How to Convert Video for Instagram Reels and TikTok
Get your videos perfectly formatted for Instagram Reels and TikTok. Learn the exact specs, aspect ratios, and conversion settings for maximum quality.
Emma Wilson·February 20, 2026·26 min read
You spent hours shooting and editing the perfect video, uploaded it to Instagram Reels or TikTok, and watched in frustration as the platform compressed it into a blurry, letterboxed mess with audio that sounds like it was recorded through a tin can. This is one of the most common complaints among creators, and the root cause is almost always the same: the source file was not formatted to match what the platform actually expects.
Instagram Reels and TikTok are not forgiving when your video does not meet their technical requirements. Both platforms re-encode everything you upload through their own compression pipelines, and if your file is already in the wrong aspect ratio, resolution, codec, or bitrate range, the re-encoding process compounds every existing problem. The result is the muddy, artifact-riddled footage you see plastered all over low-effort accounts — and that is not the impression you want to leave.
The fix is surprisingly straightforward: convert your video to the correct specs before you upload, not after. When your file already matches what the platform expects, the re-encoding step becomes trivial, and the quality loss drops to nearly imperceptible levels. This guide gives you every technical specification you need, plus step-by-step conversion instructions using both browser-based tools and the command line.
Whether you are repurposing landscape footage from a DSLR, trimming a screen recording, or converting a clip from a completely different format, you will walk away from this post knowing exactly how to get your video looking its best on both platforms.
At a Glance
If you need to get a video ready right now, here is the short version:
Format: MP4 with H.264 codec for both Instagram Reels and TikTok.
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 vertical) for full-screen content on both platforms.
Frame rate: 30fps is the safe standard; TikTok supports up to 60fps.
Bitrate: Aim for 8–25 Mbps for Reels; 6–20 Mbps for TikTok.
Audio: AAC codec, 44.1 kHz sample rate, stereo.
Fastest conversion method: Upload your clip to the video converter at ConvertIntoMP4, select MP4 output, and download the result — no software or account required.
Instagram Reels has tighter quality expectations than many creators realize, largely because Meta's compression algorithm is quite aggressive. Starting with a file that already hits the target specs is the most reliable way to protect your quality through the upload pipeline.
Resolution and Aspect Ratio
The native resolution for Instagram Reels is 1080 x 1920 pixels, which corresponds to a 9:16 aspect ratio — the full vertical portrait frame that fills a phone screen edge to edge. This is non-negotiable if you want your content to look intentional and professional rather than cropped awkwardly or padded with black bars.
Instagram does technically accept other aspect ratios. A square 1:1 video will display with black bars on the top and bottom within the Reels viewer, and a 16:9 landscape video will be heavily cropped or letterboxed. Neither is ideal, and both signal to the algorithm and to viewers that your content was not made for the platform. Always convert to 9:16 before uploading.
Duration Limits
Instagram Reels supports videos from 3 seconds up to 90 seconds in length. As of 2026, there is no option to upload a longer Reel directly through the standard workflow — anything beyond 90 seconds will be truncated or rejected depending on how you attempt to upload it. If your original clip is longer, you will need to trim it or split it into multiple parts before conversion.
File Size
The maximum file size for Instagram Reels is 4 GB. In practice, if you are working at 1080p with a well-chosen bitrate, you are very unlikely to hit this ceiling for clips under 90 seconds. A 60-second clip at 15 Mbps works out to roughly 112 MB — well within the limit. The more relevant concern is making sure your file is not so heavily pre-compressed that it looks degraded before Instagram's own pipeline even touches it.
Codec
Instagram strongly prefers the H.264 codec inside an MP4 container. While the platform can technically process H.265 (HEVC) and some other codecs, H.264 is what their transcoding pipeline is optimized for, and it consistently produces the best output quality after re-encoding. Use the High Profile when the option is available, as it gives the encoder more tools to maintain quality at a given bitrate.
For audio, Instagram expects the AAC codec with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a bitrate of at least 128 kbps in stereo. Videos uploaded with MP3 audio or unusual sample rates often have audio sync issues after upload — AAC eliminates this risk.
