# Video Export Settings Cheat Sheet for Every Platform — free download from DollarWise (dollarwise.xyz)

Match your export to where the video will be watched. When in doubt, export one quality level above the minimum — platforms only ever take quality away.

## YouTube — 1080p

1. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio for universal compatibility.
2. Resolution: 1920x1080, 16:9 aspect ratio; export at your timeline's native resolution.
3. Video bitrate: 8-12 Mbps for standard content, up to 16 Mbps for fast motion or gaming.
4. Frame rate: match your source (24, 30, or 60 fps); never convert frame rates at export.
5. Audio: AAC, 320 kbps, 48 kHz sample rate, stereo.

## YouTube — 4K

6. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 (or VP9 if your encoder supports it cleanly).
7. Resolution: 3840x2160, 16:9; upload true 4K to unlock YouTube's higher-quality VP9 processing.
8. Video bitrate: 35-45 Mbps for SDR, 50-68 Mbps for HDR content.
9. Frame rate: match your source; 24/30/60 fps are all fine at 4K.
10. Audio: AAC, 320 kbps, 48 kHz, stereo.

## Vertical short-form — Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts

11. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
12. Resolution: 1080x1920, 9:16 vertical; keep key text inside the central safe zone.
13. Video bitrate: 10-16 Mbps; short-form compression is aggressive, so feed it quality.
14. Frame rate: 30 fps is the safe default; 60 fps only if the motion needs it.
15. Audio: AAC, 256-320 kbps, 48 kHz; loudness-normalize dialogue before export.

## Instagram feed video

16. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
17. Resolution: 1080x1350 (4:5 portrait) for maximum feed space, or 1080x1080 square.
18. Video bitrate: 8-12 Mbps; Instagram caps uploads around 250 MB.
19. Frame rate: 30 fps; keep clips under the format's length limit.
20. Audio: AAC, 256 kbps, 48 kHz, stereo.

## Facebook

21. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
22. Resolution: 1280x720 minimum; 1920x1080 recommended for feed videos.
23. Video bitrate: 6-10 Mbps; Facebook compresses heavily, so stay near the top of the range.
24. Frame rate: 30 fps or below for the smoothest processing.
25. Audio: AAC, 256 kbps, 48 kHz; add burned-in captions since most views start muted.

## X (Twitter)

26. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
27. Resolution: 1280x720 minimum; 1920x1080 for landscape, 1080x1920 for vertical.
28. Video bitrate: 8-12 Mbps; keep the file under 512 MB.
29. Frame rate: 30 fps recommended; 60 fps is supported but processed harder.
30. Audio: AAC, 256 kbps, 48 kHz.

## LinkedIn

31. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
32. Resolution: 1920x1080 landscape, or 1080x1350 portrait for feed presence.
33. Video bitrate: 8-10 Mbps; keep files under 5 GB and 15 minutes for organic posts.
34. Frame rate: 30 fps; LinkedIn accepts up to 60 but gains nothing from it.
35. Audio: AAC, 256 kbps, 48 kHz; captions strongly recommended for feed viewing.

## Vimeo

36. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264; ProRes 422 accepted for the highest quality tier.
37. Resolution: export at native resolution up to 4K; Vimeo preserves quality better than social platforms.
38. Video bitrate: 10-20 Mbps for 1080p, 40-60 Mbps for 4K H.264 uploads.
39. Frame rate: match your source frame rate exactly.
40. Audio: AAC, 320 kbps, 48 kHz, stereo.

## Discord and messaging apps

41. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264 for guaranteed inline playback.
42. Resolution: 1280x720 is the sweet spot for fast uploads and smooth playback.
43. Video bitrate: 5-8 Mbps; keep free-tier uploads under the 25 MB file limit.
44. Frame rate: 30 fps; trim length before lowering quality to fit size limits.
45. Audio: AAC, 192-256 kbps, 48 kHz.

## Website embeds

46. Container and codec: MP4 with H.264; consider a WebM fallback for modern browsers.
47. Resolution: 1920x1080 maximum; most embeds display far smaller.
48. Video bitrate: 5-8 Mbps to balance quality with page load speed.
49. Enable fast-start (moov atom at the front) so playback begins before the full download.
50. Audio: AAC, 192-256 kbps, 48 kHz.

## Archival master copy

51. Container and codec: ProRes 422 or DNxHR HQ in MOV for an edit-friendly master.
52. Resolution: your timeline's full native resolution — never downscale the master.
53. Video bitrate: use the codec's high-quality preset; file size is not a concern for masters.
54. Frame rate: match the source exactly, including any high-frame-rate footage.
55. Audio: uncompressed PCM or AAC 320 kbps minimum, 48 kHz.