Social Media Video Sizes: Formats, Aspect Ratios and Lengths in 2026

The 3 Aspect Ratios You Need to Know (and What They're For)

The aspect ratio is the relationship between an image's width and its height. Three ratios cover almost everything you'll need. A fourth one is useful for the Instagram and Facebook feeds.

Social Media Video Sizes at a Glance

Bookmark this summary. The lengths listed are performance benchmarks (what works), not technical limits. Those limits change regularly.

One rule applies to every platform: export as MP4 (H.264 codec) at 30 frames per second, in Full HD or higher. It's the most widely accepted format everywhere.

TikTok, Reels and Shorts: Vertical Rules

All three platforms use the same video format: 9:16, 1080 × 1920 pixels. That means you can post one vertical video on all three. Just leave out logos and watermarks from other platforms, because the algorithms tend to push those videos less.

Video length: what you need to know

Maximum lengths have grown a lot in recent years, and they keep changing. TikTok accepts videos several minutes long, Reels have gotten longer, and YouTube has extended Shorts past one minute. Don't aim for the limit. Aim for impact: on these formats, videos of 15 to 45 seconds are often the ones people watch to the end.

Safe zones

The app's interface covers part of your video. Your username and caption sit at the bottom, the buttons (like, comment, share) sit on the right, and tabs sometimes appear at the top. Keep your important text in the center area.

• Leave about 15% margin at the top of the frame.
• Leave about 20–25% margin at the bottom (caption, username, music).
• Stay clear of the right edge, about 15% of the width (interaction buttons).
• Put your price, phone number or call to action in the center, slightly above the middle.

For more on each platform, see create a TikTok video. If you want to use TikTok for your business, read our guide to TikTok for business.

YouTube: 16:9 for Videos, 9:16 for Shorts

YouTube is still the home of landscape video. Export a standard video in 16:9 at 1920 × 1080 or higher. 4K (3840 × 2160) is a plus for premium content, but Full HD is more than enough for most business videos.

• Thumbnail: 1280 × 720 px, 16:9. The thumbnail is what gets the click, so put as much care into it as into the video.
• Intro: keep it short. A few seconds is enough before you get to the point.
• Shorts: same format as TikTok (9:16, 1080 × 1920). They're a great way to get people to discover your channel.

Facebook and Instagram Feeds: Square or 4:5

In the feed, a 16:9 video looks tiny on a phone. Use square 1:1 (1080 × 1080) or 4:5 (1080 × 1350) instead. They take up more vertical space and catch more attention as people scroll.

LinkedIn and X: More Flexible Formats

LinkedIn

LinkedIn accepts square, vertical and landscape video. On mobile, 1:1 and 4:5 take up more space in the feed. 16:9 still suits product demos and presentations. Videos of 30 to 90 seconds that share a figure, a method or a lesson learned tend to perform well. Find more tips on the LinkedIn video page.

X (formerly Twitter)

X accepts 16:9, 1:1 and vertical video. 16:9 and 1:1 are the safest choices for a clean display in the feed. Short, punchy, captioned videos suit this fast-moving feed best. The maximum length depends on your account type, so check it in the app.

WhatsApp Status: A Key Format in Africa

In Lagos, Accra, Nairobi and Johannesburg, WhatsApp status is often a seller's number one sales channel. The format is simple: vertical 9:16, 1080 × 1920. Each status clip is limited to a short length, roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the app version. Longer videos get split into several pieces.

• Aim for 15 to 30 seconds: one clip, one message.
• Show the price in local currency (naira, cedis, shillings, rand) and your phone number in large type, right in the center.
• Think about your customers' data: a short video loads faster and costs less to watch.
• Post regularly, because a status disappears after 24 hours.

We cover best practices on the WhatsApp status page and in our guide to video marketing in Africa.

Adapt One Video to Every Format Without Starting Over

Here's the classic trap: you make a video in 16:9, then crop it to 9:16. Your text gets cut off and your logo disappears. A properly adapted video is recomposed for each format, which means the elements are repositioned instead of just cropped.

In ManyMotion, you choose the format when you describe your video. You can also just type "switch to TikTok format" in the chat. The video is recomposed in 9:16, and the voice-over, music and sound effects stay in sync. On agency plans, you can adapt a video to all three formats (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) in one click. Here's an example request:

Create a 20-second video for the grand opening of my hair salon in Atlanta, in vertical format for TikTok and Reels. Keep the text in the center of the screen and end with the address and "Book on Instagram."

You can try it for free in the studio. You get 60 free credits when you sign up, plus Full HD MP4 export.

Pre-Export Checklist

• The aspect ratio matches the placement (9:16, 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9).
• The resolution is at least Full HD (1080 px on the short side).
• Exported as MP4 H.264 at 30 frames per second.
• Text and call to action sit inside the safe zone.
• The message makes sense with the sound off.
• The length fits the purpose, not the maximum limit.
• No watermark from another platform.

Frequently asked questions