Social Media Video Specs: The Only Guide You’ll Need

In today’s lightning-fast online world, video content rules all. But with so many changes made to the most popular platforms every day, it’s important to keep up with the latest social media video specs. Knowing the different types of Youtube video size, Facebook video sizes, and Instagram video sizes, can be tough. Not to worry, though. Bookmark this simple guide, and you’ll always know which social media video specs to use for each platform.

Types of Social Media Video Dimensions

Facebook Video Sizes

Video content is consumed more than any other on Facebook. But with so many avenues for sharing videos on Facebook, it can be hard to know which video specs to use. Each use case calls for different video dimensions too (of course). We’ve broken it down into the different categories and types of video so you can use this as a handy reference.

Facebook Feed Videos

The videos you see in your feed are the most commonly shared on Facebook. Your friends, brands, and other accounts can share these videos, so you’ll want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward here. You can share videos in portrait or landscape orientation. Both use the same specs, thankfully. And they are as follows:

• Video dimensions are 1280 x 720 for landscape and portrait-oriented videos
• The width should be at least 120 pixels
• The landscape aspect ratio is 16:9
• The portrait aspect ratio is 9:16 (note: if the video includes a link, the aspect ratio is 16:9)
• For mobile, both video types are adapted to an aspect ratio of 2:3
• The max file size is 4GB
• Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
• The max video length is 240 minutes
• Max frames are 30 frames per second

360 Videos on Facebook

Facebook’s 360 videos have grown in popularity since the feature was released. They’ll often get placed high up in the algorithm organically. To be sure you’re creating the best experience for viewers, follow these video specs:

• 360 videos have an aspect ratio of 2:1
• The resolution depends on the type of content:
  • Monoscopic: 5120 x 2560 maximum
  • Stereoscopic: 5120 x 5120 maximum
• The max file size is 10GB
• The recommended video format is .MP4
• The video length maximum is 30 minutes
• Video max frames 60 frames per second

Facebook Video Ad Specs

There are a lot of different types of Facebook video ads. There are desktop news feed videos, carousel video ads, collection video ads, canvas video ads, and slideshow videos. That’s a lot to keep track of. Here are the basics for each one:

• Desktop News Feed Videos

  • The recommended video dimensions are 1280 x 720 for landscape and square videos
  • The minimum width is 120 pixels
  • The landscape aspect ratio is 16:9
  • The square aspect ratio is 1:1
  • The max video file size is 26GB
  • Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
  • The max video length is 240 minutes
  • Video max frames 30 frames per second

• Carousel Videos Ads

  • Recommended video dimensions are 1080 x 1080 for landscape and square
  • Minimum dimensions are 600 x 315 (1.9:1 landscape) or 600 x 600 (square)
  • The aspect ratio for square videos is 1:1
  • The max video file size is 2.3GB
  • Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
  • The maximum video length is 30 seconds or less
  • Max frames are 30 seconds per frame

• Collection Video Ads

  • Recommended video dimensions are 1200 x 628 for landscape and square videos
  • Minimum dimensions are 600 x 315 (1.9:1 landscape) or 600 x 600 (square)
  • The landscape aspect ratio is 16:9
  • The square aspect ratio is 1:1
  • The max video file size is 4GB
  • Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
  • The video length maximum is 120 minutes
  • Video max frames are 30 frames per second

• Canvas Video Ads

  • Recommended video dimensions are 1200 x 628 for landscape and square videos
  • Minimum dimensions are 600 x 315 (1.9:1 landscape) or 600 x 600 (square)
  • The landscape aspect ratio is 16:9
  • The square aspect ratio is 1:1
  • Max video file size is 4GB
  • Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
  • Max video length is 120 minutes, but the recommendation is that you keep them to two minutes
  • Video max frames are 30 frames per second

