The best video formats and lengths for each platform

By LaunchTrailer. Published November 1, 2026.

Use vertical 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, wide 16:9 for YouTube and Product Hunt, and square 1:1 or vertical for LinkedIn and X feeds. MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is safe everywhere. A launch video of 15 to 60 seconds fits comfortably inside every limit below.

The limits here come from official documentation, checked on November 1, 2026. Platforms change them often, and some publish different numbers for ads, apps and their APIs, so the table says which one it is quoting. Treat a limit as a ceiling, not a target.

Formats and limits by platform

Platform	Use	Published limit	Source
TikTok	9:16	Ads: 9:16 recommended, 16:9 and 1:1 also accepted; up to 10 minutes; 500 MB	TikTok Ads help
Instagram Reels	9:16	API: 9:16 recommended; 3 seconds to 15 minutes; 300 MB; MP4 or MOV; 23 to 60 fps	Meta developer docs
YouTube Shorts	9:16	Square or vertical uploads up to 3 minutes count as Shorts	YouTube Help
YouTube	16:9	Recommended: MP4, H.264, AAC audio; about 12 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps	YouTube Help
LinkedIn	1:1 or 9:16	Ads: 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 and 16:9; 3 seconds to 30 minutes; 500 MB; MP4; 30 fps recommended	LinkedIn ad specs
X	16:9 or 1:1	API: 20 minutes and 8 GB for default accounts. X's help center has listed 140 seconds for non-subscribers, so check in the app	X API docs
Product Hunt	16:9	YouTube links only; we found no required length	Product Hunt help

Instagram's limit shows why the source matters. The figure above is for publishing through its API. Buffer reports up to 20 minutes for Reels recorded in the app and 15 minutes for uploads from a camera roll. For a launch video, the difference does not matter, because you will be far below all of them.

Why one video cropped three ways falls short

If you crop a wide video to 9:16, you lose most of the width, and that is usually where your interface is. Text set for a wide frame gets cut off or becomes too small. A proper vertical version has its own layout: larger text, the product shown closer, and important content kept away from the edges.

Interface overlays are the other reason. Meta advises keeping key messages inside the safe zone so that the Reels interface does not cover them. Other vertical feeds also lay buttons and captions over the video, so keep the top and bottom of the frame free of anything people must read.

How long should a launch video be?

No platform publishes a best length, and we have no data of our own to claim one. The reasoning below is judgment, so test it against your audience.

15 to 30 seconds suits a teaser in a feed. It can get across one idea and one action, then send people somewhere to learn more.
30 to 60 seconds gives you room to show a short workflow, and suits a listing or the top of a landing page.
1 to 3 minutes suits a voiced demo for someone who is already interested. It rarely works as a first impression in a feed.
Longer than that is a tutorial, and it belongs on YouTube or in your docs.

Shorter is not automatically better. If your product needs a workflow to make sense, a 25-second video can only tease it. Link to a longer walkthrough instead of forcing everything in. See launch video vs demo video vs explainer for the difference.

Sound and captions

Plan for both. Meta says Reels default to sound on unless the viewer has turned it off, while other feeds often start muted. The practical answer is the same in each case: put the message in large on-screen text, then add music or voice as a bonus. If your video relies on narration, add captions.

Export settings that rarely cause trouble

Container and codecs: MP4, H.264 video, AAC audio. All the sources above accept or recommend these.
Resolution: 1080 by 1920 for vertical, 1080 by 1080 for square, 1920 by 1080 for wide.
File size: keep it under 300 MB if you want one file to work for every limit in the table. A short video at these settings is usually far smaller.
Frame rate: keep the rate you recorded or rendered at, which is what YouTube recommends.

What to prepare for a launch

A 16:9 file for YouTube, Product Hunt, your website and X.
A 9:16 file for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and for LinkedIn on mobile.
A 1:1 file for LinkedIn and other feeds where it takes up more space than a wide video.

LaunchTrailer renders this set from your product page: 25-second MP4s at those three sizes, with a separate layout for each. Rendering a full set usually takes about 20 minutes. It is one fixed length, so it suits a teaser and not a long walkthrough. A free preview shows your copy and storyboard with no card. Our launch checklist lists what to check before you publish.

See it on your own product

Paste your URL and get your own hooks, copy and storyboard in a few minutes. Free, no card needed. Subscribe at $49 a month only if you want the videos.

Sources

Checked on November 1, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm them with the source.