Best Video Format for Instagram, TikTok, and Reels
Every social platform has its own video requirements, and uploading in the wrong format can result in automatic re-compression, black bars, poor quality, or outright rejection. This guide gives you the exact specs for every major platform so you can upload with confidence.
The Universal Rule: MP4 with H.264
Every social media platform — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn — accepts MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. This is your starting point. If your video is in any other format (MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI), convert it to MP4 first. The platform will re-encode regardless of what you upload, but MP4 H.264 gives the platform the best input to work with.
For aspect ratio, short-form content is 9:16 (vertical, for phone viewing), and horizontal content is 16:9. Square (1:1) works on some platforms but is rarely optimal. Always shoot or export at the aspect ratio your target platform expects.
Platform-Specific Specifications
TikTok: MP4 or MOV, up to 287 MB, 9:16 aspect ratio (1080×1920 recommended), up to 60fps. Duration: 15 seconds to 10 minutes depending on account status. TikTok is strict about aspect ratio — horizontal videos appear with blurred bars on the sides.
Instagram Reels: MP4, up to 650 MB for longer content, 9:16 (1080×1920), 30fps minimum. Maximum duration is 90 seconds for Reels. Regular feed videos support 16:9, 1:1, and 4:5 ratios.
YouTube Shorts: MP4, H.264, 9:16, up to 1080×1920, up to 60fps, under 60 seconds. YouTube Shorts compete with TikTok and Reels — the Shorts shelf gives a significant discovery boost to vertical content under 60 seconds.
Twitter/X: MP4, H.264, up to 512 MB, 1280×720 minimum, 30fps maximum for standard accounts. Higher limits apply to verified accounts. Twitter heavily re-compresses video, so uploading at higher bitrate than necessary helps maintain quality.
- Always export at 1080×1920 for short-form vertical content — all platforms scale down gracefully
- Use 30fps for most content; 60fps only if the motion content warrants it
- Keep bitrate at 8–12 Mbps for 1080p — platforms re-encode anyway but high-quality input helps
- Add captions — most platforms auto-mute videos; captions dramatically improve watch time
How to Convert Your Video for Social Media
If your footage is in MOV (iPhone), MKV (camera), or any other format, use the Convert Video tool on MediaFormatter to convert it to MP4. For vertical content (TikTok, Reels), your editing software should handle the aspect ratio crop before exporting — the converter preserves the original dimensions.
If your file exceeds a platform's size limit, use the Compress Video tool with the Balanced preset to reduce file size while maintaining visual quality. For TikTok's 287 MB limit, a 3-minute 1080p video compressed to Balanced will typically come in well under the limit.