Every social platform takes your uploaded video and re-encodes it to their own format, resolution, and bitrate. YouTube converts to VP9 WebM. Instagram compresses to their internal format at reduced bitrate. TikTok re-encodes everything. There is no way to upload a video that reaches viewers exactly as you encoded it.
This means optimization for social media is fundamentally different from optimization for other delivery methods. You're not trying to create the final viewing copy — you're trying to give the platform's encoder the best possible source material. Upload higher quality than the platform will ultimately serve, and let their encoder make the decisions.
That said, each platform has specific requirements for format, aspect ratio, duration, and file size that determine whether your upload succeeds or fails. Here's the complete reference.
Universal Rules for Social Video
Before the platform-specific details, these rules apply everywhere:
- Always upload MP4 with H.264 and AAC. Every platform accepts this combination. Some accept other formats, but H.264 MP4 is the universal safe choice.
- Upload the highest quality you have. Platforms will downscale and compress your video regardless. Starting from a higher quality source means the re-encoded version looks better.
- Don't pre-compress aggressively. If you upload a heavily compressed CRF 32 video, the platform compresses it again, resulting in double compression artifacts. Upload at CRF 18-20 or the original camera file.
- Match the platform's preferred aspect ratio. Uploading 16:9 to a 9:16 platform (Reels, TikTok) means the platform either letterboxes it (black bars) or crops it (losing content). Shoot or crop to the right ratio before uploading.
- Include a good audio track. Every platform's algorithm favors videos with audio. Even if the audio is ambient noise, include it. Videos flagged as muted get lower distribution.
YouTube
| Spec | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 (H.264 + AAC) |
| Resolution | Up to 8K (7680x4320). Upload max available. |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 (standard), 9:16 (Shorts) |
| Frame rate | 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, or 60 fps |
| Bitrate | Ignored — YouTube re-encodes everything |
| Max file size | 256GB or 12 hours (whichever is less) |
| Max duration | 12 hours (verified accounts). 15 min (unverified). |
| Audio | AAC-LC, 48kHz, stereo, 384kbps recommended |
| Shorts | 9:16, under 3 minutes, vertical video |
What YouTube does to your upload: YouTube re-encodes every video to multiple quality levels (144p through 4K/8K) using VP9 and increasingly AV1. At 1440p and above, YouTube exclusively uses VP9/AV1 — no H.264 option. The initial processing serves a low-quality H.264 version while higher-quality VP9/AV1 versions process in the background (which can take hours for 4K uploads).
Pro tip: Upload ProRes or high-bitrate H.264 (CRF 15-18) rather than a compressed copy. YouTube's encoder handles the compression better when starting from a higher quality source. The upload takes longer, but the final served quality is noticeably better.
Instagram (Reels, Stories, Feed)
| Placement | Aspect Ratio | Resolution | Max Duration | Max Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 90 seconds | ~250MB |
| Stories | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 60 seconds (15s segments) | ~250MB |
| Feed post | 1:1, 4:5, or 16:9 | 1080px wide | 60 minutes | ~250MB |
| IGTV / Long video | 9:16 or 16:9 | 1080px min | 60 minutes | 3.6GB |
Format: MP4, H.264, AAC. Instagram technically accepts MOV too, but MP4 is safer.
Frame rate: 30fps. Instagram will downsample 60fps to 30fps, often with poor quality. If you have 60fps source, convert to 30fps yourself for better results.
Instagram's aggressive compression: Instagram compresses harder than most platforms. A crisp 1080p upload often looks noticeably softer after Instagram processes it. To minimize quality loss:
- Upload at exactly 1080x1920 (Reels) — Instagram skips resizing
- Use high bitrate (8-12 Mbps) so the source has headroom
- Avoid dark scenes and fine detail — Instagram's compression handles these worst
- Upload from the mobile app, not the web — different encoding pipelines, mobile is generally better
TikTok
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 or MOV |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080x1920 recommended |
| Frame rate | 24-60 fps (30 recommended) |
| Max file size | 287MB (mobile), 10GB (web upload) |
| Max duration | 10 minutes |
| Audio | AAC preferred |
TikTok compression: TikTok is even more aggressive than Instagram. Uploads are re-encoded to roughly 2-4 Mbps regardless of source quality. This means fine detail gets smudged and fast motion gets blocky. Strategies to maintain quality:
- Increase contrast slightly before upload — TikTok's compression preserves high-contrast content better
- Avoid rapid camera movement — motion blur + heavy compression = muddy output
- Use text overlays with bold fonts — thin fonts get destroyed by compression
- Upload at exactly 1080x1920 to avoid TikTok's internal resizing, which adds additional quality loss
HDR on TikTok: TikTok supports HDR video uploads on iPhone 12+ and certain Android devices. HDR content appears more vibrant in the feed. If your phone shoots HDR, keep it enabled for TikTok content.