Frame Rate
Instagram Reels supports frame rates between 23fps and 60fps, with 30fps being the recommended standard for most content. If your source footage was shot at 24fps (common for cinematic-style DSLR footage), you can upload at 24fps without issue. Avoid variable frame rate (VFR) video — it is a frequent cause of audio sync problems on Instagram. Convert to a constant frame rate (CFR) before uploading.
Bitrate
Instagram recommends a video bitrate of 3.5 Mbps minimum for Reels, but this is a floor, not a target. For content that will survive the platform's re-encoding with quality intact, aim for 8–15 Mbps in your source file. Going above 25 Mbps is generally wasteful since Instagram will transcode your video regardless. The higher your source bitrate (up to a sensible ceiling), the more information the platform's encoder has to work with, and the better the final result looks to viewers.
TikTok Specifications
TikTok's technical requirements are similar to Instagram Reels in the broad strokes, but there are a handful of meaningful differences — particularly around bitrate tolerance and format flexibility — that are worth knowing if you are cross-posting or creating platform-specific content.
Resolution and Aspect Ratio
TikTok's recommended resolution is also 1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16, matching Instagram Reels for full-screen vertical content. TikTok is somewhat more tolerant of off-ratio uploads than Instagram: it will accept 1:1 square content and even 16:9 landscape video, displaying them with contextual padding. That said, vertical 9:16 content consistently performs better in terms of watch time and algorithm distribution, so it is worth converting your footage to the correct ratio regardless.
TikTok also supports a 4:5 aspect ratio (864 x 1080) for certain use cases, and some creators use it deliberately to leave room for on-screen captions without covering faces or action. For most content, 9:16 remains the default target.
Duration Limits
TikTok has expanded its duration limits considerably over the past few years. As of 2026, creators can upload videos up to 10 minutes in length through the standard in-app upload, and select creators in certain categories have access to up to 60 minutes via web upload. For standard short-form content, the sweet spot is still 15–60 seconds for algorithmic distribution, but you are no longer constrained to 60 seconds the way you once were.
File Size
TikTok's file size limit is 4 GB for videos uploaded via the app, and up to 8 GB for videos uploaded through the web interface. For practical purposes, a well-encoded 1080p video at a sensible bitrate will rarely approach either limit in the sub-10-minute range.
Codec
Like Instagram, TikTok performs best with H.264-encoded MP4 files. The platform also accepts MOV (common from iPhone and DSLR footage), MP4, and WebM, but MP4 with H.264 is what you should convert to for the most predictable results. If you are starting from MOV files shot on an iPhone or a Sony/Canon camera, the mov-to-mp4 converter handles this conversion cleanly in the browser without re-encoding through multiple intermediate formats.
Audio should use the AAC codec at 44.1 kHz, stereo, with a minimum bitrate of 128 kbps. TikTok is particularly sensitive to audio sync issues when the original file uses VFR video or non-standard audio codecs, so ensuring your file has constant frame rate and AAC audio before uploading is especially important here.
Frame Rate
TikTok recommends 30fps as the baseline and officially supports up to 60fps for smoother motion content. If you shoot gaming content, sports, or any fast-motion footage, uploading at 60fps on TikTok is worth doing — the platform will display it at 60fps for viewers on capable devices, giving you a genuine quality edge over creators who upload everything at 30fps. For talking-head or lifestyle content, 30fps is perfectly adequate and results in slightly smaller files.
Bitrate
TikTok recommends a minimum bitrate of 516 kbps for video (their published minimum), but as with Instagram, this is a floor that should be treated as a warning label rather than a target. For source files you plan to upload, aim for 6–12 Mbps at 1080p. TikTok's re-encoding is somewhat more lenient than Instagram's at lower bitrates, but you still want to give the platform's encoder as much to work with as possible.