• Slideshow Videos

  • Recommended video dimensions are 1200 x 720 for landscape and portrait videos
  • The landscape aspect ratio is 16:9
  • The portrait aspect ratio is 9:16 (if the video includes a link, the aspect ratio is 16:9)
  • Max video file size is 4GB
  • Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
  • Video length max is 120 minutes, but the recommendation is that you keep them to two minutes
  • Video max frames are 30 frames per second

Facebook Stories Video Specs

Facebook stories are available for organic and paid ad posts. If you aren’t sharing your video right from the app’s feature, you will want to make sure you are uploading a correctly formatted video. Here’s what to keep in mind for paid and organic Facebook story videos:

• Minimum dimensions for story videos on Facebook are 500 x 500
• Aspect ratios: 1.91 to 9:16
• Max video file size is 4GB
• Max video length is 15 seconds
• Recommended video formats are .MP4 and .MOV

Instagram Video Sizes

Instagram Feed Videos

You can upload Instagram feed videos onto Instagram in three different formats: landscape, square and vertical. Users tend to be more engaged with video content, so you better know your social media video specs. To make sure your videos pop up in more feeds, follow these formatting tips:

• The minimum resolution for landscape video is 600 x 315, and the aspect ratio is 16:9
• The minimum resolution for square video is 600 x 600, and the aspect ratio is 1:1
• The minimum resolution for vertical video is 600 x 750, and the aspect ratio is 4:5
• The max file size for all formats is 4GB
• Videos should be formatted as an .MP4 or .MOV if you are uploading from your device
• The max length for videos in your Instagram feed is 60 seconds
• Frame rate range for all formats is 23-60 frames-per-second

Instagram Story Videos

The best practice for shooting an Instagram story video is to shoot with a portrait orientation. This best practice goes for both paid and organic Instagram story videos. You can upload a landscape-oriented video, but it won’t look as great as it would if you were to follow these recommendations:

• The recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920, and the minimum is 600 x 1067
• Use the aspect ratio is 9:16
• The max file size is 4GB
• The recommended video formats are .MP4 or .MOV
• 15 seconds is the max length for one Instagram story slide

IGTV

Instagram TV videos are formatted a lot like Instagram Story videos. The main difference is the duration, since long-form content does best on IGTV. They’re great for telling stories that you can’t get across in just 15 seconds. Here are the formatting considerations for IGTV:

• Recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920
• The minimum resolution is 720p
• The aspect ratio is 9:16 (recommended), or 16:9 is also supported. In-feed previews show at 4:5
• The minimum for videos is 1 minute and the maximum 15 minutes long when you’re uploading from a mobile device
• If you are uploading a video from desktop, it can be up to one hour long
• The max file size for less than 10 minutes is 650MB videos up to 60 minutes and can be up to 3.6 GB
• The only file format supported is MP4

YouTube Video Sizes

YouTube is still the boss of all video content online. So, if you’re going to be uploading to the platform, you need to be sure you’re formatting your videos correctly. As the second-largest search engine next to Google, your content better be sharp and exciting in every way, and that includes adhering to video spec best practices. Here’s what to keep in mind for the three different types of videos you can upload to YouTube, both paid and organic.

Standard YouTube Video

Sure, there are lots of video formats, file types, and styles supported by YouTube, but if you want to give your followers the best viewing experience, it’s highly recommended you stick to the standard video specs where possible.

• The most commonly recommended dimensions are:
  • 426 x 240 (240p)
  • 640 x 360 (360p)
  • 854 x 480 (480p)
  • 1280 x 720 (720p)
  • 1920 x 1080 (1080p)
  • 2560 x 1440 (1440p)
  • 3840 x 2160 (2160p)
• The minimum dimension supported is 426 x 240
• The maximum dimension supported is 3840 x 2160
• The aspect ratio is 16:9
• The max file size is 128GB or 12 hours of content
• Accepted video formats include: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, and WebM
• The video length maximum is 12 hours

