouTube doesn't have a direct option to share its videos on Instagram. If you try to tap or click the Share button, Instagram shows up there, but the video only goes as a link, not as a preview video. So, you first need to download it and save it to your phone or computer. Once it's saved, you can upload it to Instagram as a post, Reel, or Story. That's the simple method for how to share a video on Instagram, and in this guide, you'll learn all about it.

Part 1. How Do I Share a YouTube Video on an Instagram Reel, Story, or Post Feed

The first step is to download the YouTube video you're interested in, so that you can share it on Instagram later. For this, there are a couple of ways. Some YouTube videos show a download icon just below the video player. You can tap that, and the video gets saved to your phone or computer. That's the easy way.

But if you don't see that download button, it usually means the content creator has turned off downloads, or you need a YouTube Premium account to save it. So what if you still want to share that same video with content restrictions or locked behind the YouTube paywall? There's another way to do it, and it's just as simple. Let's look at it step by step.

Step 1. Download YouTube Video Using YT1D

There are plenty of online platforms that let you download a YouTube video you want to share on Instagram with only the video URL. YT1D is one of the easiest ones for this purpose out there. You don't need any technical skills for this. It's super simple and hassle-free.

Here's exactly how to do it.

• 1.Open your browser and go to the YT1D website.

• 2.In another tab, open YouTube and find the video you want to share on Instagram. Then, copy the full URL of that YouTube video from the address bar.

• 3.Go back to the YT1D, paste the link into the empty field shown on the homepage, and click the search icon next to the box.

  

• 4.Once it processes, you'll see a list of download options. These include audio-only (MP3), video without audio, or video with audio. You can also pick from different resolutions like 360p, 480p, 720p, or 1080p. Click Downloadnext to the resolution you want.

  

• 5.Wait for the download to finish, and your file will be saved on your device.

Now that the video's saved, you're ready for the next step.

Step 2. Set the Aspect Ratio and Edit the Video

After downloading the video, you need to make sure it fits the right aspect ratio for Instagram before sharing. Instagram supports different formats depending on where you plan to upload the video.

For feed posts, Instagram supports both 1:1 (108.1080p) for square posts and 4:5 (108.1350p) aspect ratios for vertical videos. The Instagram posts can go up to 60 minutes in length, which means full videos from YouTube can be shared there without trimming. When it comes to Stories, the standard aspect ratio is 9:16 (108.1920p), and the maximum video duration allowed is 60 seconds. Reels also follow the same 9:16 aspect ratio but allow videos up to 90 seconds long. These limits mean that for Stories and Reels, you'll often need to trim the video down to the most interesting part for your followers before posting.

Also, Instagram doesn't allow videos larger than 4 GB. That's way lower than YouTube's 256 GB limit. So, you need to resize the video depending on whether it's going to be shared as a post, story, or reel.

HitPaw Univd Video Converter is a great tool to set the aspect ratio of the downloaded YouTube video and trim it according to the Instagram video duration standards.

Setting the Aspect Ratio of a Video for Instagram

• 1.First, install and launch HitPaw UniConverter on your PC or Mac. Once it opens, go to the Edittab and select the Crop or Rotate

  

• 2.Next, import the video you want to resize. Just drag it into the workspace or use the import option.

• 3.After that, you'll see a list of preset aspect ratios on the right. There are seven popular formats, including 1:1,9:16, 16:9, 4:3, 4:5, and others. For Instagram Stories and Reels, select 9:16, and for Instagram Posts, choose 1:1.

  

• 4.If you're editing multiple videos, there's an Apply all to listcheckbox at the bottom. Turning this on will apply your selected aspect ratio to all the videos you've added, which is a huge time-saver.

• 5.Once you're done setting everything, click the Confirmbutton to save your changes.

  

Editing the Video for Instagram

Now you've set the aspect ratio, and the next thing is to trim it so it fits the length allowed on Instagram.