Instagram Reels vs. TikTok: Side-by-Side Specification Comparison
Specification
Instagram Reels
TikTok
Recommended Resolution
1080 x 1920 px
1080 x 1920 px
Aspect Ratio
9:16 (preferred)
9:16 (preferred)
Maximum Duration
90 seconds
10 minutes (app); 60 min (web, select)
Maximum File Size
4 GB
4 GB (app); 8 GB (web)
Recommended Codec
H.264 (MP4)
H.264 (MP4)
Accepted Formats
MP4, MOV
MP4, MOV, WebM
Frame Rate (recommended)
30fps
30fps (up to 60fps)
Recommended Bitrate
8–15 Mbps
6–12 Mbps
Audio Codec
AAC
AAC
Audio Sample Rate
44.1 kHz
44.1 kHz
Audio Bitrate (min)
128 kbps stereo
128 kbps stereo
Variable Frame Rate
Not recommended
Not recommended
The two platforms are remarkably similar at the technical level, which means a single well-optimized conversion workflow can produce files suitable for cross-posting on both. The main practical differences come down to duration limits and TikTok's 60fps support for motion content.
How to Convert Video for Reels and TikTok with ConvertIntoMP4
The video converter at ConvertIntoMP4 is the fastest way to get your video into the right format without installing software or memorizing FFmpeg flags. Here is the complete step-by-step process.
Step 1 — Open the converter and upload your file.
Navigate to the video converter and either click the upload area or drag your video file directly onto the page. ConvertIntoMP4 accepts essentially every common video format: MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, WMV, FLV, 3GP, and MP4 itself. There is no need to pre-process your file — upload the original source and let the converter handle the format translation.
Step 2 — Select MP4 as your output format.
In the output format selector, choose MP4. This instructs the converter to use an MP4 container with H.264 video encoding, which is exactly what both Instagram and TikTok expect. If you see a codec option, select H.264. The MP4 converter page also has a direct upload interface if you want to go straight to the MP4 output option.
Step 3 — Set the resolution to 1080 x 1920.
If the converter offers resolution controls, enter 1080 for width and 1920 for height. This produces the 9:16 vertical frame that fills phone screens on both platforms. If your source video is landscape (16:9), the converter will need to either crop it to 9:16 or add padding — choose the crop option if your subject is centered, and padding only as a last resort since black bars look unprofessional in the Reels and TikTok feeds.
Step 4 — Set the frame rate to 30fps.
Select 30fps from the frame rate options. If you are creating motion-heavy content specifically for TikTok and want to take advantage of 60fps playback, select 60fps instead. For the majority of lifestyle, talking-head, and tutorial content, 30fps is the right choice.
Step 5 — Download and verify your file.
Click the convert button and wait for the process to complete. Once the download is ready, save the file and play it back locally before uploading. Check that the aspect ratio is correct (vertical, not letterboxed), the audio is in sync, and the overall quality looks sharp. You should not see any major degradation compared to your source — if you do, your source file may already be heavily compressed, which is a sign to go back to a higher-quality export from your editing software.
Pro Tip: If you are cross-posting the same video to both Instagram Reels and TikTok, you only need to convert once. A single 1080x1920 MP4 at 30fps and H.264 will upload cleanly to both platforms without any further changes.
How to Convert Video for Reels and TikTok with FFmpeg
FFmpeg is a free, open-source command-line tool that gives you precise control over every aspect of your video conversion. It is the right choice when you need to batch-convert multiple files, want to automate your workflow, or need settings that a browser-based tool does not expose. If you have not used FFmpeg before, download it from ffmpeg.org and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.
Basic Conversion Command
This command converts any input video to a 1080x1920 MP4 with H.264 video, AAC audio, 30fps, and a constant frame rate — ready for both Instagram Reels and TikTok:
-vf "scale=1080:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1080:1920" — Scales your video up to at least fill the 1080x1920 frame (no black bars), then crops the excess. This keeps your video edge-to-edge without letterboxing.
-c:v libx264 — Encodes video using H.264.
-profile:v high -level 4.1 — Targets H.264 High Profile, which is what Instagram and TikTok both prefer.
-preset slow — Tells FFmpeg to spend more time finding efficient compression. Slower encode, better quality at the same file size.
-crf 18 — Controls quality using Constant Rate Factor. A value of 18 is near-lossless visually; 23 is the default (noticeable quality drop at this level for platform uploads). Use 16–20 for social media uploads.
-c:a aac -b:a 192k -ar 44100 — Encodes audio as AAC at 192 kbps and 44.1 kHz sample rate.
-movflags +faststart — Moves the MP4 metadata to the beginning of the file, allowing faster streaming and upload processing.
