Every platform has its own video dimensions, aspect ratios, length limits, and file size caps. Upload a video in the wrong format and you get cropped thumbnails, blurry playback, or a rejected upload. We see it constantly with new clients who come to us after months of posting videos that looked terrible on half the platforms they were targeting.
This guide is the single reference you need. We keep it updated as platforms change their specs, so bookmark it and come back whenever you're prepping assets for a new campaign.
We produce content for brands across every major platform. These specs come from our production team's daily workflow, cross-checked against each platform's official documentation as of April 2026.
Quick Reference: Universal Best Practices
Before we dive into platform-specific specs, here are the rules that apply everywhere:
Always Export in MP4
H.264 codec with AAC audio. Every platform accepts it. H.265 (HEVC) is supported on most platforms now but H.264 remains the safest universal choice.
Frame Rate: 30 fps
30 fps is the standard. 60 fps is supported everywhere and recommended for fast-action content. 24 fps works but may appear less smooth on mobile feeds.
Resolution: Always Highest
Export at the highest resolution the platform supports. Platforms will compress your video regardless. Starting higher = better end result.
Safe Zones Matter
Keep text and key visuals away from edges. Every platform overlays UI elements (usernames, captions, buttons) in different spots.
Instagram supports four primary video placements. Reels dominate reach, but feed posts and carousels still drive strong engagement for certain content types.
Instagram Reels
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 (vertical, full-screen) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Max Length | 3 minutes (90 seconds recommended for reach) |
| Min Length | 3 seconds |
| Max File Size | 4 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
| Cover Image | 1080 x 1920 px (9:16) |
| Caption | 2,200 characters max, 125 visible before truncation |
| Hashtags | Up to 30 (3-5 targeted hashtags recommended) |
Instagram Stories
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Max Length | 60 seconds per story slide |
| Max File Size | 4 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
| Safe Zone | Keep text within 1080 x 1420 px center area (250 px margins top/bottom) |
Instagram Feed Video
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1 (square), 4:5 (portrait, recommended), 16:9 (landscape) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1080 (1:1), 1080 x 1350 (4:5), 1920 x 1080 (16:9) |
| Max Length | 60 minutes |
| Max File Size | 4 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
| Thumbnail | 1080 x 1080 px (displays as square in grid) |
| Caption | 2,200 characters max |
Instagram Carousel (Video Slides)
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1 or 4:5 (all slides must match) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1080 or 1080 x 1350 px |
| Max Slides | 20 slides (images or videos mixed) |
| Max Length/Slide | 60 seconds per video slide |
| Max File Size | 4 GB per slide |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
TikTok
TikTok remains the highest-reach organic platform for short-form video. Vertical 9:16 is non-negotiable here. Horizontal content gets buried.
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px (supports up to 4K on some devices) |
| Max Length | 10 minutes |
| Recommended Length | 15-60 seconds for maximum reach |
| Min Length | 3 seconds |
| Max File Size | 4 GB (mobile), 10 GB (desktop upload) |
| Format | MP4, MOV, WebM |
| Frame Rate | 30 or 60 fps |
| Caption | 4,000 characters max |
| Hashtags | Included in caption character limit |
| Safe Zone | Keep key content within center 720 x 1280 px area |
TikTok Photo Mode also accepts video slides up to 35 images in a carousel format with background audio. This is not a video upload but worth noting as a content format.
YouTube & YouTube Shorts
YouTube is the only platform where horizontal long-form video is still the primary format. Shorts competes directly with Reels and TikTok for vertical content.
YouTube Standard Video
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (horizontal) |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (1080p), 2560 x 1440 (1440p), 3840 x 2160 (4K) |
| Max Length | 12 hours (verified accounts), 15 min (unverified) |
| Max File Size | 256 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, WebM, 3GP |
| Frame Rate | 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60 fps |
| Thumbnail | 1280 x 720 px (16:9), under 2 MB, JPG/PNG |
| Title | 100 characters max (70 visible in search) |
| Description | 5,000 characters max |
| Tags | 500 characters total across all tags |
YouTube Shorts
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Max Length | 3 minutes |
| Min Length | 15 seconds (to qualify as a Short) |
| Max File Size | 256 GB (same as standard) |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
| Thumbnail | Auto-generated or custom frame selection |
| Title | 100 characters max |
Want Content Optimized for Every Platform?
