Hey there! Have you ever wanted to share a cool or informative YouTube video with your Instagram followers?
Uploading YouTube videos directly to Instagram is a great way to entertain and engage people. But you need to follow some guidelines to avoid copyright penalties.
In this post, I‘ll provide a step-by-step guide on legally and optimally sharing YouTube videos through Instagram Stories or as Instagram video posts.
Why Even Share YouTube Videos on Instagram?
Over the last decade, video has rapidly become the most engaging form of social media content.
According to Hootsuite‘s 2022 report, video material has the highest interaction rate across all major platforms.
And Instagram specifically has become hugely popular for video. 500 million Instagram users access Reels every single day for entertainment or discovering new creators.
So uploading YouTube videos to Instagram allows you to tap into this highly engaged video-viewing audience. YouTube creators can gain new fans, brands can boost visibility, and everyday users can share informative clips.
But before you rush off to start repurposing YouTube videos, there are some legal guidelines to know…
Ensure You Have Rights to Share the YouTube Video
YouTube owns the copyright protections on all videos uploaded to their platform. You typically need explicit permission from the original creator before reusing or sharing that YouTube video elsewhere.
Instagram‘s Terms of Use also prohibits sharing copyrighted material without permission. If you share videos illegally, consequences can include:
- Copyright strike against your Instagram account
- Temporary or permanent suspension
- Legal action from copyright holder
For example, in 2022 a fitness influencer faced a lawsuit for sharing workout clips without permission of creators.
So before uploading any YouTube video onto Instagram, double check that you have full rights to share, such as:
- You created the original YouTube video yourself
- You have a licensing agreement or permission in writing from copyright holder
- The video is under a Creative Commons license allowing reuse
When in doubt, don‘t share the YouTube video. Seek explicit permission first or find copyright/royalty-free alternatives.
Now let‘s explore the two options for actually sharing YouTube videos through Instagram…
Option 1: Share a YouTube Video Link Through Instagram Stories
Posting a YouTube video link via Instagram Stories is quick and painless. With just a few taps, your followers can simply click the link and watch the full video on YouTube.com.
Here is an overview of the process:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Copy the video URL from YouTube |
| 2 | Open Instagram Stories and use the link sticker tool |
| 3 | Paste in YouTube video URL and add text |
| 4 | Share story to followers |
Pros of this method include:
- Fast and easy to do
- Video plays directly on YouTube so full quality preserved
- Get accurate view counts for your original video
Potential downsides are:
- Followers may not actually click the link
- Can‘t natively upload to Reels for extra visibility
Next let‘s explore directly uploading the YouTube video as an Instagram post.
Option 2: Upload YouTube Video as Instagram Post
Embedding a YouTube video directly within an Instagram post takes more effort but delivers a more seamless viewing experience. It also makes the video discoverable by the full Instagram community rather than just your followers.
Here is a summary of how to download a YouTube video and upload it to Instagram:
To break this down into more detail:
Choose the YouTube Video Source
Obviously the first step is to pick out the YouTube video you want to share.
When determining the best YouTube video sources to repurpose, consider factors like:
- Video length (shorter is better)
- Aspect ratio fits Instagram‘s dimensions
- Engaging content likely to interest Instagrammers
Fan-submitted TikTok compilations or YouTube Shorts tend to work very well.
Download the Video File
Next you‘ll need to use a third-party "YouTube downloader" site or app to save the video file to your device.
I recommend free tools like Y2mate or VideoProc to download YouTube videos safely.
Some sites do try to sneak in malware so read reviews first before downloading anything.
Log Into Instagram
Once you have the video file, open up the Instagram app and navigate to your profile page.
Tap the "+" icon to create a new post. Select the option to upload a video.
Upload and Edit the YouTube Video
You may first need to allow Instagram access to your phone‘s media files.
Browse your downloads folder and select the YouTube video file.
From here you can edit the video by:
- Trimming the length
- Changing orientation
- Adding filters
- Selecting a cover frame
I suggest testing different options to make the video eye-catching and engaging.
Add Captions and Metadata
To complete your post, be sure to include:
- Credit to the original YouTube video creator
- Relevant hashtags like #viralvideo
- Location tag if applicable
- Profile tags if you have permission
- A call-to-action in the caption
Including some context around why you‘re sharing often helps as well.
Post and Promote
Once your new video post looks good, tap the "Share" button to publish it publicly.
Consider giving the video an extra signal boost with Instagram Ads if you really want it to take off. Even $10 spent can dramatically amplify reach.
And that‘s it! You‘ve successfully shared a YouTube video on Instagram.
Now people who follow you can watch the uploaded video directly within the Instagram app. And your content may spread even further by being featured in Explore pages or Instagram Reels!
Let‘s Recap…
Here are the key takeaways for properly integrating YouTube videos into your Instagram presence:
- Ensure you have full rights to share a YouTube video before publishing
- Use Instagram Stories for a quick and easy sharing method
- Download and directly upload the video to Instagram if you want higher visibility
- Optimize captions, editing, timing, and promotion around video posts
I hope you found this walkthrough truly helpful for legally and effectively repurposing YouTube content on Instagram!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