Converting a Landscape Video (16:9 to 9:16)
If your source is landscape footage, the crop approach above will work, but you might want to control exactly what part of the frame is cropped. Use the crop filter's x and y parameters to shift the crop window:
The (iw-1080)/2:0 crop offset centers the crop horizontally, which works well when your subject is in the center of the frame. Adjust the x offset to shift the crop left or right if your subject is off-center.
Fixing Variable Frame Rate (VFR) Only
If your only problem is variable frame rate — common with footage from iOS devices and screen recorders — you can fix it quickly without re-encoding the video:
The -c:a copy flag copies the audio stream without re-encoding it, saving time and preserving audio quality. Only the video stream is processed.
Pro Tip: Always verify your FFmpeg output with ffprobe before uploading. Run ffprobe -v quiet -print_format json -show_streams output.mp4 and check that the video stream shows "codec_name": "h264", "r_frame_rate": "30/1", and the audio stream shows "codec_name": "aac". This two-second check has saved countless failed uploads.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
Aspect Ratio Problems: Black Bars and Stretching
The most visually obvious problem when uploading video to Reels or TikTok is incorrect aspect ratio. Black bars (letterboxing or pillarboxing) appear when your video does not fill the 9:16 frame, and stretching occurs when a tool changes the dimensions without maintaining the correct proportions.
The right fix is always to crop your source footage to 9:16 before conversion, not to stretch it. Cropping loses some of the frame at the edges, but the result looks intentional and professional. Stretching distorts faces, text, and any straight lines in your footage, and no viewer will mistake it for a deliberate choice. If you are working with landscape footage and cannot crop away the edges without losing your subject, consider placing the landscape clip inside a 9:16 frame using a blurred version of itself as the background — many editing apps offer this as a one-click option, and it looks significantly better than black bars.
Audio Sync Problems
Audio that drifts out of sync with the video is almost always caused by variable frame rate video or a mismatch between the video and audio timestamps in the container file. The fix is to re-encode the video with a constant frame rate using the FFmpeg commands above, making sure not to use -c:v copy (stream copy skips re-encoding and preserves the VFR timestamps). You must re-encode the video stream to fix VFR-related sync issues.
A secondary cause of audio sync problems is using audio codecs other than AAC. Some older MOV files use PCM or ALAC audio, which can confuse platform upload processors. If you are having sync issues with a file that appears to have a constant frame rate, check whether the audio codec is AAC — if it is not, re-encode the audio to AAC using -c:a aac in your FFmpeg command.
Quality Loss After Upload
If your video looks visibly degraded after uploading to Instagram or TikTok — blocky artifacts in areas of detail, color banding in gradients, loss of sharpness in fine textures — the cause is almost always one of two things: your source file was already at a low bitrate before upload, or your source file was in a format or codec that caused the platform's transcoder to struggle.
The fix for low-bitrate sources is to go back to the original high-quality export from your editing software (or the original camera footage) and re-export at a higher bitrate before converting. Once quality is lost in a file, no conversion process can recover it — you need a better source. For the codec issue, make sure your source is H.264 MP4 before uploading rather than H.265, VP9, or an unusual format the platform may not handle optimally. For a detailed look at how different formats compare in terms of quality retention, the MP4 vs MOV guide covers the key differences.
For tips on reducing file size without sacrificing the visual quality that feeds platform transcoders, see the how to compress video online guide, which covers bitrate targeting and quality settings in detail.
Tips for Maximum Quality on Reels and TikTok
Start from the Highest Quality Source Available
The golden rule of video conversion: every generation of re-encoding introduces some quality loss, and the losses are cumulative. If you have a choice between exporting from your editing software in ProRes, H.265, or H.264, export in ProRes (if your converter supports it) or H.265, then convert to the platform-ready H.264 MP4. Starting from a higher-quality intermediate file means the final platform-ready version retains more of the original detail.
If you are converting a file you received from someone else, ask for the original export or camera file if possible. Converting a file that has already been compressed for WhatsApp, email, or a previous upload is a recipe for poor results.
Match Frame Rate to Your Content, Not to Convention
30fps is the standard recommendation for a reason: it is smooth enough for almost all content types and is universally supported. But if you shoot at 24fps and want a cinematic look, upload at 24fps rather than converting to 30fps — the frame interpolation involved in the conversion process can produce unnatural motion artifacts. Similarly, if you shoot gaming content or fast sports at 60fps, preserve the 60fps in your output rather than dropping to 30fps.
