Video production
Short-Form Video Export Settings: Resolution, Bitrate and Safe Zones
For a vertical short video, start with a 1080 × 1920 (9:16) MP4 using H.264 video, AAC audio and the frame rate of your footage. That is a practical editing preset, not a universal upload rule. Check the destination preview, then adjust bitrate only if the exported file needs more detail or a smaller size.
A practical starting preset
Keep the original footage and editing project. This is a general preset for a vertical master you can adapt for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts; it is not a requirement shared by every app, API and ad placement.
| Setting | Starting choice | Why and when to adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920, 9:16 | A common vertical master. Do not stretch horizontal footage to fit. |
| Container and video | MP4 with H.264 | A widely compatible export. Confirm the destination accepts the file. |
| Frame rate | Match your footage and edit timeline | Exporting 30 fps footage at 60 fps cannot create captured motion detail. |
| Audio | AAC; clear, unclipped dialogue | Keep music below speech and listen on the device people will use. |
| Bitrate | Use your editor's quality preset as a starting point | Compare short samples for detail, movement and size; the best choice depends on footage. |
| Color | Use a consistent SDR/Rec. 709 workflow if your project is SDR | Compare the export on a phone before diagnosing a color change after upload. |
TikTok's Content Posting API, Meta's Reel API guidance and YouTube's upload encoding guidance all support key parts of this format. The overlap makes it convenient; it does not mean one bitrate guarantees quality or every 4K upload fails.
Check the specification for your publishing path
Search results often mix phone uploads, browser uploads, developer APIs and ads into one “TikTok limit.” Use the source that governs how you actually publish.
Browser upload
TikTok Studio help lists MP4 or WebM, at least 720 × 1280, up to 30 minutes and under 10 GB. It notes that tools vary by region and experience. These are not blanket limits for the mobile app.
Third-party publishing
The Content Posting API recommends MP4/H.264, accepts 23–60 fps and has a 4 GB file limit. Those are API transfer rules, not a guarantee of playback resolution or phone-app acceptance.
Format and bitrate are separate
Qualifying square or vertical videos up to three minutes become Shorts. YouTube's encoding table gives 8 Mbps for 1080p SDR at 24–30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48–60 fps as upload references, not TikTok targets.
Check the method you use
Meta's Reel API collection recommends 9:16 and lists MP4 or MOV with H.264 or HEVC for server publishing. Its caps apply to that API path; inspect Instagram's current in-app creation screen for phone uploads.
Estimate file size with visible assumptions
30 seconds at 10 Mbps video plus 0.192 Mbps audio
Estimated MB = (video Mbps + audio Mbps) × seconds ÷ 8
Here, (10 + 0.192) × 30 ÷ 8 = 38.22 MB. This uses decimal megabytes and average bitrates. It excludes container overhead, and variable-bitrate encoding may produce a different actual size.
At an ideal sustained 10 Mbps upload rate, those media bits would take about 30.6 seconds to transfer. Real upload time also includes connection variation, overhead and platform processing. Measure your file and connection instead of treating the estimate as an exact completion time.
Video file size estimator
This starts with the example above. Variable bitrate and file-container overhead can change the real size. Nothing is uploaded by this calculator.
For twice the duration at the same average bitrate, the estimate doubles. For half the bitrate at the same duration, the media size roughly halves. Quality does not scale as neatly: a talking-head clip and fast-moving water can need different encoding choices.
MB versus MiB: MB here means one million bytes. Some file managers show MiB, which uses 1,048,576 bytes. Neither number tells you how long a platform will take to process the upload.
Test two exports before changing every project
- Select a short section with movement, fine detail, text and dialogue.
- Export one version with your current preset and one with a modest quality change.
- Play both locally at realistic phone size. Look for blocky motion, banding and soft text.
- Record the actual file sizes and settings.
- Use a draft or appropriate test upload to inspect the destination's result.
- Choose the smallest version that preserves the quality needed for this footage.
If a local file is already blurry, increasing its bitrate will not recreate lost detail. Investigate the source footage, crop, scaling and previous compression first. If only platform playback is blurry, compare the same post after processing and on a stable connection before blaming the export.
Safe zones are a preview problem as well as a pixel problem
Keep essential text away from controls, captions and edges, then preview with the actual destination interface. The layout can vary with caption length, placement and device. TikTok's in-feed ad specification page provides placement-specific safe-zone files and explains that its previews can differ from live display.
Those advertising templates are useful when making that ad placement; they are not proof that one top, right and bottom pixel margin fits every organic post. Check captions with their real line wrapping. Make text large enough to read on a phone and avoid relying only on color to convey a distinction.
Find the cause before changing bitrate
| What you see | Check first | Then try |
|---|---|---|
| Local export is already soft | Compare source footage and exported file at the same display size. | Fix crop, focus, scaling or repeated encoding before raising bitrate. |
| Only the uploaded version is soft | Wait for processing and compare on a stable connection. | Where the destination permits, make a private test upload and compare two exports from the same project. |
| Text is cut or covered | View the post with its caption and controls. | Move or enlarge key text, then export again from the project. |
| Motion looks jerky | Inspect source and timeline frame rates. | Match the captured rate instead of assuming 60 fps is better. |
| Color looks washed out | Compare the local file on another device and review color metadata. | Correct the project/export color workflow before retesting upload. |
YouTube notes that higher playback qualities can appear after processing and suggests checking color metadata. Treat that as a YouTube troubleshooting lead, not a guarantee about TikTok or Instagram processing.
Final quality check
- Correct orientation and no unintended stretch or crop.
- Readable subtitles, including names, quantities and punctuation.
- Dialogue audible on a phone; no clipped peaks or abrupt cut.
- Important text visible with the caption and action controls over it.
- Actual duration and file size accepted by the destination.
- Music and third-party material cleared for the intended use.
Use the repurposing checklist to keep separate destination versions and the music rights worksheet for audio permissions. If you need a permitted copy of an already published post, the video downloader saves the available source file; it cannot recreate your editing master.
Found an outdated setting or unclear explanation?
Include the page URL, the statement, and a supporting source when you send a correction.