Struggling to keep on top of all the changes to social media video specs?

Video is increasingly crucial to a successful social media marketing strategy. According to a recent survey, spending on digital video ads has grown by more than 50 percent over the last two years. Advertisers today spend more than half of all their digital/mobile ad dollars on video.

But as platforms release new video ad formats and update old ones, it can be hard to keep up. Tailoring your video to each platform’s specifications and making sure that your content is looking its best can be a real challenge.

But not if you use our guide to social media video specs.

Read on to find the most up-to-date video specifications for each of the most popular social platforms.

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

Facebook video specs

Optimizing video content for Facebook is tricky, mainly because of the many different ways it delivers video to its users.

When you buy a video ad on Facebook today, it could appear in dozens of different formats (in someone’s mobile news feed, in the sidebar on the desktop version of Facebook, or even in someone’s inbox on Facebook Messenger). It pays to become familiar with the varieties of Facebook video and to find a delivery format that matches your campaign goals.

Regular Facebook feed video:

Recommended size: 1280 by 720 pixels
Minimum width: 600 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 16:9 (horizontal), 9:16 (full portrait), 2:3 (vertical), 4:5 (vertical), square (1:1)

Tips: For best results, Facebook recommends uploading videos in .MP4 and .MOV format (see a full list of supported file formats here), with H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+. Videos can be up to 240 minutes long, up to 4GB large, and have a maximum frame rate of 30fps.

Resource: How to Use Facebook Live Video: A Guide for Marketers

Facebook 360 video:

Maximum size: 4096 by 2048 pixels, 2:1 aspect ratio
Minimum size: 600 pixels wide
Recommended specs: .MP4 format, maximum file size 1.75GB, maximum length 40 min, maximum frame rate 60fps

Tips: If the camera you recorded your video on automatically includes 360 video metadata with the video file, you can upload the video like you would any other video. If it doesn’t, click on the ‘Advanced’ tab when uploading to bring up Facebook’s ‘360 controls’ tab, which will let you convert unformatted footage into a 360 video.

Facebook in-stream video ads:

Recommended size: 1280 by 720 pixels
Minimum size, landscape video: 600 by 315 pixels (1.9:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size, square video: 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum file size 4GB, maximum length 120 min, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: For in-stream ads, Facebook recommends uploading the “highest resolution source video available without letter or pillar boxing.” Facebook provides an exhaustive list of aspect ratios and features available for each ad type.

Facebook Messenger video ads:

Recommended size: 1280 by 720 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 16:9 to 1.91:1

Tips: Facebook recommends uploading “the highest resolution video available that meets file size and ratio limits.” Videos can be up to 240 minutes long, up to 4GB large, and have a maximum frame rate of 30fps.

Facebook carousel video ads:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size, landscape video: 600 by 315 pixels (1.9:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size, square video: 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum length 240 minutes, maximum frame rate 30fps, maximum file size 4GB

Tips: Carousels let you showcase up to 10 images or videos in one ad, without having the user navigate to a new page. For best results, use a 1080 by 1080 pixel square (1:1) video.

Facebook Collection cover video:

Recommended size: 1200 by 628 pixels
Minimum size, landscape video: 600 by 315 pixels (1.9:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size, square video: 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum file size 4GB, maximum length 120 min, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: Collections are a new ad type that makes it easier for users to browse and purchase products directly in the Facebook feed. You can choose to have your video autoplay when a user scrolls over your collection, and clicking the video will open Canvas, a full-screen experience designed to drive traffic directly to your product pages.

Facebook Canvas video:

Recommended size: 1200 by 628 pixels
Minimum size, landscape video: 600 by 315 pixels (1.9:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size, square video: 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum file size 4GB, maximum length 120 min, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: Similar to Facebook’s instant articles, clicking on a Canvas ad immediately triggers a full-screen experience, to which you can add buttons, carousels, photos, text and video. Video and audio will automatically play when you scroll past it inside Canvas.

Facebook slideshow video ads:

Recommended size: 1200 by 720 pixels
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum file size 4GB, maximum length 120 min, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: Designed for audiences with slower internet access, slideshow ads let you transform a series of 3-10 images and a sound file (supported formats: WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC and OGG) into a video ad. For best results, Facebook suggests using the highest quality images possible, all the same dimensions (ideally 1280 x 720 pixels or an image ratio of 16:9, 1:1 or 2:3). If you use different sizes, the slideshow will be cropped to be square.

Resource: How to optimize Facebook videos to play without sound

Instagram video specs

Instagram supports three kinds of video: square, vertical and horizontal.

If you’re not sure which way to go, you’re probably better off choosing the square format, which is becoming increasingly popular with marketers. Square videos are more suitable for viewing on both desktop and mobile, they take up more room in user’s feeds than horizontal videos, but don’t crowd the entire screen like vertical videos do.

Instagram in-feed video:

Square video: 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Horizontal video: 600 by 315 pixels (1.9:1 aspect ratio)
Vertical video: 600 by 750 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum file size 4GB, maximum length 60 seconds, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: Instagram has the same recommendations for video as Facebook—upload the highest resolution video possible that fits file size and ratio limits, H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+.

Instagram in-feed video ads:

Same as above.

Instagram carousel video ads:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1080 pixels
Minimum size: 600 by 600 pixels
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum length 60 seconds, maximum frame rate 30fps

Tips: Like Facebook carousels, Instagram carousels let you showcase at least two and up to 10 images or videos in one side-scrolling ad.