The one frame rate to avoid in all circumstances is anything variable. Fixed 24, 30, or 60fps is always better than variable frame rate, regardless of what that variable rate averages out to.
Use Constant Rate Factor (CRF) Instead of Fixed Bitrate
When encoding with FFmpeg or a desktop tool like HandBrake, use CRF (Constant Rate Factor) mode rather than a fixed target bitrate. CRF encoding allocates bits where the encoder determines they are needed — more bits for complex scenes, fewer for static content — producing better overall quality at the same average file size than a fixed bitrate would. For social media content, a CRF of 16–20 with H.264 is the target range: 16 is near-lossless and produces larger files, 20 produces smaller files with a small but perceptible quality step down.
Pro Tip: Do not obsess over hitting a specific bitrate number. The CRF value controls quality; the resulting bitrate is a consequence of the complexity of your footage. A talking-head video at CRF 18 might output at 4 Mbps while a fast-moving outdoor scene at the same CRF produces 12 Mbps. Both are correct behaviors — let the encoder decide the bitrate.
Enable Faststart for Faster Processing
The -movflags +faststart flag in FFmpeg (or the equivalent "Web Optimized" option in HandBrake) moves the MP4 file's moov atom to the beginning of the file. For playback, this allows streaming before the full download is complete. For platform uploads, it means the platform's processing pipeline can read your file's metadata immediately without seeking to the end of the file first. This small detail can prevent upload errors on some platform upload systems and generally speeds up the post-upload processing time.
Test Before You Publish
Before committing to a full upload and waiting for the platform to process your video publicly, do a test upload to a private or draft post. Play it back on the actual platform rather than in a local player — the platform viewer will show you exactly what your audience will see, including any quality issues introduced by the platform's re-encoding. Checking locally tells you what your source file looks like; checking on-platform tells you what was actually published. They are sometimes very different.
convert-video-for-instagram-reels-tiktok summary and tips
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best file format for Instagram Reels and TikTok?
MP4 with H.264 video encoding and AAC audio is the best file format for both Instagram Reels and TikTok. Both platforms can accept MOV, and TikTok also accepts WebM, but MP4 with H.264 is what both platforms are optimized to transcode, and it consistently produces the best post-upload quality. If you are starting from a MOV file (common with iPhone footage and DSLR cameras), convert it to MP4 before uploading for the most predictable results. For a deeper comparison of the two most common formats, see the MP4 vs MOV guide.
Can I upload a 4K video to Instagram Reels or TikTok?
Both platforms will accept 4K source files, but neither displays video at 4K resolution in their apps. Instagram caps Reels playback at 1080p, and TikTok similarly displays at 1080p on most devices. Uploading a 4K file wastes upload time and storage, and the additional data does not translate to visible quality improvement for viewers. The better approach is to export or convert your 4K footage to 1080x1920 at a high bitrate, which gives the platform's transcoder maximum quality information in a format it can actually use efficiently.
Why does my video look blurry after uploading to TikTok or Instagram?
Blurry video after upload is almost always a source quality issue. Both platforms re-encode every video they receive — if your source file already had visible compression artifacts, a low bitrate, or significant quality loss from multiple previous conversions, the platform's re-encoding will make those issues worse, not better. The fix is to go back to the highest-quality version of your footage (ideally the original camera file or a high-bitrate export from your editing software) and re-export at 1080x1920 with a bitrate of at least 8 Mbps before uploading. Using a video converter that supports high-quality output settings will preserve as much of the source quality as possible during the format translation step.
How do I convert a landscape (16:9) video to vertical (9:16) for Reels and TikTok?
The cleanest approach is to crop the landscape footage to 9:16. If your subject is centered in the landscape frame, a center crop will retain the important content. In FFmpeg, use the scale and crop filter combination shown in the FFmpeg section above. In a video editing app, most tools have a "reframe" or "aspect ratio" setting that lets you drag the crop window over your landscape footage to choose exactly what to keep. The alternative — placing the landscape video in a 9:16 frame with a blurred copy of itself filling the background — has become a widely accepted stylistic choice on both platforms and avoids hard cropping when your subject spans the full width of the landscape frame.
