You've spent hours filming, editing, and polishing your video, and then you upload it to Instagram or TikTok only to watch the platform crush it into a blurry, artifact-riddled mess. It's one of the most frustrating experiences in content creation, and it happens more often than it should. The good news is that it's almost always preventable — you just need to export in the right format with the right settings.
Social media platforms are more aggressive than ever about re-encoding your uploads. They do this to save bandwidth and storage costs, but the side effect is that videos uploaded in the wrong format get re-encoded twice: once when you upload, and once when a viewer streams it. Every re-encoding step means quality loss. When you upload in the platform's preferred format, you give your content the best possible chance of looking exactly the way you intended.
This guide covers every major platform in 2026 — YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat — with exact specs, codec recommendations, and export settings. Whether you're a solo creator, a social media manager, or a brand running paid campaigns, you'll leave here knowing exactly what to do with your video files before you hit publish.
At a Glance
If you want one format that works everywhere and always produces great results, the answer in 2026 is still the same as it was five years ago: MP4 with H.264 encoding.
MP4 (MPEG-4) is the universal container. H.264 (also called AVC) is the codec that encodes the actual video data inside that container. Together they form the most compatible combination in the history of digital video. Every platform accepts it. Every device plays it. Every editing application exports it. When in doubt, MP4 H.264 is your answer.
That said, "MP4 H.264" covers a huge range of quality levels depending on resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and color profile. The specifics matter enormously. A 4K H.264 file exported at 100 Mbps will be rejected by TikTok, while the same footage exported at 1080p and 30 Mbps will upload perfectly. Read on for the exact numbers for each platform.
Pro Tip: Before uploading to any platform, always check that your video is in MP4 format with H.264 encoding. If it's in MOV, MKV, AVI, or any other format, use a video converter to transcode it first. Uploading the right container prevents unexpected re-encoding surprises.
Platform-by-Platform Breakdown
YouTube
YouTube is the most flexible major platform when it comes to video format. It accepts a wide range of formats and codecs, processes videos at very high quality, and its compression algorithm is among the most sophisticated. That said, YouTube still re-encodes everything you upload, so giving it the best source material means the final streamed version will look better.
YouTube now supports AV1 streaming for many videos, which means uploading in VP9 or H.264 gives the encoder more to work with. For most creators, 1080p at 60fps with H.264 or H.265 is the sweet spot. If you're uploading 4K content, H.265 or VP9 will produce better results at lower file sizes than H.264.
| Setting | Recommended | Acceptable | |---|---|---| | Container | MP4 | MOV, WebM, MKV | | Codec | H.264 or H.265 | VP9 | | Resolution | 1920x1080 (1080p) or 3840x2160 (4K) | 720p minimum for HD | | Frame Rate | 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, or 60 fps | 23.976, 29.97 acceptable | | Bitrate (1080p) | 8–12 Mbps | 4 Mbps minimum | | Bitrate (4K) | 35–45 Mbps | 20 Mbps minimum | | Audio Codec | AAC | MP3 | | Audio Bitrate | 320 kbps | 128 kbps minimum | | Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 9:16 for Shorts | | Max File Size | 256 GB | — |
YouTube Shorts uses a 9:16 vertical format (1080x1920) and should be kept under 60 seconds. Export Shorts at 1080x1920 with the same codec and bitrate settings as regular content.
Instagram is where format choices have the biggest visible impact. The platform's compression is noticeably aggressive, especially on feed videos and Reels. Uploading in anything other than MP4 H.264 will trigger an additional re-encode that visibly degrades quality — you'll see blocking artifacts, color shifts, and detail loss, particularly in shadows and complex textures.
Instagram supports three main video surfaces: Feed, Reels, and Stories. Each has slightly different aspect ratio requirements, but the codec and bitrate recommendations are consistent across all three. For Reels, which have the widest organic reach in 2026, getting the export settings exactly right is worth the extra attention.
| Setting | Feed | Reels | Stories | |---|---|---|---| | Container | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | H.264 | H.264 | | Resolution | 1080x1080 (square) or 1080x1350 (portrait) | 1080x1920 | 1080x1920 | | Aspect Ratio | 1:1 or 4:5 | 9:16 | 9:16 | | Frame Rate | 30 fps | 30 fps | 30 fps | | Bitrate | 3.5 Mbps | 3.5–5 Mbps | 3.5 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | AAC | AAC | | Audio Bitrate | 128 kbps | 128 kbps | 128 kbps | | Max Duration | 60 min (feed) | 90 seconds | 60 seconds | | Max File Size | 4 GB | 1 GB | 4 GB |
For a full walkthrough on optimizing video for Instagram specifically, see our guide on converting video for Instagram Reels and TikTok.