Twitter / X
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 (H.264, AAC) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 1:1, or 9:16 |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 max (higher gets downscaled) |
| Frame rate | 40fps max (higher gets downsampled) |
| Max file size | 512MB |
| Max duration | 2 minutes 20 seconds (140 seconds) |
| Bitrate | 25Mbps max for 1080p |
Twitter's quirks:
- Videos over 1080p are downscaled. No benefit to uploading 4K.
- Frame rates above 40fps get downsampled (60fps becomes 30fps).
- The 2:20 duration limit is enforced strictly — even one second over and the upload fails.
- GIF uploads to Twitter are actually converted to looping MP4 video. A 5MB GIF becomes a 200KB MP4 on Twitter's servers.
- Twitter Premium subscribers get longer video limits (up to 4 hours, 8GB).
For best quality on Twitter: 1080p, 30fps, H.264 at high bitrate (12-16 Mbps). Twitter re-encodes to ~4-6 Mbps for most viewers, so starting high gives the encoder more to work with.
| Placement | Aspect Ratio | Resolution | Max Duration | Max Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed | 16:9 or 1:1 | 1080p recommended | 240 minutes | 10GB |
| Stories | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 20 seconds per story | ~4GB |
| Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 90 seconds | ~4GB |
Format: MP4 with H.264 and AAC. Facebook also accepts MOV, AVI, WMV, and others, but MP4 H.264 produces the best results after re-encoding.
Facebook's compression: Facebook compresses aggressively for feed videos (users scroll quickly, bandwidth matters) but less aggressively for videos opened in full screen. The quality difference between a video in the feed and the same video in the video player is substantial.
For optimal Facebook video: upload the highest quality source, keep it under 3 minutes for feed engagement (algorithmic preference for shorter content), and use captions (85% of Facebook video is watched without sound).
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 (strongly preferred) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 (landscape), 1:1 (square), 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080p max |
| Frame rate | 30fps recommended |
| Max file size | 5GB |
| Max duration | 10 minutes (native), 15 minutes (some accounts) |
| Audio | AAC, 192kbps+ recommended |
LinkedIn's video feature is more limited than other platforms. No 4K support. No 60fps. Shorter duration limits. The platform prioritizes professional content — talking head videos, presentations, product demos. Vertical video works well on LinkedIn now and gets more screen real estate in the feed.
LinkedIn doesn't show video quality settings to viewers (no 720p/1080p toggle), so what LinkedIn's encoder decides to serve is what the viewer sees. Upload at 1080p with high bitrate to give the encoder the best source material.
Quick Reference: All Platforms Compared
| Platform | Best Ratio | Max Resolution | Max Duration | Max Size | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 16:9 / 9:16 Shorts | 8K | 12 hours | 256GB | MP4 |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 90 sec | 250MB | MP4 |
| TikTok | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 10 min | 287MB/10GB | MP4/MOV |
| Twitter / X | 16:9 / 1:1 | 1080p | 2:20 | 512MB | MP4 |
| Facebook Feed | 16:9 / 1:1 | 1080p+ | 240 min | 10GB | MP4 |
| Facebook Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 90 sec | 4GB | MP4 |
| 16:9 / 1:1 / 9:16 | 1080p | 10 min | 5GB | MP4 |
Social media video optimization isn't about making the smallest file — it's about giving each platform's encoder the best raw material to work with. Upload high quality, match the aspect ratio, keep H.264 MP4 as your format, and let the platform handle compression.
The one thing that actually matters more than any encoding setting is the content itself. A well-lit, steady, in-focus video at 720p will look better after platform compression than a shaky, dark 4K video. Get the fundamentals right in capture, upload the best quality you can, and accept that the platform will do what it does to your pixels.