YouTube Video Ads

There are four different types of YouTube video ads: skippable video ads, non-skippable video ads, mid-roll video ads, and bumper video ads. All of these different types of ads are served to users alongside existing video content. The differences lie in how a user interacts with or experiences the ad, but the best specs to use are always the same. The recommended dimension, maximum and minimum dimensions, aspect ratios, and file sizes are the same as those of a standard YouTube video. Here are the significant differences:

• The maximum video length for a skippable video is 12 hours, but all are skippable after 5 seconds
• A non-skippable video’s maximum length is 15 or 20 seconds. However, it can be 30 seconds in some regions
• The minimum length for a mid-roll video is 30 seconds
• The maximum length for a bumper video is 6 seconds

Twitter Video Sizes

Twitter is a go-to not only for social users but for brands and companies, too. Twitter videos are particular key in the sports and news reporting spheres. If you want your content to stick out among all others, it’s crucial to format your videos correctly.

Organic and Paid Twitter Videos

Twitter keeps things simple with a standard format for their paid ad videos and organic feed videos. When sharing a video on Twitter, you can upload it as a landscape or portrait clip. Keep in mind that the following specs apply to uploading a video directly to Twitter from your device. Here’s how to format your video for the best experience:

• The recommended dimensions are 1200 x 1200
• The minimum dimensions for both portrait and landscape are 600 x 600 for a 1:1 aspect ratio and 640 x 360 for any greater than 1:1 but less than 2:1
• The max file size is 1GB
• Recommended video formats for Twitter are .MP4 on the web and .MOV on mobile
• The maximum length is 140 seconds
• The maximum frames are 30 frames-per-second

Snapchat Video Sizes

We can’t talk about social media video content without talking about Snapchat. It’s still a popular place for sharing videos, especially in a more casual, less produced setting. With over 173 million daily users, you’re going to want to make sure you know your stuff before sharing your video.

Standard Snapchat Videos

The standard on Snapchat is the 10-second video. It’s the most commonly shared between users, and brands can get in on the format and paid video content. Here are the specs you should adhere to when posting organically or as an ad on Snapchat:

• The recommended dimension is 1080 x 1920
• The aspect ratio is 9:16
• The maximum file size is 32MB
• Accepted video formats are .MP4 and .MOV
• Your video length needs to be between 3 and 10 seconds

Top 5 Tips for Social Media Video Creation and Upload

Now that you know how to format and spec your social media video content, it’s time to learn some of the hottest tips for creating and uploading your videos.

• Always be sure you are using the most up-to-date video spec and formatting guidelines
• Upload your videos in the highest resolution video possible that fits file size and ratio limits
• Create video content that is true to you but also meaningful to your audience and followers
• Make your videos accessible so that everyone can enjoy them. Adding closed captions and alternative text makes that possible
• Try to get the point of your video across in the first 3 seconds. In a world where everyone is scrolling, it’s important to capture people’s attention quickly
• Make your videos stand out from the rest when you edit them with the Picsart Video Editor

How to Meet Social Media Video Specs

The suite of Picsart Video Editing tools have everything you need for creating attention-grabbing videos for every social media platform, from AI music files to blending modes, stickers and fonts. You can also pull off more traditional video editing tricks with Picsart, such as cropping, trimming and adjusting. So there’s no reason not to stay on top of changing social media video specs ever again. Here’s the step-by-step on how to create the best video edits with Picsart.

Step 1) Open the Picsart Web Editor and head to the Video Editing Tools in the Products drop-down menu. Upload your video file.

Step 2) If needed, use the Fit Tool to format your video to the correct social media video specs you need.

Step 3)  Choose a Template from the menu in the left sidebar. You can select templates made for specific social media channels to ensure that your video will look its best for your chosen platform. You can also use the Audio and Text tools to further customize your video.

Step 4) Once you are happy with your video’s look and format, click Download in the top right corner. Upload your file to social media and watch the likes and engagement roll in.

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