Social Media Marketing

Social Media Video Sizes Guide 2025: Perfect Dimensions for Every Platform

Matt
Matt
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TL;DR - Quick Answer

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Comprehensive guide with practical insights you can apply today. Focus on the key principles for immediate impact.

Social Media Video Sizes Guide 2025: Perfect Dimensions for Every Platform

Video content dominates social media, but each platform has specific size requirements and optimal formats. Using the wrong video dimensions can result in poor quality, cropped content, or reduced reach. This comprehensive guide covers all major social media video specifications for 2025.

Quick Reference: Social Media Video Sizes

| Platform | Content Type | Aspect Ratio | Recommended Size | Max Duration | |----------|--------------|--------------|------------------|--------------| | Facebook | Feed Video | 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 | 1280x720px | 240 minutes | | Facebook | Story Video | 9:16 | 1080x1920px | 15 seconds | | Instagram | Feed Video | 1:1, 4:5 | 1080x1080px | 60 seconds | | Instagram | Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920px | 90 seconds | | Instagram | Stories | 9:16 | 1080x1920px | 15 seconds | | TikTok | Standard | 9:16 | 1080x1920px | 10 minutes | | YouTube | Standard | 16:9 | 1920x1080px | 12 hours | | YouTube | Shorts | 9:16 | 1080x1920px | 60 seconds | | LinkedIn | Feed Video | 16:9, 1:1 | 1280x720px | 10 minutes | | Twitter/X | Feed Video | 16:9, 1:1 | 1280x720px | 2 minutes 20s |

Facebook Video Sizes

Facebook Feed Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Landscape: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 ratio)
  • Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 ratio)
  • Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 ratio)

Technical Specifications:

  • Maximum file size: 10GB
  • Maximum length: 240 minutes (4 hours)
  • Minimum length: 1 second
  • Frame rate: 30fps maximum
  • Recommended bitrate: 4,000 kbps

Facebook Stories Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 15 seconds per story
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Format: MP4 or MOV

Facebook Reels

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 90 seconds
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Audio: Recommended for engagement

Facebook Cover Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1640 x 859 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
  • Maximum length: 90 seconds
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Autoplay: Yes (without sound)

Instagram Video Sizes

Instagram Feed Videos

Square Format (Recommended):

  • Size: 1080 x 1080 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Maximum length: 60 seconds
  • File size: Up to 4GB

Portrait Format:

  • Size: 1080 x 1350 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 4:5
  • Better for: Taking up more feed space

Landscape Format:

  • Size: 1080 x 608 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Use case: Repurposed YouTube content

Instagram Reels

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
  • Maximum length: 90 seconds
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Frame rate: 30fps
  • Audio quality: 128kbps or higher

Instagram Stories

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 15 seconds per story
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Safe area: Keep important content within 1080 x 1680 pixels

Instagram IGTV

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Vertical: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16)
  • Horizontal: 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9)
  • Maximum length: 60 minutes (verified accounts)
  • File size: Up to 5.4GB for videos over 10 minutes

TikTok Video Sizes

TikTok Standard Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
  • Maximum length: 10 minutes
  • Minimum length: 3 seconds
  • File size: Up to 4GB
  • Frame rate: 25-30fps

Supported Formats:

  • Primary: 9:16 (recommended for algorithm)
  • Alternative: 1:1 (square)
  • Not recommended: 16:9 (horizontal)

TikTok Live Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Requirements: 10K+ followers
  • Duration: Up to 60 minutes

YouTube Video Sizes

YouTube Standard Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Alternative: 1280 x 720 pixels (HD)
  • Maximum file size: 256GB or 12 hours
  • Frame rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60fps

YouTube Shorts

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 60 seconds
  • File size: Up to 256GB
  • Audio: Optional but recommended

YouTube Thumbnails

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1280 x 720 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • File size: Under 2MB
  • Format: JPG, GIF, PNG

LinkedIn Video Sizes

LinkedIn Feed Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Landscape: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9)
  • Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1)
  • Maximum length: 10 minutes
  • File size: Up to 5GB
  • Frame rate: 10-30fps

LinkedIn Stories

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 20 seconds
  • File size: Up to 5GB

Twitter/X Video Sizes

Twitter Feed Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Landscape: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9)
  • Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1)
  • Maximum length: 2 minutes 20 seconds
  • File size: Up to 512MB
  • Frame rate: 40fps maximum

Twitter Spaces (Audio/Video)

Video Dimensions:

  • Size: 1280 x 720 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Duration: Up to 13 hours
  • Participants: Up to 13 speakers

Pinterest Video Sizes

Pinterest Standard Videos

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 2:3 to 9:16
  • Maximum length: 15 minutes
  • File size: Up to 2GB
  • Format: MP4, MOV

