Which Video Format Should You Use for Social Media?
Social platforms re-encode everything you upload, so the goal is not to hand them the smallest possible file — it is to hand them a file they accept without complaint and that survives their re-encoding well.
The universal answer: MP4 (H.264 + AAC)
YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and WhatsApp all accept MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. If you do not want to think about it, convert everything to that combination.
What each platform prefers
| Platform | Recommended |
|---|---|
| YouTube | MP4, H.264, 1080p or 4K, AAC 320 kbps |
| Instagram Reels | MP4, H.264, 9:16, 1080×1920 |
| TikTok | MP4 or MOV, H.264, 9:16 |
| MP4, H.264, AAC | |
| X (Twitter) | MP4, H.264, AAC, max 2:20 for most accounts |
| MP4, H.264, up to 10 minutes |
Converting camera footage
Phones record MP4 or MOV. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras often produce MOV with unusual codecs; action cameras may use HEVC; older camcorders produce AVCHD (MTS/M2TS) that many editors refuse to open. Convert all of these to MP4 with the MOV to MP4 or MKV to MP4 converter before uploading.
Bitrate guidance
- 1080p 30 fps: 8–12 Mbps
- 1080p 60 fps: 12–20 Mbps
- 4K 30 fps: 35–45 Mbps
- Vertical short-form: 10–16 Mbps is plenty
Going far above these numbers rarely helps — the platform will compress it back down anyway.
Audio matters more than you think
Viewers forgive soft focus; they do not forgive bad sound. Export audio as AAC at 192–320 kbps, and normalise peaks to around −1 dB. If your source has a weird audio codec, extracting to WAV and re-encoding to AAC fixes most sync and compatibility issues.
When to use WebM
WebM (VP9/AV1) is excellent for the web and for embedding on your own site, but most social platforms do not accept it. Keep it for your own pages, MP4 for everywhere else.