How to make a Reel
Last updated 2026-10-20
To make a Reel, pick one idea, open with a hook, and film upright. Cut the pauses, then add captions, short on-screen text and quiet music in an editor. To post, tap Create then Reel in the app, or use Create, Post, Select from computer on a computer. Keep it as short as the idea allows, and watch it on a phone first.
Pick one idea and write the hook
A Reel works best when it makes one point. Write that point as a single sentence before you film. If you need the word and to describe it, it is probably two Reels.
The hook is the first thing a viewer sees or hears. Open on the point, a result or a question, not a greeting. Test it by covering everything after the first two seconds: can a stranger still tell what the Reel is about? The video hooks guide has patterns to try.
Choose the format that suits the idea and your comfort on camera. You can talk to camera, record a voiceover and show footage instead of your face, or set photos to music. Instagram says a Reel can be as simple as audio over photos or clips from your camera roll, and that voice-over content can be shared without being on camera.
Film vertical, and film more than you need
Hold the phone upright so the frame is 9:16, which fills the Reels screen. Pixel sizes and safe areas are on the Instagram Reels size page, so they are not repeated here.
Instagram's Reel camera has a timer for hands-free recording, which helps when you film alone. Record in a quiet room, because background noise is the hardest thing to fix later.
- Film each line twice. A retake costs seconds. A missed line costs the shoot.
- Leave a beat at the start and end of every take. A moment of stillness gives you a clean place to cut.
- Shoot cutaways. Close-ups of anything you mention give you B-roll to cover cuts.
- Leave room at the bottom. Captions and Instagram's own buttons crowd the lower part of the screen, so frame yourself a little higher.
Edit: cuts, captions, text and music
Edit in this order, because each step changes the timing of the next.
Instagram lets you use original audio you recorded, original audio from another Reels creator, or its audio library, and you can add up to 20 tracks to one Reel. Instagram also says you cannot use original audio from a feed video unless you remix the video.
Length is a choice, not a target. Instagram allows clips totalling up to 20 minutes, though it says it will not recommend Reels longer than 3 minutes to new audiences. For most ideas the right length is however long the point takes.
| Step | What to do | You are done when |
|---|---|---|
| Cuts | Remove pauses, false starts and weaker retakes. Cut in the gap between thoughts. | Each sentence starts as the last one ends. |
| Captions | Add captions to the finished cut so the timing matches, then read every word. | You can follow the Reel with the sound off. |
| Text | Put the hook on screen as a short line. One idea per screen, a few words. | You can read it in a glance. |
| Music | Pick a track that fits the mood and keep it quieter than your voice. | Every spoken word is clear. |
Post it from Instagram
These are the steps Instagram documents.
- On a phone. Tap Create, then Reel. Record clips, or upload a video from your gallery.
- On a computer. Click Create, then Post, then Select from computer. Choose a cover photo, trim the clip, then add a caption, location, tags and alt text before you share.
- Drafts. Drafts are saved on your device, so you cannot open them on another one, and deleting the app deletes them. There is no limit on how many you keep.
- Facebook. You can share a Reel to Facebook only when you create it, and only if your accounts are linked in Accounts Center.
Edit your Reel in Woven
Woven is a Mac video editor you drive by chat or by hand, and it exports an MP4. It does not post to Instagram, so you upload the file yourself. Captions and transcription use Woven credits, and the pricing page has the details.
Ask in chat
- Make this a vertical Reel and cut the pauses and retakes.
- Caption this word by word and put my hook on screen for the first two seconds.
- Put the music I imported under the whole Reel at a low volume.
Or do it by hand
- 1Import and set the shape. Open "Add" › "Video" or drop your footage from Finder onto the timeline, then open "Format" and choose "Vertical 1080x1920".
- 2Cut. Ask in chat to cut the pauses and retakes, or do it yourself: split around each one with ⌘B and remove the piece with ⌫. Woven has no ripple delete, so close each gap by dragging the next clip left.
- 3Caption and add text. Generate captions from the "Add" menu and choose their look under "Caption style" in the Style tab. Choose "Add" › "Text" for the hook line and double-click it on the canvas to type.
- 4Add music. Choose "Add" › "Audio" and pick a track. Woven has no music library, so use a track you have the rights to. A hand-added track plays at full volume, so select it and lower "Volume".
- 5Export. Click "Export" and choose "1080p". The MP4 saves to the exports folder in your workspace, ready to upload.
Common questions
Tap Create, then Reel, and record clips or pick a video from your gallery. On a computer, click Create, then Post, then Select from computer.
A Reel can be a photo slideshow set to music, with video effects. Pick the photos from your camera roll, add audio, and share.
Yes. Instagram says voice-over content can be shared without being on camera, with music or subtitles added.
Yes. Drafts stay on your device, so you cannot open them elsewhere, and deleting the app deletes them. Instagram sets no limit on how many you keep.
Sources
- Instagram: Reels features and how to create, share and manage drafts, checked October 19, 2026
- Instagram: Reels tips and tricks, checked October 19, 2026
- Instagram for Creators: Reels, checked October 19, 2026
Try Woven free for 3 days
Then $25/mo billed yearly ($299/yr) or $39/month. Native Mac app for short-form video.
Paste into Claude Code to install and connect Woven.