Vertical video specs cheat sheet
Most "the video looks bad after upload" problems are an export setting, not a camera or a budget problem.
Export settings that survive every upload
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 |
| Frame rate | 30 fps (or 25 if the source is 25) |
| Codec | H.264, High profile |
| Bitrate | 8–12 Mbps for 1080x1920 |
| Audio | AAC, 44.1 kHz, stereo, -14 LUFS |
| Colour | Rec.709, no log left ungraded |
Safe zones
| Placement | Keep text out of |
|---|---|
| TikTok | Bottom ~18% (caption bar) and right ~12% (action rail) |
| Reels | Bottom ~20% and top ~12% |
| Shorts | Bottom ~15%; first frame doubles as the thumbnail |
| Feed (1:1 / 4:5) | All four edges, cropping is aggressive |
Three settings people get wrong
- Uploading at 720p to save space. Platforms re-encode anyway; you lose the detail twice.
- Loud audio. Above roughly -14 LUFS you get normalised down and the mix collapses.
- Hard-coded white text over light footage. Add a shadow or a plate; compression eats thin strokes.
Keep the master clean
If the text is burned in, every platform change means a new render. A clean master plus a caption file lets the same 17 seconds become a TikTok, a Reel and a feed cut in three exports.
Longer Hallway POV Template (17s)
Instant download · clean master, captions and separate audio · commercial licence
Get it for $12.00Related: social formats · how rebuilds work
Common questions
What about 4K?
Not needed for vertical social. 1080x1920 at a healthy bitrate looks better after re-encoding than downscaled 4K.
Does frame rate need to match the platform?
No, but do not mix 24 and 30 in one edit; the pacing reads as broken.