• 1.Head to the Editortab inside HitPaw UniConverter and choose the Cut

  

• 2.After that, click Add Filesand load the video you downloaded earlier. It'll show up in the timeline view, where you can play through it and stop at the part you want to cut. Just move the playhead to that spot and click the scissor icon to split the clip. You can do this multiple times if you want to break the video into smaller parts.

  

• 3.If the video is too long for Stories or Reels, this is the best way to keep only the interesting sections that your followers will care about. Once you've split the clips, select the Merge into one fileoption if you want to put them back together as a single video. Then click the Confirm button to lock in those edits.

  

• 4.Now that your clip is ready, you'll see a final preview. Choose the format you want to save it in, then click Exportto save a single file. If you've edited more than one, just hit Export All, and everything will be saved together.

  

This part is key when your original YouTube video runs longer than what Instagram allows.

Afterward, you can also add different filters to the video, speed it up or slow it down, and even add your watermark to be unique while sharing content. The next thing to do is transfer your edited video to your mobile device using the phone's data cable or any other alternate way.

Once done, as already mentioned, you can now share this YouTube video on Instagram in three different ways-by uploading it as a Story, turning it into a Reel, or posting it directly on your feed. Each method has its own steps depending on the video's length and how you want your followers to see it. So here's a breakdown of how to do all three, one by one.

Step 3. Sharing a YouTube Video as an Instagram Story

• 1.Open the Instagram app and swipe right from your home screen or tap the +icon above the Your story option in the top left.

  

• 2.You'll be taken to the Recents album of your phone's gallery. From there, select the YouTube video you trimmed earlier and stored on your phone.

  

• 3.Once it loads, you can use the tools at the top to add stickers, mention someone, add music, or write a caption. Then, click the forward arrow icon.

  

• 4.After that, tap Your Storyor Close Friends, depending on who you want to show it to. Then, tap Share. That's it-the video goes live.

  

Step 4. Sharing a YouTube Video on an Instagram Reel

• 1.From the Instagram home screen, tap the +icon in the bottom menu to access the New reel

  

• 2.Then, select the video you saved from the gallery items showing on the screen.

  

• 3.Once loaded, you can tap on the music note icon to add background audio or the speed icon to tweak how fast or slow it plays. You'll also see options to add text, filters, or even align transitions if your video is in parts. You don't need to edit the video as you have already done it using HitPaw Univd. After adding these elements, tap Next.

  

• 4.In this screen, you can write hashtags, add a caption, tag people, add a location, rename your audio, and add an AI label as well. Then, tap Next.

  

• 5.Finally, tap Shareto post it as a Reel.

  

Step 5. Sharing a YouTube Video as an Instagram Post

• 1.Go back to the +icon one last time, which you used for Reels, tap it, and select

  

• 2.Tap on the downloaded video you've already resized and trimmed, and it will preview in the top screen. Then, tap Next.

  

• 3.You'll be taken to a screen where you can use a suggested audio, add text, use an overlay, and add filters. Like before, you don't need to edit your already edited YouTube video. Then, tap Next.

  

• 4.Finally, add a caption for the YouTube video, tag people and location, and tap Shareto make it a shared post on Instagram.

  

There's another way to share YouTube videos on Instagram as well. Simply open your phone's gallery, select the video, tap Share, and from the menu, choose Instagram Stories, Reels, or Feed. As soon as you select one, the Instagram app will open, and you can share the video in a few seconds.

Part 2. FAQs of How to Share a YouTube Video on Instagram

Conclusion on How to Share a YouTube Video on Instagram

And that's pretty much everything you need to know. If you've got a YouTube video that you really want your Instagram followers to see, now you've got all the steps lined up-download it, resize it, trim it, and upload it the way that fits best. No matter whether you want to share the video as a post, a Story, or a Reel, it only takes a few minutes once you've done it once. So if you were wondering how to share a YouTube video on Instagram, this guide has you covered from start to finish.