Rich in sounds, images and colors, full of movement and plot twists: this is more or less the identikit of the video files that are uploaded to social media every minute.
In fact, since the first video file entitled “Me at the zoo” was uploaded on YouTube on April 23, 2005 , many things have changed.
One of the most evident is the strong predominance that today, after 17 years, videos have achieved on the web.
If you want to learn more about videos, we talked about it in our article: “Social video: a “must have” for social media marketing”
One of the data that perhaps helps us better understand the extent of this phenomenon concerns the quantity: every minute on YouTube alone, video files lasting approximately 500 hours are uploaded.
Source: Statista.com
What are the best video files for the major social networks?
Precisely because of the scope of this phenomenon, it is very important today to include videos in web marketing and social communication strategies .
However, to do it properly, you need to know which video files to use on each social network and which is the best video format for the most used platforms.
Without further ado, let’s get to the point. I want to give you some technical tips on how to create video files optimized for social media.
Below you will find some specifications for the most popular platforms to consult whenever you need them (bookmark the page so you don’t lose them).
Facebook Video Format Specifications
Let’s start with him, the social media giant that continues to maintain its enormous popularity despite the constant birth of new platforms.
In this case, the video format specifications for Facebook are as follows
Supported Facebook video formats : .MP4 (Android recording format) and .MOV (Apple recording format).
Maximum size : 4GB.
Ideal length : to maintain a high level of interaction and attention, Meta recommends staying between 15 seconds and 2 minutes ; keep this in mind when creating your video files to publish on the platform.
Aspect ratio : 16:9 (1920 x 1080) or 1:1 (1080 x 1080).
Yes I know, there aren’t all the individual specifications, I preferred to leave a list with the most important ones .
If you want to discover all the possibilities of Facebook video formats, I leave you a link to the Meta guide here.
Instagram Video Format Features
Instagram is the other main platform from Meta, the one we have all learned to know and appreciate for photos, stories and reels.
Miglior formato video: a ogni social il suo
So, after seeing the best video formats for Facebook, let’s see how to create videos for Instagram using the best specifications for each format of the platform.
(h4) Video Reel & Stories Instagram
Supported Instagram video formats : These are the classic ones recorded from smartphones, .MP4 and .MOV.
Maximum file size : 4GB.
Ideal length : for video reels on Instagram , the ideal length varies from 30 seconds to a minute, even if the platform imposes a maximum limit of 90 seconds for videos. For stories, on the other hand, the duration has recently been extended up to 60 seconds, here being a particular and very engaging format, the ideal length depends entirely on your audience . Testing here is the key.
Aspect ratio : 9:16 (1080 x 1920).
The minimum resolution for these types of video files must be 720p with a minimum of 30 FPS (frames per second).
Video in feed
It is usually not the most used format when you decide to create videos for Instagram, but if you need it, here are the specifications to follow:
Specifiche per formati video Facebook
Instagram Video Formats : Here too we have .MP4 and .MOV.
Maximum video file size : 4GB.
Ideal length : between 30 seconds (ideal) and 2 minutes.
Aspect ratio : Meta gives you the ability to upload videos with aspect ratios ranging from 1.91:1 to 9:16.
Youtube Video Formats
YouTube has several benefits that make it a very attractive platform.
First and foremost, the large community of very active users (along with the fact that it is owned by Google and an integral part of its ecosystem). This can lead to your videos appearing in privileged positions even in browser search results .
This is precisely why it is important to have the basic knowledge to create engaging videos full of interesting content (if you want to learn more about the topic, we have also talked about it here ).
Here instead I leave you some technical characteristics for Youtube video formats
Youtube video formats : in this case the platform supports many more types of video files than the previous ones: .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, .3GPP, .WebM.
Maximum video file size : The maximum size can be 128GB or maximum 12h.
Ideal length : the ideal duration, according to some studies , is between 7 and 15 minutes.
Aspect ratio : 16:9 (1920 x 1080)
To increase the performance and popularity of your videos always remember to add a clear title , a description , relevant keywords in the title and description and some hashtags .
Formats for TikTok video files
As for TikTok, this platform is among the latest in the world of social media.
The main and also the only truly effective format of TikTok is video. For this reason, it is important to know the specifics and limitations of the platform.
Caratteristiche dei formati video Instagram
Below you will find all the features to create video files to upload to your profile:
Tik Tok Video Format : Here too we have .MP4 and .MOV like in most other platforms.
Maximum video file size : 287.6MB or 10 minutes.
Ideal length : During the creation phase, you can choose between different options: 15s, 30s, 3 minutes and 10 minutes. The best length for video files to use on Tik Tok is 30 seconds, not too short and not too long.
Aspect ratio : 9:16 (1080 x 1920)
TikTok is a relatively new reality and for this reason more affordable than others.
If you are not yet present on TikTok with your brand, you might want to think about how to integrate this social channel into your online strategy
This application is probably the most popular for creating videos on smartphones, mainly for 3 reasons
It allows you to edit videos easily and in seconds.
You can create simple but also quite complex videos.
It is almost completely free and the pro version adds few features.
In that case, if you are looking for an application to create videos quickly even when you don’t have your PC at hand , Capcut is an excellent solution.
Formati per i file video di TikTok
Conclusions – Creating Advertising, Corporate or Personal Videos for Social Media
Whether you’re just starting out in the world of video creation or you’re already well-versed in the industry, the most important thing to remember – beyond the technical aspects – is that the video you produce must engage the viewer.
The key is therefore to understand and connect with your audience and produce for them, not for an algorithm.
If what we create doesn’t attract people, doesn’t keep them glued to the screen and doesn’t make them feel part of a dream, an idea, a story that also becomes theirs, then even the most spectacular video will struggle to have great success