Does TikTok or Instagram support 60fps video?
TikTok officially supports 60fps and will display your video at 60fps on devices and connections that can handle it. Instagram Reels accepts 60fps uploads but may downconvert to 30fps during its own processing pipeline depending on account type and region — this behavior has varied over time, and as of 2026, many creators report 60fps Reels displaying at 60fps on capable devices. For content where motion smoothness matters (sports, gaming, dance), uploading at 60fps is worth doing on both platforms and will at minimum give the platform's transcoder better information to work with even if the output is 30fps.
How do I fix audio sync problems after converting my video?
Audio sync problems after conversion almost always trace back to variable frame rate (VFR) video in the source file. VFR is extremely common in footage from iOS devices, Android phones, and screen recording software. The fix is to re-encode the video with FFmpeg using a constant frame rate (CFR) — use the -r 30 flag and do not use -c:v copy, which would preserve the VFR timestamps. If you have already converted the file and are seeing sync drift, go back to the original source file and apply the constant frame rate conversion before doing anything else. Never try to fix sync by trimming the audio separately — address the root cause in the container rather than patching symptoms.
What bitrate should I use for Instagram Reels and TikTok uploads?
For source files you are preparing for upload (not the output you expect the platform to serve), aim for 8–15 Mbps for Instagram Reels and 6–12 Mbps for TikTok. These ranges give the platforms' transcoders enough data to produce a high-quality output without creating unnecessarily large source files. Going above 25 Mbps does not meaningfully improve the final result since the platform will heavily re-encode the video regardless. Going below 5 Mbps for 1080p content risks giving the platform's encoder too little to work with, especially in high-motion scenes. For more detail on choosing the right compression settings, the best video format social media 2026 guide covers platform-by-platform bitrate recommendations.
Comparison: Conversion Methods at a Glance
Method
Best For
Skill Level
Batch Processing
Cost
ConvertIntoMP4 (browser)
Single files, quick conversions
Beginner
No
Free
FFmpeg (command line)
Batch processing, automation, precise control
Intermediate–Advanced
Yes
Free
HandBrake (desktop app)
Regular conversions, GUI control
Beginner–Intermediate
Yes (queue)
Free
Adobe Media Encoder
Professional workflows, tight integration with Premiere
Intermediate
Yes
Subscription
iMovie / CapCut (mobile)
Quick in-app edits on iPhone
Beginner
No
Free
For most creators, the browser-based video converter handles single-file conversions with zero friction, and FFmpeg covers everything else. HandBrake is worth bookmarking if you prefer a desktop GUI for regular work. Adobe Media Encoder only makes sense if you are already paying for the Creative Cloud subscription and want to stay in that ecosystem.
Conclusion
Getting your video formatted correctly for Instagram Reels and TikTok is not complicated once you know the numbers. Both platforms want the same core specifications: a 1080x1920 MP4, H.264 video at 30fps (or 60fps for TikTok motion content), AAC audio at 44.1 kHz, and a source bitrate in the 6–15 Mbps range. Hit those targets before you upload and your video will arrive at the platform's transcoder in the best possible condition, which directly translates to better quality for your audience.
The difference between a video that looks great on TikTok and one that looks soft and blurry is almost never the recording quality — it is the conversion step in between. Spending two minutes converting your clip correctly saves you the frustration of reuploading, losing engagement, and wondering why your carefully shot footage never looks as good on-platform as it does on your phone.
Start with the video converter for fast single-file conversions, graduate to FFmpeg when you are batch-processing large libraries, and always preview your output on the actual platform before committing to a public post. With the right specs locked in, your videos will look exactly as sharp, colorful, and professional as you intended them to be.
For a broader look at how these specs fit into a cross-platform social media strategy, the best video format social media 2026 guide compares Reels and TikTok alongside YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, and LinkedIn video. And if file size is a concern alongside quality, the how to compress video online guide covers every compression technique available without requiring software installation.
social mediavideo formatsinstagramtiktokfile conversion
About the Author
Emma Wilson
Digital media specialist with expertise in audio engineering, podcast production, and ebook publishing workflows.