We produce and format video content for every platform — correct specs, aspect ratios, and captions included.
See Our PackagesFacebook supports nearly every video format and aspect ratio. The platform favors Reels for organic reach, but feed video and in-stream ads still perform well for targeted campaigns.
Facebook Reels
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Max Length | 3 minutes (15-30 seconds recommended) |
| Max File Size | 4 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
| Caption | 2,200 characters max |
Facebook Feed Video
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (landscape), 1:1 (square), 4:5 (portrait), 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1280 x 720 px minimum recommended |
| Max Length | 240 minutes |
| Max File Size | 10 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV (MP4 with H.264 preferred) |
| Thumbnail | 1200 x 675 px (16:9) or 1080 x 1080 px (1:1) |
| Captions | Auto-generated or upload SRT file |
Facebook Stories
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Max Length | 120 seconds per story |
| Max File Size | 4 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV |
LinkedIn video has exploded in 2026. The platform now heavily prioritizes native video in the feed algorithm, and vertical video performs especially well on mobile.
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1 (square), 16:9 (landscape), 9:16 (vertical), 4:5 (portrait) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1920 x 1080 (landscape), 1080 x 1080 (square) |
| Max Length | 15 minutes (native upload) |
| Min Length | 3 seconds |
| Max File Size | 5 GB |
| Format | MP4 (strongly preferred), ASF, FLV, MOV, WebM |
| Frame Rate | 30 fps recommended |
| Caption (post text) | 3,000 characters max, 140 visible before "see more" |
| Hashtags | 3-5 recommended |
LinkedIn tip: Square (1:1) and portrait (4:5) videos take up more screen real estate in the feed, which means higher stop rates. Landscape gets lost on mobile. We export most LinkedIn content at 1080 x 1350 (4:5) or 1080 x 1080.
X (Twitter)
X supports native video and continues to push video content in the For You feed. Premium subscribers get extended upload limits.
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (landscape), 1:1 (square), 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (landscape), 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1080 x 1080 (square) |
| Max Length | 2 min 20 sec (free), 60 min (Premium), 3 hours (Premium+) |
| Max File Size | 512 MB (free), 8 GB (Premium) |
| Format | MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) |
| Frame Rate | 30 or 60 fps |
| Post Text | 280 characters (free), 25,000 characters (Premium) |
| Thumbnail | Auto-selected from video (no custom upload without third-party tools) |
Pinterest video pins drive discovery-based traffic. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest content has a much longer shelf life, with pins resurfacing in search for months or years.
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 2:3 (standard pin), 9:16 (Idea Pin), 1:1 (square) |
| Resolution | 1000 x 1500 (2:3), 1080 x 1920 (9:16), 1080 x 1080 (1:1) |
| Max Length | 15 minutes (standard), 60 seconds per clip (Idea Pins) |
| Min Length | 4 seconds |
| Max File Size | 2 GB |
| Format | MP4, MOV, M4V |
| Title | 100 characters max |
| Description | 500 characters max |
Aspect Ratio Cheat Sheet
If you're exporting content to repurpose across platforms, these are the three aspect ratios that cover everything:
| Aspect Ratio | Pixels | Where It's Used |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 (Vertical) | 1080 x 1920 | Reels, TikTok, Shorts, Stories, Pinterest Idea Pins, LinkedIn vertical |
| 16:9 (Horizontal) | 1920 x 1080 | YouTube standard, Facebook feed, LinkedIn landscape, X landscape |
| 1:1 (Square) | 1080 x 1080 | Instagram feed, Facebook feed, LinkedIn feed, X, Pinterest |
Pro tip: If you can only export in one format, choose 9:16 vertical at 1080 x 1920. This is the single most versatile format in 2026. It works natively on Reels, TikTok, Shorts, Stories, and LinkedIn mobile. You can crop it to 1:1 or letterbox it to 16:9 in a pinch.
