by Breton Brander·Workflow
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Social Beam earns its spot in the aescripts library by narrowing the After Effects-to-Instagram path to three clicks and an mp4 export. Just note the requirements: a free Dropbox account and a Facebook Business account, plus that it covers Instagram Posts rather than Stories or Reels.
Social Beam is an After Effects extension for posting work to Instagram. It exports mp4 files and publishes to Instagram Posts in three clicks. Stories and Reels are not supported, so the tool focuses on standard feed posts.
To run it, you'll need a Dropbox account, which is free, and a Facebook Business account that takes about a minute to set up. Social Beam is compatible with After Effects 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, CC 2019, and CC 2018, and works on M1 Macs. Version 1.1.1, released February 24, 2022, added support for macOS Monterey and After Effects 2022.
The developer positions Social Beam around posting to social media more often, saving time, and making it easier to collect clips for a demo reel. A free trial and a demo video are available, and you can find current details on the developer's page.
Social Beam is best for after Effects users who want to publish mp4 exports to Instagram Posts in a few clicks.
Social Beam is completely free to download and use.
Social Beam supports After Effects 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, CC 2019, and CC 2018, so it fits both recent and older installs. Version 1.1.1, released February 24, 2022, added support for After Effects 2022 alongside macOS Monterey. If you run one of these listed versions, Social Beam should slot into your setup. For any releases newer than 2023, check the developer's page to confirm current compatibility before installing.
Social Beam is compatible with M1 Macs, and version 1.1.1 added support for macOS Monterey. That update, released February 24, 2022, also brought support for After Effects 2022. If you're on an M1 Mac running a supported macOS and After Effects version, Social Beam is built to work on your machine. For macOS releases newer than Monterey, the developer's page is the best place to confirm current support before you install.
Social Beam currently requires a Dropbox account, which is free, and a Facebook Business account that takes about a minute to set up. Both are needed for the posting workflow to function. Once those are in place, Social Beam posts to Instagram in three clicks and exports mp4 files. If you don't already have a Facebook Business account, you can create one before getting started so the tool has everything it needs to run.
Social Beam currently works with Instagram Posts. Stories and Reels are not supported, so the tool is focused on standard feed posts rather than those formats. It exports mp4 files and posts them to Instagram in three clicks. If Stories or Reels support matters to you, check the developer's page for any updates beyond version 1.1.1 before relying on Social Beam for those formats.
Social Beam is listed as free in this catalog, and the developer offers a free trial to start. Using it also involves a free Dropbox account and a Facebook Business account that takes about a minute to set up. For current licensing terms and any changes to how the tool is distributed, the developer's page is the best place to confirm details before you install and begin posting.
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