TikTok
TikTok has become one of the highest-volume video platforms in the world, and its encoding pipeline is highly optimized — but only when you give it what it wants. TikTok strongly prefers H.264 in an MP4 container. It technically accepts H.265 and MOV files, but anecdotal evidence from creators consistently shows that H.264 MP4 delivers better quality on the final post.
One important TikTok-specific note: the platform recommends keeping bitrates between 516 kbps and 25 Mbps. Going too high — for example, exporting a raw ProRes file — will actually trigger a more aggressive re-encode than a well-prepared H.264 file would. Give TikTok a clean, mid-range bitrate and it will do a better job with it.
| Setting | Recommended | |---|---| | Container | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | | Resolution | 1080x1920 (9:16 vertical) | | Frame Rate | 30 fps (60 fps for fast action) | | Bitrate | 6–12 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | | Audio Sample Rate | 44.1 kHz | | Max Duration | 10 minutes | | Max File Size | 4 GB (mobile app: 287.6 MB for older versions) | | Color Space | BT.709 |
Facebook handles both short-form (Reels) and long-form (Watch) video, and its specs reflect that range. Facebook's encoding is generally solid, though like Instagram it applies noticeable compression to anything that's not submitted in a preferred format. Facebook Reels shares many of the same algorithm behaviors as Instagram Reels since they run on the same infrastructure.
For Facebook Watch and standard feed videos, you have a bit more flexibility on aspect ratio — Facebook supports everything from 1:1 square to 16:9 landscape to 4:5 portrait, which makes it useful for repurposing content from other platforms. Just make sure you're not repurposing already-compressed content; always go back to the original export.
| Setting | Facebook Feed | Facebook Reels | |---|---|---| | Container | MP4 | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | H.264 | | Resolution | 1080x1080 or 1920x1080 | 1080x1920 | | Aspect Ratio | 1:1, 16:9, or 4:5 | 9:16 | | Frame Rate | 30 fps | 30 fps | | Bitrate | 4 Mbps | 4–6 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | AAC | | Audio Bitrate | 128 kbps | 128 kbps | | Max Duration | 240 minutes | 60 seconds | | Max File Size | 10 GB | 1 GB |
Twitter / X
Twitter/X is more restrictive than most other major platforms, with a tight 512 MB file size cap for standard accounts and a 2 GB cap for verified accounts (X Premium). The platform re-encodes aggressively to keep video delivery fast, so your goal is to upload a well-prepared source file that gives the encoder as much to work with as possible within those constraints.
Twitter/X also enforces a strict 2:20 minute maximum duration for standard posts. If you're posting video ads through Twitter's ad platform, the limits differ, but for organic content you need to keep things short. For native Twitter video, 1080p at 30fps with H.264 is the gold standard.
| Setting | Recommended | |---|---| | Container | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | | Resolution | 1920x1080 (landscape) or 1080x1920 (portrait) | | Aspect Ratio | 16:9 or 9:16 | | Frame Rate | 30 fps | | Bitrate | 5 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | | Audio Bitrate | 128 kbps | | Max Duration | 2 minutes 20 seconds | | Max File Size | 512 MB (standard), 2 GB (X Premium) |
LinkedIn's video audience skews toward professional content — think tutorials, behind-the-scenes company culture, conference talks, and product demos. The platform's encoding is decent but not exceptional. LinkedIn processes videos relatively slowly compared to TikTok or YouTube, so your upload may take longer before it's available to view in full quality.
LinkedIn supports both native video posts and LinkedIn Live. For native video, keep things under 10 minutes and 5 GB. LinkedIn's algorithm currently favors videos between 30 seconds and 5 minutes for organic reach. Square and portrait formats perform well since many LinkedIn users browse on mobile.
| Setting | Recommended | |---|---| | Container | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | | Resolution | 1920x1080 or 1080x1080 (square) | | Aspect Ratio | 16:9 or 1:1 | | Frame Rate | 30 fps | | Bitrate | 5–7 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | | Audio Bitrate | 128 kbps | | Max Duration | 10 minutes | | Max File Size | 5 GB |
Pinterest is an underrated video platform for driving long-term organic traffic, particularly in niches like DIY, home decor, food, fashion, and travel. Pinterest Idea Pins (formerly Story Pins) have become the primary video surface, and the platform strongly favors vertical video. Pinterest's compression is moderate — not as aggressive as Instagram, but more noticeable than YouTube.
