Apps & Tools

Platform Video Specs Reference

Name: Platform Video Specs Reference
Author: Infinite Creation

Pick a platform to see its current duration, resolution, aspect ratio, and file size limits, or scroll the full comparison table below.

Choose a Platform

Details

Full Comparison Table

Platforms change limits frequently. Treat this as a working reference and double-check against the platform's own upload screen before a critical delivery.

Knowledge Base

Why Platform Specs Matter

Every platform re-encodes your upload to fit its own delivery pipeline. Uploading outside spec (wrong aspect ratio, oversized file, too-long runtime) means the platform crops, letterboxes, or re-compresses your video for you, usually with worse results than doing it yourself in your NLE.

Aspect Ratio Is the Biggest Trap

16:9 (landscape) still rules long-form YouTube and LinkedIn. 9:16 (vertical) is the default for Shorts, Reels, TikTok, and Stories. 1:1 (square) still performs well in Instagram and Facebook feeds. Design your safe area for the platform you're exporting to first, cropping after the fact loses headroom and can clip lower thirds.

Bitrate vs. File Size

Most platforms cap file size, not bitrate directly, but bitrate is what determines the file size for a given duration. If you're near a file size ceiling, lower the bitrate rather than the resolution. Viewers notice compression artifacts less than a downscaled frame.

FAQ

Q: Should I always upload at the platform's maximum resolution?
A: Upload at the highest resolution you actually shot in, up to the platform's supported maximum. Uploading upscaled footage doesn't add detail, it just wastes bitrate.

Q: Why did my video get compressed so badly?
A: Usually a mismatched frame rate or an unsupported codec forced a full re-encode. Match the platform's recommended codec (typically H.264 or H.265) before upload.

Every platform specification, side by side

The tool above shows one platform at a time. This table lists them all, so you can compare requirements before choosing where to publish.

Name	Duration	Res	Aspect	Size	Codec	Fps
YouTube, Long-form	12 hrs (verified) / 15 min (unverified)	Up to 8K, 1080p-4K typical	16:9	256 GB or 12 hrs	H.264 / H.265, 8-bit or 10-bit	Up to 60 fps
YouTube Shorts	Up to 3 min	1080×1920	9:16	~limited by duration	H.264	30-60 fps
Instagram Feed	Up to 60 min	1080 px wide minimum	4:5, 1:1, or 16:9	~4 GB	H.264	23-60 fps
Instagram Reels	Up to 3 min	1080×1920	9:16	~4 GB	H.264	30 fps
Instagram Stories	Up to 60 sec per story	1080×1920	9:16	~4 GB	H.264	30 fps
TikTok	Up to 10 min (60 min some accounts)	1080×1920	9:16	~287 MB (mobile) / 72 GB (web)	H.264 / H.265	23-60 fps
X (Twitter)	2 min 20 sec (standard) / 140 min (Premium)	1920×1080 max	16:9 or 1:1	512 MB (mobile) / 8 GB (web, Premium)	H.264	Up to 60 fps
LinkedIn	Up to 10 min (native feed)	1920×1080 max	16:9 or 1:1	~5 GB	H.264	Up to 30 fps
Facebook	Up to 240 min	1920×1080 max	16:9, 9:16, or 1:1	~10 GB	H.264	Up to 60 fps
Podcast Video (YouTube/Spotify)	Full episode length	1920×1080	16:9	Platform long-form limits apply	H.264	24-30 fps

Delivering to a platform specification

Platform requirements are two different things wearing one name. There is what a platform accepts, which is broad, and what it recommends, which is narrower and describes what survives its processing best. Uploading something merely accepted usually works and frequently looks worse than it needed to.

Everything gets re-encoded on upload. Your file is not what viewers receive, and the platform generates its own versions at several resolutions from whatever you supply. Delivering at the recommended settings gives that process the best material to work from, which is why exceeding recommended bitrate rarely helps and never hurts as much as falling below it.

Duration and aspect limits are hard failures rather than quality questions. A file exceeding a maximum length or using an unsupported shape is rejected outright or cropped without asking, and finding out after uploading a long export wastes real time. Check these before rendering rather than after.

Specifications change without announcement. Platforms revise limits, add formats and quietly deprecate others, and a figure that was correct last year may not be now. Confirm against the platform's own current documentation for anything that matters, and treat any third-party summary, including this one, as a starting point rather than an authority.

Keep a high quality master separate from platform exports. Delivering the same file everywhere means compromising on whichever platform has the tightest constraint, and re-exporting from an already compressed upload compounds the loss. Exporting each version from the master keeps every one as good as its own specification allows.

Vocabulary

Re-encode. The compression a platform applies to your upload before showing it to anyone. Means the file viewers receive is never the file you supplied, and why delivering good material matters more than delivering large files.

Container and codec. The container is the file wrapper, such as MP4 or MOV. The codec is how the video inside is compressed, such as H.264. A platform can accept a container while rejecting the codec inside it.

Recommended settings. The configuration a platform states as ideal, as opposed to the wider set it merely accepts. Following the recommendation gives its re-encoding process the best starting material.

Master. The highest quality version of a finished piece, kept as the source for every subsequent export. Exporting each platform version from the master avoids compounding compression losses.