Pinterest Story Pins

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum pages: 20 per Story Pin
  • Duration: 5-15 seconds recommended per page

Snapchat Video Sizes

Snapchat Standard

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum length: 60 seconds
  • File size: Up to 32MB

Snapchat Ads

Optimal Dimensions:

  • Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Length: 3-180 seconds
  • File size: Up to 1GB

Platform-Specific Best Practices

Facebook Video Optimization:

  1. Mobile-first: Design for mobile viewing
  2. Captions: Add subtitles for silent autoplay
  3. Thumbnail: Create engaging custom thumbnails
  4. Square format: Performs well in news feed
  5. Length: 15-60 seconds for optimal engagement

Instagram Video Optimization:

  1. Vertical content: 9:16 for Reels and Stories
  2. High quality: Use 1080p resolution minimum
  3. Cover frames: Design attractive cover images
  4. Audio: Include engaging sound for Reels
  5. Consistency: Maintain brand aesthetic

TikTok Video Optimization:

  1. Vertical only: 9:16 aspect ratio essential
  2. Hook early: Capture attention in first 3 seconds
  3. Native editing: Use TikTok's editing tools
  4. Trending audio: Incorporate popular sounds
  5. Full screen: Utilize entire vertical space

YouTube Video Optimization:

  1. HD quality: Minimum 720p, prefer 1080p
  2. Thumbnails: Eye-catching custom designs
  3. Consistent branding: Maintain visual identity
  4. SEO optimization: Optimize titles and descriptions
  5. End screens: Include calls-to-action

Technical Specifications Summary

File Formats by Platform:

Universally Supported:

  • Video: MP4 (H.264 codec)
  • Audio: AAC audio codec
  • Container: MP4 container format

Platform-Specific:

  • Facebook: MP4, MOV
  • Instagram: MP4, MOV
  • TikTok: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, AVI
  • YouTube: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, WebM
  • LinkedIn: MP4, AVI, MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV

Compression Guidelines:

Bitrate Recommendations:

  • 1080p: 8-12 Mbps
  • 720p: 5-8 Mbps
  • 480p: 2.5-5 Mbps

Audio Settings:

  • Sample rate: 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz
  • Bitrate: 128-320 kbps
  • Channels: Stereo (2 channels)

Video Size Tools and Resources

Free Video Resizing Tools:

  1. Canva: Templates for all platform sizes
  2. Adobe Express: Quick video resizing
  3. InShot: Mobile video editing and resizing
  4. CapCut: Free editing with preset dimensions
  5. DaVinci Resolve: Professional-grade free editor
  1. Adobe Premiere Pro: Professional video editing
  2. Final Cut Pro: Mac-based professional editing
  3. Filmora: User-friendly editing with templates
  4. Camtasia: Screen recording and editing
  5. Loom: Quick video creation and editing

Common Video Size Mistakes

Mistake 1: Wrong Aspect Ratios

  • Problem: Using horizontal videos for vertical platforms
  • Solution: Create platform-specific versions
  • Impact: Reduced engagement and reach

Mistake 2: Low Resolution

  • Problem: Using videos under 720p resolution
  • Solution: Always use 1080p or higher
  • Impact: Poor video quality and user experience

Mistake 3: Ignoring Platform Preferences

  • Problem: Using same video across all platforms
  • Solution: Optimize for each platform's algorithm
  • Impact: Lower visibility and engagement

Mistake 4: File Size Issues

  • Problem: Videos too large or compressed poorly
  • Solution: Balance quality with file size limits
  • Impact: Upload failures or quality loss

Future of Social Media Video Sizes

  1. Higher resolutions: 4K becoming more common
  2. Vertical dominance: 9:16 preferred across platforms
  3. Interactive elements: Clickable video content
  4. AR integration: Augmented reality in videos
  5. AI optimization: Automatic sizing and cropping

Staying Updated:

  • Platform announcements: Follow official updates
  • Beta features: Test new video formats early
  • Analytics monitoring: Track performance by format
  • Community feedback: Learn from creator experiences

Conclusion

Getting social media video sizes right is crucial for maximizing engagement and reach in 2025. While each platform has specific requirements, the trend toward vertical video (9:16) and high-quality 1080p resolution is consistent across most platforms.

Focus on creating content in the native aspect ratios for each platform, prioritize mobile viewing, and always test how your videos appear before publishing. Remember that technical specs are just the foundation – compelling content and strategic optimization are what drive real results.

Related Guides: Learn about Instagram image sizes for static content, discover Instagram Reels length limits, and explore optimal posting times for maximum reach.


Ready to optimize your video content strategy? Try SocialRails' social media management tools to plan, create, and schedule perfectly-sized videos across all platforms.

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