One of the most common points of confusion we see from clients involves what's often referred to as the "60-second rule" on Meta platforms. While Instagram and Facebook do support videos up to 60 or even 90 seconds in length, that doesn't mean the music attached to those videos will play for the full duration. Video length and music length are handled separately by Meta, and the limits that apply to each are different. If your audio is being cut short, looping unexpectedly, or only playing for a few seconds, it's likely tied to how Meta's in-app music tools work rather than an issue with your release. Below, we'll break down exactly how these limits work and what you can do to ensure your full track plays the way you intended.
What is the "60-second rule" and why is my audio being cut short?
The "60-second rule" is a term often used to describe video length limits on Meta, but it's important to understand that video length and music length are different things.
Video length
-Instagram Stories: up to 60 seconds (plays continuously, no longer split into 15-second segments)
-Instagram Reels: up to 90 seconds
-Facebook Stories: up to 60 seconds
-Facebook Reels: up to 90 seconds
Music length when using Meta's in-app picker
When you use the music sticker or audio picker built into Instagram or Facebook, the available music duration is often limited to 15 to 30 seconds, depending on the song and licensing. This means even though your video may be 60 or 90 seconds long, the music selected through the in-app tool may only play for a short portion before looping or cutting off.
This is not a bug. Meta limits music previews in their in-app tools due to licensing requirements and copyright protection.
How to use full-length music
If you need your full track to play over your video, the best approach is to pre-edit your video before uploading. This means:
-Open your video in an editing tool (CapCut, Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, iMovie, etc.)
-Add your full-length audio track to the video
-Adjust timing so the music and video align
-Export the finished video as an MP4 file
-Upload the completed file directly to Meta
When you upload a pre-edited video, you bypass the in-app music picker entirely, and your full audio plays without any length restrictions.
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