# What size, frame rate and bitrate should I export Shorts, Reels and TikToks at?

Canonical page: https://remixviral.ai/en/solutions/video-export-settings-shorts-reels-tiktok | Last updated: 2026-11-13 | By RemixViral (https://remixviral.ai)

Export vertical 9:16 at 1080x1920, H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4, at the frame rate you recorded. Platforms' own pages differ on details: YouTube Shorts allows up to three minutes and 1080p, Instagram asks for at least 30 frames per second and 720 pixels, and TikTok's developer docs list 23 to 60 fps. Check each page before publishing.

## Why this happens

Export settings get confusing because three different things are being decided at once: the shape of the picture (aspect ratio and resolution), how smoothly it moves (frame rate), and how much data each second costs (bitrate, which together with duration decides file size). Platforms also re-encode what you upload, so the file you export is an input to their pipeline, not the file viewers get.

Most advice online is copied from one blog post to the next and drifts from what the platforms currently say. The table below is built only from each platform's own help or developer pages read on 2026-11-13, with "Not stated on the page" wherever a page was silent, instead of filling gaps from memory.

The practical upshot is that one export covers all three platforms: vertical 9:16, 1080x1920, H.264 and AAC in an MP4, at a frame rate of 30 or more, kept under the shortest length limit you plan to hit. The details below are about checking that your file really is that.

## How to choose and check your export settings

These steps need only ffmpeg and ffprobe. The calculators linked in the steps do the arithmetic if you prefer a form.

1. **Pick the shape: 9:16 at 1080x1920.** For Shorts, Reels and TikTok, a vertical frame is the standard shape. YouTube's Shorts help page says you can upload Shorts with a maximum resolution of 1080p, and that square or vertical videos up to three minutes uploaded on or after 15 October 2024 are categorised as Shorts. Instagram's page says a reel can have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16. The free [social media video size guide](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/social-media-video-size) and [aspect ratio calculator](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/aspect-ratio-calculator) help with other shapes; to reframe from 16:9, see the linked layouts page.

2. **Keep the frame rate you recorded, and check the minimum.** YouTube's encoding page says content should be uploaded in the same frame rate it was recorded and lists 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 as common. Instagram's page says reels should have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS. TikTok's developer docs list a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 60 FPS. So 30 fps works everywhere above; a 24 fps recording is below Instagram's stated minimum. If you must convert, the [frame rate converter](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/frame-rate-converter) explains the maths, and the ffmpeg filter fps=30 changes the rate (we have not run that example).

3. **Choose a bitrate, then check the file size.** YouTube's recommended upload encoding page gives video bitrates by resolution: for 1080p SDR it lists 8 Mbps at standard frame rates (24, 25, 30) and 12 Mbps at high frame rates (48, 50, 60), and audio bitrates of 128 kbps for mono and 384 kbps for stereo. That page says it applies to partners who use YouTube Studio Content Manager and is organised by 16:9 resolutions, so treat it as a reference point rather than a Shorts requirement. Instagram and TikTok pages do not give a bitrate in the passages we read.

4. **Work out the file size before you upload.** File size in megabytes is bitrate in megabits per second, times duration in seconds, divided by 8 (eight bits per byte). Worked example, decimal units: a 60-second clip with 8 Mbps video is 8 x 60 = 480 megabits, or 60 MB. Add 128 kbps audio: 0.128 x 60 = 7.68 megabits, about 0.96 MB. Total about 61 MB. A 3-minute Short at the same settings is 8 x 180 / 8 = 180 MB for the video alone. The [video file size calculator](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/video-file-size-calculator) and [video bitrate calculator](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/video-bitrate-calculator) do this in either direction.

5. **Encode with settings every platform page agrees on.** Both YouTube's encoding page and Instagram's technical details list H.264, progressive scan, High profile, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling and closed GOP; YouTube also asks for MP4 with the moov atom at the front, and AAC-LC or Opus audio at 48 kHz. This command, from our tested ffmpeg post, produces H.264, yuv420p, AAC and fast-start MP4. CRF 20 is constant-quality mode, so file size follows the content instead of a fixed bitrate.

   ```
   ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
     -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 20 -pix_fmt yuv420p \
     -c:a aac -b:a 128k -movflags +faststart output.mp4
   ```

6. **Inspect the result with ffprobe.** Confirm the codec, resolution, frame rate, duration and size before you upload. r_frame_rate is shown as a fraction such as 30/1; bit_rate for the whole file is reported under format.

   ```
   ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 \
     -show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height,r_frame_rate,pix_fmt \
     -show_entries format=duration,size,bit_rate \
     -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 output.mp4
   ```

## A single export that fits all three

If you want one file for all three, these settings satisfy every figure in the table: 9:16 at 1080x1920, H.264 in an MP4, AAC audio at 48 kHz, 30 frames per second, and a length under three minutes (under one minute if you want to stay clear of YouTube's rule that blocks Shorts over one minute with an active copyright claim). Platforms re-encode uploads, so a clean source at a sensible bitrate beats an enormous file.

Two traps: do not upload a 16:9 file with black bars inside a vertical frame, since YouTube's resolution page says to avoid adding padding or black bars directly to the video, and do not re-compress an already compressed clip several times before uploading; export once from your best source.