Caption & Text Specs by Platform
Captions and on-screen text are just as important as the video itself. Here is every platform's text limits in one place:
| Platform | Max Caption | Visible Before Truncation | Hashtag Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,200 chars | ~125 chars | 30 | |
| TikTok | 4,000 chars | ~150 chars | Included in caption |
| YouTube | 5,000 chars (desc) | ~120 chars in search | 500 chars total (tags) |
| 63,206 chars | ~125 chars | No hard limit | |
| 3,000 chars | ~140 chars | No limit (3-5 recommended) | |
| X (Twitter) | 280 / 25,000 chars | Full (280) or truncated | No limit (2-3 recommended) |
| 500 chars | ~50 chars in feed | Not supported (use keywords) |
Thumbnail Specs by Platform
A strong thumbnail can double your click-through rate. Here are the exact dimensions for custom thumbnails on each platform:
| Platform | Thumbnail Size | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 1280 x 720 px | JPG, PNG (under 2 MB) | Custom upload, 16:9 required |
| Instagram Reels | 1080 x 1920 px | Selected from video or custom | Also shows cropped 1080x1080 in grid |
| TikTok | 1080 x 1920 px | Selected frame from video | No custom upload |
| 1200 x 675 px | JPG, PNG | 16:9, auto-generated or custom | |
| 1200 x 627 px | Auto-selected from video | No custom thumbnail upload | |
| X | 1280 x 720 px | Auto-selected | No custom upload natively |
| 1000 x 1500 px | JPG, PNG | 2:3 ratio for pins |
Recommended Export Settings
Whether you edit in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or CapCut, these are the export settings we use at Maken Media for every project:
- Codec: H.264 (MP4 container) for universal compatibility. H.265 for YouTube 4K uploads.
- Audio: AAC, 48 kHz sample rate, stereo, 320 kbps bitrate.
- Video Bitrate: 10-20 Mbps for 1080p, 35-68 Mbps for 4K. Use VBR (variable bitrate) for better quality-to-size ratio.
- Frame Rate: Match your source footage. If you shot at 24 fps, export at 24. If 30 or 60, match it. Never upscale frame rate.
- Color Space: Rec. 709 for SDR content. Rec. 2020 with HDR metadata for HDR uploads (YouTube and TikTok support HDR).
- Render at Maximum Depth: Always enable this in Premiere Pro for better color accuracy.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Video Quality
We see these errors constantly when auditing new clients' content:
- Exporting horizontal video for Reels/TikTok. Letterboxed horizontal video in a vertical feed looks amateurish and tanks engagement. Always re-edit for 9:16.
- Ignoring safe zones. Text or important visuals hidden behind platform UI (like/comment buttons, username overlay, caption area). Test your video on the actual platform before publishing.
- Compressing twice. Exporting from your editor, then uploading to a scheduling tool that re-compresses before posting. Upload directly to the platform whenever possible.
- Wrong thumbnail crop. Instagram Reels show 9:16 in the Reels tab but crop to 1:1 in the profile grid. If your thumbnail doesn't account for both views, your grid looks broken.
- Uploading 720p in 2026. Platforms downscale your video aggressively. Starting at 720p means your final output looks like 480p. Always export at 1080p minimum.
Download the Free Video Specs Cheat Sheet
Get our printable one-page reference with every platform's video specs in a clean grid format. Tape it to your monitor, save it to your phone, or share it with your editor. Updated for 2026.
Download Cheat SheetHow Often Do These Specs Change?
More often than you would think. In the last 12 months alone, TikTok increased its caption limit to 4,000 characters, YouTube extended Shorts to 3 minutes, Instagram expanded carousels to 20 slides, and LinkedIn rolled out vertical video optimization in the feed.
We update this guide every time a platform makes a significant change to its video specs. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, bookmark this page and check back quarterly.
The Bottom Line
Getting your video specs right is table stakes. It is the bare minimum required for your content to look professional. The real competitive advantage comes from what is in the video: the hook, the story, the edit, and the strategy behind it.
But it all starts with the technical foundation. Export in the right dimensions, use the right format, respect the safe zones, and design your thumbnails with intention. These small details compound into a massive quality difference over time.
If you want a team that handles all of this for you, from strategy and filming to editing and posting in the correct specs for every platform, that is exactly what we do.