Instagram Stories video codec and container support
Instagram Stories recommends H.264 in MP4 for upload. 6 of the 48 codec and container combinations checked here appear in Instagram Stories's published upload documentation. Anything else is not documented: it may still upload, but converting to a documented combination is the safe choice.
Documented combinations
| Codec and container | Status | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 / AVC in MP4 | Recommended | Stories video follows the Instagram video upload defaults. |
| AAC in MP4 | Recommended | AAC is the default audio codec. |
| AAC in MOV (QuickTime) | Recommended | AAC is the default audio codec. |
| H.264 / AVC in MOV (QuickTime) | Accepted | MOV accepted; Stories may compress aggressively. |
| H.265 / HEVC in MP4 | Accepted | The Instagram API spec lists HEVC or H.264 video in MOV or MP4. |
| H.265 / HEVC in MOV (QuickTime) | Accepted | The Instagram API spec lists HEVC or H.264 video in MOV or MP4. |
Quick answers
Does Instagram Stories support H.264 (AVC)?
Yes: Instagram Stories documents H.264 (AVC) in MP4 (recommended), MOV (accepted).
Does Instagram Stories support H.265 (HEVC)?
Yes: Instagram Stories documents H.265 (HEVC) in MP4 (accepted), MOV (accepted). H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Does Instagram Stories support AV1?
Instagram Stories's published upload documentation does not list AV1 in any container checked here. It may still upload; H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Does Instagram Stories support VP9?
Instagram Stories's published upload documentation does not list VP9 in any container checked here. It may still upload; H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Does Instagram Stories support VP8?
Instagram Stories's published upload documentation does not list VP8 in any container checked here. It may still upload; H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Does Instagram Stories support MPEG-4 Part 2?
Instagram Stories's published upload documentation does not list MPEG-4 Part 2 in any container checked here. It may still upload; H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Does Instagram Stories support ProRes?
Instagram Stories's published upload documentation does not list ProRes in any container checked here. It may still upload; H.264 in MP4 is the documented safe choice.
Every combination checked
Recommended: 3 · Accepted: 3 · Not documented: 26 · Non-standard mux: 16
| Codec | MP4 | MOV | WebM | MKV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 / AVC | Recommended | Accepted | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| H.265 / HEVC | Accepted | Accepted | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| AV1 | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| VP9 | Not documented | Non-standard mux | Not documented | Not documented |
| VP8 | Non-standard mux | Non-standard mux | Not documented | Not documented |
| MPEG-4 Part 2 | Not documented | Not documented | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| ProRes | Not documented | Not documented | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| Codec | MP4 | MOV | WebM | MKV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAC | Recommended | Recommended | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| MP3 | Not documented | Not documented | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| Opus | Non-standard mux | Non-standard mux | Not documented | Not documented |
| FLAC | Non-standard mux | Non-standard mux | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
| PCM (uncompressed) | Non-standard mux | Not documented | Non-standard mux | Not documented |
- Recommended
- the platform names this as a recommended upload
- Accepted
- listed as accepted, not the default
- Not documented
- not in the platform's published list; it may still upload, but convert to be safe
- Non-standard mux
- this codec is not normally carried in this container; files like this are rare
Sources
- Instagram Stories video specifications: Instagram Stories upload; native mobile/web behavior may differ from API. Checked 2026-09-18.
- Instagram API: IG User Media (reel, story and video specifications): Instagram API publishing spec (also used by schedulers); Instagram publishes no codec list for app uploads. Checked 2026-10-05.
Verdicts come from the published lists above. Where a list is silent, this page says “Not documented” rather than guessing.