Social Media Video Specs & Best Practices 2025

Platform requirements change constantly. I update this guide regularly so you don't have to hunt down specs every time you export a video.

Bookmark this page -you'll reference it often.

Instagram

Reels (Primary Format)

Instagram has gone all-in on Reels. As of 2025, it's their primary video format.

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	9:16 (vertical)
Resolution	1080 x 1920px
Duration	Up to 3 minutes (60-90 seconds performs best)
File Size	4GB max
Format	MP4 (H.264)
Frame Rate	30fps minimum
Audio	AAC, -10 to -12 LUFS

What's working in 2025: Instagram's algorithm now prioritizes 3-second retention above all else. If people don't stay past 3 seconds, you're buried. This means your hook is everything.

Videos under 90 seconds see 50% viewer retention through to the end. Push past 90 seconds and that drops significantly.

Stories

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	9:16
Resolution	1080 x 1920px
Duration	Up to 60 seconds (auto-segments)
Format	MP4 or MOV

Pro tip: Keep Stories 5-15 seconds. Users drop off hard after 15 seconds.

Feed

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	4:5 (portrait, best) or 1:1 (square)
Resolution	1080 x 1350px (portrait)
Duration	Up to 60 minutes

Note: All feed videos now get categorized as Reels anyway, so optimize for Reels specs.

TikTok

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	9:16 (vertical)
Resolution	1080 x 1920px
Duration	Up to 10 minutes (60-120 seconds optimal)
File Size	72MB (Android), 287MB (iOS), up to 2GB for longer videos
Format	MP4 or MOV
Frame Rate	30-60fps
Audio	AAC, -10 to -12 LUFS (loud and punchy)

2025 Trends: There's an interesting shift happening. While 86% of TikTok videos are still under one minute, longer content (60+ seconds) is seeing a 43% boost in reach and 64% increase in shares.

The sweet spot seems to be evolving:

• 15-30 seconds: Highest completion rates
• 60-120 seconds: Highest engagement and shares
• 2+ minutes: Growing in popularity for in-depth content

For ads specifically, 9-15 seconds tends to work best.

YouTube

Shorts

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	9:16 (vertical required)
Resolution	1080 x 1920px
Duration	Up to 3 minutes (as of October 2024)
File Size	2GB max
Format	MP4 (H.264)
Audio	-14 LUFS

Performance note: YouTube Shorts has the highest engagement rate of any platform at 5.91%. Despite the 3-minute limit, 30-60 seconds still performs best for most content.

Standard Video

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (widescreen)
Resolution	1920 x 1080px (1080p) or 3840 x 2160px (4K)
Duration	Up to 12 hours
File Size	256GB max
Frame Rate	Native (24, 30, or 60fps)
Audio	-14 LUFS, 48kHz sample rate

Bitrate recommendations:

• 1080p @ 30fps: 8 Mbps
• 1080p @ 60fps: 12 Mbps
• 4K @ 30fps: 35-45 Mbps
• 4K @ 60fps: 53-68 Mbps

Optimal length for engagement: 7-15 minutes for general content, 10-20 minutes for tutorials.

Facebook

Reels

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	9:16
Resolution	1080 x 1920px
Duration	60-90 seconds recommended
File Size	4GB max
Format	MP4 or MOV
Audio	-13 LUFS

Important update: As of June 2025, all Facebook videos are now shared as Reels. There's no format cap anymore, but 9:16 vertical still gets the best reach.

Feed Video

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	16:9, 1:1, or 4:5
Resolution	1280 x 720px minimum
Duration	Up to 240 minutes

LinkedIn

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	4:5 (portrait, best for mobile) or 16:9 (landscape)
Resolution	1080 x 1350px (portrait) or 1920 x 1080px (landscape)
Duration	Up to 15 minutes (desktop), 10 minutes (mobile)
File Size	5GB max
Format	MP4
Audio	-13 LUFS

What's working: Videos under 60 seconds in 4:5 format get the most comments. Vertical and square videos take up more screen space, which translates to more views than horizontal.

Keep it professional but warm -LinkedIn audiences appreciate personality without being too casual.

Twitter/X

Spec	Requirement
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (landscape) or 9:16 (portrait)
Resolution	1280 x 720px (recommended)
Duration	2:20 for standard, up to 4 hours for Premium Plus
File Size	512MB (standard), 16GB (Premium Plus)
Format	MP4 or MOV
Audio	-13 LUFS

Optimal length: 20-45 seconds. The first 5 seconds are critical for grabbing attention.

Audio Loudness Quick Reference

Platform	Target LUFS	True Peak	Why
TikTok	-10 to -12	-1.0 dBTP	Noisy mobile environments
Instagram	-10 to -12	-1.0 dBTP	Noisy mobile environments
YouTube	-14	-1.0 dBTP	Varied playback devices
Facebook	-13	-1.0 dBTP	Mixed viewing conditions
LinkedIn	-13	-1.0 dBTP	Professional contexts

For a deep dive on audio optimization, check out our audio mastering guide.

Best Performing Video Lengths (2025 Data)

Platform	Sweet Spot	Why
Instagram Reels	60-90 seconds	Highest engagement and completion
TikTok	60-120 seconds	Boosted reach for longer content
YouTube Shorts	30-60 seconds	Best completion rates
YouTube Standard	7-15 minutes	Optimal engagement curve
Facebook Reels	60-90 seconds	Consistent with Instagram
LinkedIn	Under 60 seconds	Busy professional audiences
Twitter/X	20-45 seconds	Fast-scrolling feed behavior

Key Takeaways

1. 9:16 vertical dominates - Optimize for mobile-first viewing
2. First 3 seconds are everything - Hooks matter more than ever
3. Platforms are pushing longer content - But shorter still gets higher completion
4. Audio standards vary - Create platform-specific exports
5. Always add captions - 85% watch without sound

AdWarrior Export Presets

We've built platform-specific export presets into AdWarrior so you don't have to remember all this. Just select your target platform, and we'll handle:

• Resolution and aspect ratio
• Frame rate optimization
• Audio normalization to platform standards
• Codec and bitrate settings

Start creating optimized videos for every platform →