Instagram stories video ads:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1920 pixels
Minimum size: 600 by 1067 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 16:9 to 4:5 and 9:16
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV format, maximum length 15 seconds, maximum file size 4GB

Tips: These videos appear between Instagram user stories for up to 15 seconds (or until dismissed) and take up the whole screen. Because stories are tailored to the size of the device, exact dimensions are hard to predict. Upload the highest resolution video possible, and consider leaving the top and bottom 14 percent (roughly 250 pixels) empty of any important information, so that it isn’t obscured by the profile icon or call to action.

Resource: How to use Instagram Stories like a pro

Twitter video specs

Twitter is optimized to handle video captured on mobile devices. If you’re uploading video that was recorded a different way, be sure to consult Twitter’s detailed guidelines for uploading video at each bitrate.

For best results, upload the highest resolution video you can under the file size limit (512MB).

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

Get the free guide right now!

Twitter horizontal videos:

Recommended size: 1280 by 1024 pixels
Minimum size: 32 by 32 pixels
Maximum size: 1920 by 1200 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: between 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
Recommended size at 256K bitrate: 320 by 180 pixels
Recommended size at 768K bitrate: 640 by 360 pixels
Recommended size at 2048K bitrate: 1280 by 720 pixels
Recommended specs: .MP4 for web, .MOV format for mobile, maximum length 140 seconds, maximum file size 512MB, maximum frame rate 40fps, must use progressive scan, must have 1:1 pixel ratio, audio should be mono or stereo, not 5.1 or greater

Twitter vertical videos:

Recommended size: 1200 by 1900 pixels
Minimum size: 32 by 32 pixels
Recommended size at 256K bitrate: 240 by 240 pixels
Recommended size at 768K bitrate: 480 by 480 pixels
Recommended size at 2048K bitrate: 640 by 640 pixels
Recommended specs: same as above.

Resource: How to make a blockbuster Twitter video

Snapchat video specs

Snapchat 10-second video ads:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or MOV, H.264 encoded, between 3 and 10 seconds long, maximum file size 32MB
Audio specs: 2 channels, PCM or AAC codec, 192 minimum kbps, 16 or 24 bit only, 48 KHz sample rate

Tips: These ads appear in discovery, in live stories or after a user’s own story, and can link to an app installation page, article or long-form video. Make sure to avoid placing logos or any other important elements in the top and bottom 15 percent of the video, to prevent them from getting cut off.

Snapchat also restricts videos with letterboxing, and text/graphics that encourage the user to “swipe up” (click here for a complete list of restrictions on video).

Snapchat long-form video ads:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1920 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 9:16 or 16:9
Recommended specs: .MP4 or MOV, minimum 15 seconds long (no maximum length), maximum file size 1GB
Audio specs: 2 channels, PCM or AAC codec, 192 minimum kbps, 16 or 24 bit only, 48 KHz sample rate

Tips: Longform videos must contain “live and/or motion graphic video” (no “silent or still videos”). Although horizontal videos are permitted, Snapchat strongly suggests using vertical videos only.

Snapchat sponsored geofilter:

Recommended size: 1080 by 1920 pixels
Format: .PNG with transparent background, maximum 250kb

Resource: How to create a custom Snapchat geofilter

YouTube video specs

YouTube video player specs:

Recommended sizes: 426 by 240 pixels (240p), 640 by 360 pixels (360p), 854 by 480 pixels (480p), 1280 by 720 pixels (720p), 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), 2560 by 1440 pixels (1440p) and 3840 by 2160 pixels (2160p)
Minimum size: 426 by 240 pixels
Maximum size: 3840 by 2160 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 16:9 and 4:3
Recommended specs: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, or WebM, maximum file size 128GB, maximum 12 hours long

Tips: YouTube encourages its users to upload videos that are “as close to the original, high quality source format as possible.” Videos should be uploaded in their native aspect ratios, and should never include letterboxing or pillarboxing bars, since YouTube “automatically frames videos to ensure that they are displayed correctly, without cropping or stretching, regardless of the size of the video or player.”

YouTube provides a full list of recommended bitrates for YouTube uploads here, and a full list of supported file formats here.

Youtube video ads:

Skippable video ads: maximum length of 12 hours, skippable after 5 seconds
Unskippable video ads: max length of 15, 20 or 30 seconds (depending on region)
Mid-roll video ads: minimum length of 30 seconds
Bumper video ads: maximum length of 6 seconds

Tips: YouTube announced last year that it would phase out unskippable 30 second ads in 2018 and focus on “formats that work well for both users and advertisers.” (Shorter unskippable ads will remain, however.)

Resource: How to advertise on YouTube

LinkedIn video specs

Linkedin shared videos:

Maximum size: 4096 by 2304 pixels
Minimum size: 256 by 144 pixels
Supported aspect ratios: 1:2:4 to 2:4:1
Recommended specs: .ASF, .AVI, .FLV, .MOV, .MPEG-1, .MPEG-4, .MKV, and .WebM, maximum file size 5GB, maximum 10 minutes long, maximum frame rate 60fps

Pinterest video specs

Pinterest video ads:

Minimum size: 240p
Recommended size (square videos): 600 by 600 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
Recommended size (vertical videos): 600 by 900 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
Recommended specs: .MP4 or .MOV, maximum file size 2GB, maximum length 30 minutes, maximum frame rate 25fps

Tips: Promoted videos will autoplay without sound on loop in the Pinterest feed when they are 50 percent in view. Tapping the video will cause a larger version to play with sound (no looping). Videos are currently only available for mobile devices.

More advice about social videos

Beyond sizes and specs, here are some other important things to know about creating videos for social media:

Put these up-to-date social video specs to use with Hootsuite. Easily upload, schedule, and promote your videos across multiple social networks from one dashboard. Try it free today.

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The post The Complete Guide to Social Media Video Specs in 2018 appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.