Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms for sharing photos and videos. By default, Facebook allows users to upload videos up to 1 minute long directly to the News Feed. However, there are ways to upload longer videos to Facebook.
Overview
Here is a quick overview of how to upload videos longer than 1 minute to Facebook:
- Upload the video to Facebook Page instead of personal profile.
- Upload the video to Facebook through a third-party app like YouTube or Vimeo.
- Split long videos into multiple 1-minute parts before uploading.
Uploading longer videos directly to a Facebook Page instead of a personal profile removes the 1-minute restriction. Connecting your YouTube or Vimeo account to Facebook also allows you to share longer videos.
Upload to a Facebook Page
The easiest way to upload long videos on Facebook is to post them directly to a Facebook Page, rather than a personal profile. Pages do not have the 1-minute video limit that applies to individual profiles.
Here are the steps to upload a video longer than 1 minute to a Facebook Page:
- Create a Facebook Page for your brand, business, organization or as a public figure.
- Click “Photo/Video” at the top of your Facebook Page timeline.
- Select the video from your computer files to upload.
- Fill out a description and post publicly or to a custom audience.
Facebook Pages are public profiles specifically intended for businesses, brands and public figures to share their messages. Posting longer videos to a Page rather than a personal profile allows you to share content while building your public presence.
Benefits of Uploading to a Facebook Page
- No 1-minute restriction on video length.
- High visibility for your videos with a public Page.
- Analytics to track video views and audience.
- Promote videos more easily through ads.
- Develop your brand’s Facebook presence.
Connect YouTube or Vimeo
Another popular option for sharing longer videos on Facebook is to upload them to YouTube or Vimeo first. You can then connect these accounts to automatically share the videos on Facebook.
Here is how to upload longer videos through YouTube or Vimeo:
- Upload the full length video to YouTube or Vimeo.
- Go to the “Settings” menu in your Facebook profile.
- Click “Apps” in the left column.
- Under “Video Apps” click to link your YouTube or Vimeo account.
- Share videos directly from YouTube or Vimeo to your Facebook feed.
The videos will appear natively in Facebook so they are easy for your audience to view. This method provides more analytics than posting directly to Facebook Pages.
Benefits of Integration
- Share videos of any length from YouTube and Vimeo.
- Analytics on views and audience demographics.
- Easier audience targeting options.
- Enable monetization through YouTube and Vimeo.
Upload Multiple Video Clips
If you do not want to use a third-party service, another option is to split a long video into multiple shorter 1-minute clips. You can then upload the clips individually to Facebook.
Here is how to use video clipping for longer videos:
- Use video editing software to split the full video into 1-minute sections.
- Export and save each section as an individual video file.
- Upload each clip to Facebook directly from your computer.
- Include links to the next clip at the end of each video to connect them.
While uploading clips requires more work, it allows you to share longer videos directly through Facebook’s systems. You can include annotations that guide viewers from one clip to the next.
Benefits of Video Clipping
- Avoid third-party services.
- Keep viewers on Facebook to continue watching.
- Add custom annotations and graphics to the videos.
- Analytics through Facebook’s Insights.
Video Encoding Settings
To ensure your longer videos look great on Facebook, it’s important to upload files with the proper encoding settings. This table shows the recommended video settings for Facebook:
| Video Setting | Recommended Spec |
|---|---|
| Container | MP4 |
| Resolution | 720p or 1080p HD |
| Bitrate | 4,000-5,000 kbps |
| Frame Rate | 23.976 or 29.97 fps |
| Audio Codec | AAC-LC |
| Audio Bitrate | 128-192 kbps |
Following these video encoding guidelines will help ensure your longer videos maintain quality when uploaded. Using the MP4 container, H.264 video codec, and AAC audio will give you the best results.
Video Length Limit Workarounds
If you need to share a video that exceeds even the maximum length for Facebook Pages, YouTube, and Vimeo, there are still a couple workarounds:
- Live Stream the Long Video – Facebook Live videos can be streamed for up to 4 hours, allowing you to broadcast much longer videos.
- Upload Extracted Slideshows – Export slideshows from long videos and upload up to 40 minutes of static slides.
While uploading extremely long videos directly to Facebook is not possible, streaming via Facebook Live or sharing video slideshows can help you work around the limits.
Promote Your Facebook Videos
Once you’ve uploaded your longer videos using one of the methods above, you can actively promote them to get more viewership:
- Share videos natively in Facebook feeds, groups, and pages.
- Run video ads targeting specific demographics.
- Share links on other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Embed videos on blogs, websites, and newsletters.
- Promote videos with hashtags and keywords.
Actively sharing and promoting your videos is key to building an engaged audience on Facebook. Take advantage of native Facebook features for video distribution across profiles, Pages and groups.
Analytics for Facebook Videos
Facebook offers built-in analytics so you can see how well your videos are performing. Monitoring these metrics is important to inform your video strategy:
- Reach – Total number of unique people who saw the video.
- Views – Total number of times video was viewed.
- Engagement – Likes, comments, shares and more.
- Retention – How long people are watching the video.
- Traffic Sources – Where views are coming from.
Analyze these metrics regularly for each of your videos. Compare top-performing and under-performing videos to improve your future video content.
Conclusion
Uploading videos longer than 1 minute on Facebook simply requires using a Page account, connecting YouTube/Vimeo, or splitting into multiple clips. Optimizing video settings and promotion will help drive more views.
Analyze performance data through Facebook Insights and third-party apps to improve engagement. With the right strategy, you can successfully share long videos on Facebook to connect with your audience.