Social Media Video Specifications 2025: Complete Platform Guide

Why Video Specs Matter

Each social platform has unique video requirements. Using incorrect specifications can result in cropped videos, quality loss, or rejected uploads. VideoSavy helps you download videos in the correct format for any platform, and this guide ensures your uploads meet platform standards.

Instagram Video Specs

Instagram Reels

• Resolution: 1080x1920 pixels (9:16)
• Duration: 15-90 seconds
• File Size: Up to 4GB
• Format: MP4, MOV
• Frame Rate: 23-60 FPS
• Bitrate: 3,500 kbps recommended
• Audio: AAC, 128 kbps minimum

Instagram Feed Videos

• Square: 1080x1080 (1:1)
• Landscape: 1920x1080 (16:9)
• Portrait: 1080x1350 (4:5)
• Duration: 3-60 seconds
• Max File Size: 4GB

Instagram Stories

• Resolution: 1080x1920 (9:16)
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds
• Format: MP4, MOV, GIF
• Max File Size: 4GB

IGTV / Instagram TV

• Resolution: 1080x1920 or 1920x1080
• Duration: 15 seconds to 60 minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16 or 16:9
• File Size: Up to 15GB

TikTok Video Specs

• Resolution: 1080x1920 pixels (9:16)
• Duration: 15 seconds to 10 minutes
• File Size: Up to 287.6MB (iOS), 72MB (Android)
• Format: MP4 or MOV
• Frame Rate: 30 or 60 FPS
• Bitrate: 1,800-3,000 kbps
• Audio: 44.1 kHz, stereo, 128 kbps+

YouTube Video Specs

Standard Videos

• Resolution: 426x240 to 7680x4320 (240p to 8K)
• Recommended: 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (standard)
• Duration: Up to 12 hours
• File Size: Up to 256GB
• Format: MP4 (recommended), MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV
• Frame Rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60 FPS
• Bitrate (1080p): 8,000 kbps (SDR), 10,000 kbps (HDR)

YouTube Shorts

• Resolution: 1080x1920 (9:16)
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds
• Same file specs as regular videos

Facebook Video Specs

Feed Videos

• Resolution: 1280x720 minimum
• Recommended: 1920x1080
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16 to 16:9
• Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes
• File Size: Up to 10GB
• Format: MP4 or MOV
• Frame Rate: 30 FPS maximum
• Bitrate: 4,000 kbps

Facebook Stories

• Resolution: 1080x1920 (9:16)
• Duration: Up to 20 seconds per story
• Format: MP4, MOV

Facebook Reels

• Resolution: 1080x1920 (9:16)
• Duration: 3-90 seconds
• Same technical specs as feed videos

Twitter/X Video Specs

• Resolution: 32x32 to 1920x1200
• Aspect Ratio: 1:2.39 to 2.39:1
• Duration: 2 seconds to 2 minutes 20 seconds
• File Size: Up to 512MB
• Format: MP4 or MOV
• Frame Rate: 30 or 60 FPS
• Bitrate: 5,000 kbps maximum

LinkedIn Video Specs

• Resolution: 256x144 to 4096x2304
• Recommended: 1920x1080
• Aspect Ratio: 1:2.4 to 2.4:1
• Duration: 3 seconds to 10 minutes
• File Size: 75KB to 5GB
• Format: MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, MPEG, WMV
• Frame Rate: 10-60 FPS

Pinterest Video Specs

Standard Pins

• Aspect Ratio: 2:3 or 9:16 (vertical preferred)
• Duration: 4 seconds to 15 minutes
• File Size: Up to 2GB
• Format: MP4, MOV, M4V
• Min Resolution: 240p
• Max Resolution: 1080p width

Video Ads

• Aspect Ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 9:16
• Duration: 4-15 seconds (standard), up to 15 min (max)
• File Size: Up to 2GB

Snapchat Video Specs

• Resolution: 1080x1920 (9:16)
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds (Snaps), 3-180 seconds (Spotlight)
• File Size: Up to 1GB
• Format: MP4, MOV
• Frame Rate: 30 FPS

WhatsApp Video Specs

Status (Stories)

• Duration: Up to 30 seconds
• File Size: Up to 16MB
• Format: MP4 recommended
• Resolution: 1080p or lower

Direct Messages

• File Size: Up to 16MB
• Duration: Any (file size limited)
• Format: MP4, MKV, AVI, 3GP

Reddit Video Specs

• Resolution: Up to 1920x1080
• Duration: Up to 15 minutes
• File Size: Up to 1GB
• Format: MP4 or MOV
• Frame Rate: 30 FPS recommended

Common Aspect Ratios Explained

• 1:1 (Square): 1080x1080 - Universal, works everywhere
• 4:5 (Portrait): 1080x1350 - Instagram feed optimized
• 9:16 (Vertical): 1080x1920 - Stories, Reels, Shorts, TikTok
• 16:9 (Landscape): 1920x1080 - YouTube, traditional video
• 2.39:1 (Cinematic): Widescreen, film look

File Format Recommendations

Best Overall: MP4 (H.264)

• Universal compatibility
• Good compression
• High quality retention
• Supported by all platforms

Alternative: MOV

• Apple native format
• Excellent quality
• Larger file sizes
• Good for editing workflow

Avoid:

• AVI (too large)
• WMV (poor compatibility)
• FLV (outdated)

Codec Recommendations

Video Codec:

• H.264: Best compatibility, use for uploading
• H.265 (HEVC): Better compression, limited platform support
• VP9: YouTube optimized

Audio Codec:

• AAC: Best choice for social media
• MP3: Widely compatible
• 48 kHz sample rate
• 128-320 kbps bitrate

Bitrate Guidelines

720p (HD)

• Standard: 2,500-4,000 kbps
• High Quality: 5,000 kbps

1080p (Full HD)

• Standard: 4,000-6,000 kbps
• High Quality: 8,000 kbps

4K (Ultra HD)

• Standard: 20,000-30,000 kbps
• High Quality: 50,000+ kbps

Frame Rate Best Practices

• 24 FPS: Cinematic look, film style
• 30 FPS: Standard for most content
• 60 FPS: Smooth motion, gaming, sports
• Higher FPS: Slow-motion source material

Color Space & HDR

• Standard: sRGB (8-bit)
• HDR: Rec.2020 (10-bit) - YouTube, some others
• Most platforms: Convert to SDR
• Test HDR uploads before publishing

Audio Requirements

Standard Settings

• Sample Rate: 48 kHz
• Bit Depth: 16-bit minimum
• Channels: Stereo (2.0)
• Bitrate: 128 kbps minimum, 320 kbps ideal

Platform-Specific Audio

• Instagram/TikTok: 128 kbps minimum
• YouTube: 384 kbps maximum
• Facebook: 128 kbps recommended

Mobile Optimization Tips

• Use vertical formats (9:16) for mobile-first platforms
• Compress for smaller file sizes
• Test on actual mobile devices
• Ensure text is readable on small screens
• Optimize for sound-off viewing (add captions)

Quick Conversion Checklist

Before uploading to any platform:

1. Verify aspect ratio matches platform
2. Check resolution meets minimum requirements
3. Confirm file size under platform limit
4. Ensure duration within allowed range
5. Use MP4 format with H.264 codec
6. Set appropriate bitrate for quality
7. Add captions/subtitles
8. Test on mobile and desktop

Conclusion

Understanding platform-specific video specs ensures your content looks perfect everywhere you publish. Use VideoSavy to download videos in optimal formats, then apply these specifications when editing and uploading. Bookmark this guide for quick reference whenever creating content for social media. Perfect specs + great content = maximum engagement!