Video Pins and Idea Pins have slightly different specs, but the core requirements are the same. Keep your videos under 15 minutes for standard Video Pins, and under 60 seconds for the best performance in feeds.
| Setting | Video Pin | Idea Pin | |---|---|---| | Container | MP4 | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | H.264 | | Resolution | 1080x1920 or 1920x1080 | 1080x1920 | | Aspect Ratio | 9:16 preferred | 9:16 | | Frame Rate | 25 or 30 fps | 25 or 30 fps | | Bitrate | 2–5 Mbps | 2–5 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | AAC | | Max Duration | 15 minutes | 60 seconds | | Max File Size | 2 GB | 2 GB |
Snapchat
Snapchat pioneered vertical video and continues to be a major platform for reaching younger demographics. Snaps, Stories, and Spotlight are the primary video surfaces. Spotlight, Snapchat's short-form video product, directly competes with TikTok and Reels and has its own dedicated algorithm.
Snapchat's encoding is on par with TikTok — it applies significant compression, especially in low-light scenes. Upload the cleanest, highest-bitrate H.264 file you can within the file size limits. Snapchat also has safe zone requirements for Spotlight and Stories: keep important visuals and text away from the top 250px and bottom 425px of the frame to avoid being covered by UI elements.
| Setting | Snap / Story | Spotlight | |---|---|---| | Container | MP4 | MP4 | | Codec | H.264 | H.264 | | Resolution | 1080x1920 | 1080x1920 | | Aspect Ratio | 9:16 | 9:16 | | Frame Rate | 30 fps | 30 fps | | Bitrate | 5–10 Mbps | 5–10 Mbps | | Audio Codec | AAC | AAC | | Max Duration | 60 seconds | 60 seconds | | Max File Size | 1 GB | 1 GB |
Universal Best Practices
Regardless of which platform you're targeting, a handful of best practices apply universally. Following these will save you from the most common quality issues that plague social media video.
Always export from the original source. When you need to repurpose content across platforms, always go back to your original high-quality export from your editing software. Never re-export from an already-compressed social media download. Each compression step degrades quality, and starting from a compressed copy means you're multiplying that degradation.
Use BT.709 color space. Every major social media platform in 2026 expects video in the BT.709 color space (also called Rec. 709). If you shoot in a log profile (like S-Log2, V-Log, or Canon Log) for color grading flexibility, make sure you convert to BT.709 before exporting your final social media file. Uploading in a log profile or HDR color space (like BT.2020) will result in washed-out, low-contrast video on most platforms.
Keep audio in AAC at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. AAC is the universal audio codec for social media. Use 128 kbps as your minimum and 320 kbps as your maximum. Most platforms won't pass through audio above 128 kbps anyway, but starting with higher quality gives their encoder more to work with. Set your sample rate to 44.1 kHz for most platforms, or 48 kHz if you're targeting YouTube or LinkedIn.
Set your frame rate to match your content. Don't arbitrarily change your frame rate during export. If you shot at 24fps, export at 24fps. If you shot at 60fps to enable slow motion, export at 30fps with the slow motion baked in. Frame rate conversion during platform re-encoding is one of the most common causes of judder and stuttering in uploaded videos.
Keep your pixel aspect ratio at 1:1 (square pixels). This sounds technical but it's simple: make sure your export settings show "Square Pixels" or "1.0" for pixel aspect ratio. Non-square pixels are a legacy artifact from broadcast video and will cause your video to appear stretched or squished on social media.
Pro Tip: Most professional editing applications (Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve) have social media export presets built in. Use them as a starting point, then adjust the bitrate upward to the recommended values in this guide. Platform presets in editing software tend to use conservative bitrates that result in unnecessary quality loss.
Codec Comparison for Social Media: H.264 vs H.265 vs VP9
Understanding the difference between codecs helps you make smarter decisions — especially as more platforms start accepting or even preferring newer codecs. Here's how the three major codecs compare for social media use in 2026.