### What each platform's own page says (2026-11-13)

| Platform | Aspect ratio / resolution | Maximum length | Frame rate, format and file size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Square or vertical for the Shorts category; Shorts can be uploaded at a maximum resolution of 1080p | Up to three minutes (uploads on or after 15 October 2024) | Encoding page: MP4, H.264, AAC-LC or Opus, same frame rate as recorded; 1080p SDR 8 Mbps at 24, 25, 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48, 50, 60 fps. File size limit: not stated on these pages | [Create Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10059070), [encoding settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171), [three-minute Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877) |
| Instagram Reels | Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16; minimum resolution 720 pixels | Not stated on the page | Minimum 30 FPS; H.264-style details listed (progressive, High profile, 2 B frames, closed GOP, CABAC, 4:2:0); audio 96 kHz or 48 kHz; cover photo recommended 420px by 654px. File size: not stated on the page | [Reel size and aspect ratios](https://help.instagram.com/1038071743007909) |
| TikTok (developer docs, Content Posting API) | Minimum 360 pixels and maximum 4096 pixels for both height and width; aspect ratio: not stated on the page | All creators can post 3-minute videos; some can post 5 or 10 minutes | MP4 (recommended), WebM, MOV; H.264 (recommended), H.265, VP8, VP9; 23 to 60 FPS; maximum 4 GB | [Media Transfer Guide](https://developers.tiktok.com/doc/content-posting-api-media-transfer-guide) |

Read from YouTube Help, Instagram Help Center and TikTok for Developers pages on 2026-11-13. The Instagram page was read through its copy in Meta's Help Center; the TikTok row comes from its developer documentation for apps that post through the API, not from its in-app help, which we did not read. Platforms change these numbers; check the page before you publish.

## When to use RemixViral

RemixViral produces the clips for you from a long video you upload: it cuts each chosen moment to a vertical 9:16 clip (1:1 and 16:9 are also selectable) with captions burned in, and you review and export in the web app. We do not document the output resolution or bitrate of exported clips, so we do not state them here; run ffprobe on an exported clip, as in step 6, and compare it with the platform pages above.

Use it when:

- You want ready-to-post vertical clips from a long recording and not an encoding project per clip.
- You choose the output aspect (9:16, 1:1 or 16:9) per job.

It is not the right tool when:

- You need exact control of bitrate, codec profile or frame rate for each platform: use ffmpeg as above, or a video editor's export dialog.
- You need to compress a finished file to a size limit: use ffmpeg or the [video compression calculator](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/video-compression-calculator); RemixViral does not offer a size target.

## Ask your AI assistant to do it

After a clip job has finished, an AI assistant can list the clips and their lengths, so you can see which ones fit the platform limits in the table before you export.

```text
Assign to RemixViral: use list_clip_jobs to find my latest finished clip job, then get_clip_job to read its clips. For each clip, work out its length from startSec and endSec and tell me which are under 60 seconds and which are under 3 minutes. Do not create anything. Show me what you did so I can approve which clips to export.
```

Connection steps and the full tool list: https://remixviral.ai/en/mcp

## Frequently asked questions

### What resolution should a YouTube Short be?

YouTube's Shorts help page says you can upload Shorts with a maximum resolution of 1080p, and square or vertical videos up to three minutes are categorised as Shorts. 1080x1920 is the usual vertical choice.

### What frame rate does Instagram Reels need?

Instagram's Reels size page says a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels, with aspect ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16. Higher frame rates are not ruled out on that page.

### How do I calculate video file size from bitrate?

Multiply bitrate in megabits per second by duration in seconds to get megabits, then divide by 8 for megabytes. At 8 Mbps, 60 seconds is 480 megabits, which is 60 MB before audio.

### Should I export separately for each platform?

Usually not: one 9:16 H.264 MP4 at 30 fps meets the figures each page lists. Re-export only for a hard limit such as length, and read the platform's page first.

## Sources

- [YouTube Help: Get started creating YouTube Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10059070) (read 2026-11-13)
- [YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877) (read 2026-11-13)
- [YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171) (read 2026-11-13)
- [YouTube Help: Video resolution & aspect ratios](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6375112) (read 2026-11-13)
- [Instagram Help Center: Reel size & aspect ratios on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/1038071743007909) (read 2026-11-13)
- [TikTok for Developers: Media Transfer Guide (video restrictions)](https://developers.tiktok.com/doc/content-posting-api-media-transfer-guide) (read 2026-11-13)

## Related

- [16:9 to 9:16 without cutting off the speaker](https://remixviral.ai/en/solutions/horizontal-to-vertical-video)
- [Social media video size guide](https://remixviral.ai/en/tools/social-media-video-size)
- [Ideal short video length by platform](https://remixviral.ai/en/blog/ideal-short-video-length-by-platform-2026)
- [ffmpeg commands: 16:9 video to vertical 9:16 Shorts](https://remixviral.ai/en/blog/ffmpeg-commands-horizontal-to-vertical-shorts)

All problems and solutions: https://remixviral.ai/en/solutions | machine-readable list: https://remixviral.ai/solutions.json