For a deep dive into how video codecs actually work under the hood, check out our guide on video codecs explained.
| Codec | Also Known As | Compression Efficiency | Compatibility | Encoding Speed | Best For | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | H.264 | AVC, MPEG-4 Part 10 | Good | Universal | Fast | Universal social media uploads | | H.265 | HEVC | ~40% better than H.264 | Good (most platforms) | Moderate | 4K content, YouTube | | VP9 | — | ~35% better than H.264 | Good (web browsers) | Slow | YouTube, web streaming | | AV1 | — | ~30% better than VP9 | Limited (2026) | Very slow | Future-proofing, YouTube |
H.264 (AVC) remains the safest choice across all platforms in 2026. It's universally supported, encodes quickly, and produces excellent results at social media bitrates. Its main weakness is efficiency — you need higher bitrates than newer codecs to achieve equivalent quality. But since most platforms cap your video at relatively low bitrates anyway, H.264's efficiency disadvantage rarely matters in practice.
H.265 (HEVC) produces noticeably better quality than H.264 at the same bitrate, which makes it especially useful for 4K content. Most social media platforms now accept H.265, but compatibility isn't quite universal — a few platforms and some older devices will trigger a re-encode when they receive H.265 input. For YouTube specifically, H.265 is a solid choice for 4K uploads. For TikTok and Instagram, stick with H.264.
VP9 is Google's open-source codec used heavily by YouTube for streaming delivery. Uploading in VP9 is accepted by YouTube but the encoding process is significantly slower than H.264. Most creators will get better results uploading in H.264 or H.265 and letting YouTube's encoder handle the VP9 conversion.
AV1 is the future — it offers dramatically better compression than all three older codecs — but encoding in AV1 is prohibitively slow on most hardware in 2026, and platform support for AV1 uploads is still inconsistent. Watch for this to change significantly in 2027–2028 as hardware encoders mature.
How to Convert Your Videos
If your video is currently in the wrong format — MOV from your iPhone, MKV from your screen recorder, AVI from legacy software — you need to convert it before uploading. Converting is fast and straightforward with the right tool, and it won't cause quality loss as long as you use appropriate settings.
Our video converter handles all the major formats and lets you specify the exact codec, resolution, and bitrate settings covered in this guide. You can convert a single file or batch-convert multiple videos at once, which is useful when you're preparing content for multiple platforms simultaneously.
For Apple device users specifically: iPhones record video in MOV (HEVC) format by default. These files upload poorly to most social platforms. Before posting, convert your iPhone footage to MP4 H.264. Our MOV converter handles this automatically, and our dedicated mov-to-mp4 guide walks you through the process step by step.
If you specifically need MP4 output — which you will for virtually every platform covered in this guide — our MP4 converter lets you convert from any major format to MP4 with full control over codec, resolution, and bitrate settings.
Pro Tip: When converting for multiple platforms, create one high-quality "master" MP4 at 1080p and 10+ Mbps, then use that master to create platform-specific versions. This way you're always encoding from the best possible source, not from an already-compressed platform-specific export. Store the master somewhere safe — external drive, cloud storage — so you can re-export for future platforms or updated specs.
Export Settings Cheat Sheet
Use this table as a quick reference when you're setting up your export. Bookmark it and come back when you're not sure about a specific platform's requirements.
| Platform | Format | Codec | Resolution | FPS | Bitrate | Audio | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | YouTube (1080p) | MP4 | H.264 | 1920x1080 | 30 or 60 | 8–12 Mbps | AAC 320 kbps | | YouTube (4K) | MP4 | H.265 | 3840x2160 | 30 or 60 | 35–45 Mbps | AAC 320 kbps | | YouTube Shorts | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 8 Mbps | AAC 192 kbps | | Instagram Feed | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1350 | 30 | 3.5 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Instagram Reels | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 5 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Instagram Stories | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 3.5 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | TikTok | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30–60 | 6–12 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Facebook Feed | MP4 | H.264 | 1920x1080 | 30 | 4 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Facebook Reels | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 6 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Twitter / X | MP4 | H.264 | 1920x1080 | 30 | 5 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | LinkedIn | MP4 | H.264 | 1920x1080 | 30 | 5–7 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Pinterest | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 2–5 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps | | Snapchat | MP4 | H.264 | 1080x1920 | 30 | 5–10 Mbps | AAC 128 kbps |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best universal video format for social media?
MP4 with H.264 encoding is the best universal format for social media in 2026. It's accepted by every major platform, plays on every device, and produces excellent quality results at reasonable file sizes. If you only learn one thing from this guide, let it be this: when in doubt, export as MP4 H.264 at 1080p and 30fps with a bitrate of at least 5 Mbps.
Does video format actually affect quality on social media?
Yes, significantly. When you upload a video in an unsupported or inefficient format, the platform has to convert it before storing and serving it. That conversion adds a generation of quality loss on top of any compression the platform applies during streaming delivery. Starting with a well-prepared MP4 H.264 file means the platform can apply its streaming compression to your original quality, rather than to an already-degraded converted file.
Should I upload in 4K to get better 1080p quality?
This is a common and effective strategy, especially on YouTube. Uploading in 4K triggers YouTube's higher-bitrate 1080p streaming tier, which results in noticeably better quality when viewers watch at 1080p. On most other platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook), there's no equivalent benefit to uploading in 4K — these platforms will simply downscale to 1080p without providing a higher streaming bitrate. For YouTube specifically, if you want the best-looking 1080p content, consider exporting and uploading in 4K. For everywhere else, native 1080p is fine.
Why does my video look blurry after uploading to Instagram?
Instagram applies very aggressive compression, especially to content that isn't in its preferred format. The most common causes of blurry Instagram video are: uploading in a non-MP4 format, using a bitrate below 3.5 Mbps, uploading in the wrong color space (log profile or HDR), and exporting at the wrong resolution (especially if it doesn't match Instagram's preferred 1080x1920 for Reels). Check all of these settings before re-uploading. For a full breakdown, see our guide on converting video for Instagram Reels and TikTok and the comprehensive social media video specs 2026 reference.
What frame rate should I use for social media video?
30fps is the standard for social media content and is the safest choice for every platform. 60fps is appropriate for gaming content, sports, or any fast-motion footage where you want maximum smoothness. 24fps gives a more cinematic look and is widely used for narrative or brand content — most platforms support it natively. Avoid frame rates like 23.976fps or 29.97fps when possible, as these are broadcast-standard rates that some platforms convert slightly differently. The cleaner 24 and 30fps values are safer.
Is MOV format okay to upload to social media?
MOV is technically supported by some platforms (YouTube and Twitter/X, for example), but it's not recommended as your upload format. MOV is a container — it can hold H.264, H.265, ProRes, or other codecs inside. When platforms receive MOV files, they often re-encode them even if the codec inside is perfectly compatible, simply because they prefer MP4 as the container. Save yourself the uncertainty and convert to MP4 first. Use our video converter to convert MOV to MP4 without quality loss. For more information on format differences, see our best video formats 2024 comparison guide.
How much does bitrate matter for social media uploads?
Bitrate is one of the most important factors in upload quality. Think of it as the "data budget" your video gets per second. A higher bitrate means more data to represent each frame, which means finer detail, smoother gradients, and less compression artifacts. However, there's a ceiling effect on social media: platforms will cap your streaming bitrate regardless of what you upload. The goal is to upload at a bitrate high enough that the platform's encoder has excellent source material to work from, but not so high that the platform aggressively rejects or re-encodes your file. For most platforms, 5–12 Mbps for 1080p content hits this sweet spot.
Conclusion
Getting your video format right before uploading to social media is one of the highest-leverage things you can do as a content creator. It doesn't require expensive software or technical expertise — it just requires knowing the right numbers and settings, and having a reliable way to convert files when needed.
To recap the most important points from this guide: MP4 with H.264 encoding is your universal default. Match your resolution and aspect ratio to each platform's preferred specs. Upload in BT.709 color space. Keep audio in AAC. Maintain bitrates between 5–12 Mbps for 1080p content. And always export from your original source, never from a platform download.
If your footage is currently in a format that doesn't fit these recommendations — whether it's MOV from an iPhone, MKV from your screen recorder, or AVI from a decade-old camera — our video converter can handle the conversion quickly and without quality loss. Get the format right before you upload, and let your content shine the way you intended it to.
For platform-specific compression specs and a complete reference of upload limits across every major social network, see our social media video specs 2026 guide.
