Summary: Looking for the best video format that combines high quality and compact file size? There is a range of options you can choose from. In this article, you will learn about different video file formats and how to choose the best one according to your needs.
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Whether you are making a video for yourself or for a project, you have to consider the right video format and edit it to suit the purpose. For example, these days most people make videos to upload to one or another social platform or stream online. Although both purposes may seem related or similar, in reality, they are very different and are solved best with the right video format and editing.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand different video file formats to ensure that the output is produced in the best manner for its purpose, hosting location, and audience. To help you with the task, we have compiled this post that will describe the most popular video formats used for social platforms and streaming.
Basics of Video Format
A video file generally consists of two things ? a codec and a container. Due to the large file size of videos recorded with high-definition cameras, codecs were developed to compress videos for storing and playback. The most common codecs used for compression are H.264 and AVC. H.264 is often used in high-definition videos and for digital video distribution. In addition to the codec, a video file also has a container which is like a box that contains audio, video, and metadata. It is mostly called a file extension, such as AVI, MOV, or MP4. MP4 H.264 is currently the industry standard for high-definition video and is considered the most practical way of distributing video content.
With that, let us proceed to discuss some popular video formats.
Best Video Formats for Popular Social Media Platforms
Here is the list of some widely used best video formats. Thanks to the specification balance, these are transformable into each other:
1. MP4 ? Best for online videos
MP4 (MPEG PART14) is a universal standard used for online recording, sharing, and uploading of video content. The reason for its popularity is that it compresses high-definition videos into small file size on disk.
This format was initially developed by the Motion Pictures Expert Group for Apple DRM based on QuickTime. It uses the MPEG-4 encoding algorithm to store audio, video, and text files to make them accessible in small sizes without compromising video quality. It is the most compatible video format that supports multiple digital devices and media, including TV sets, DVD players, Xbox, Android, and Apple devices.
The MP4 format is also very consistent with mobile devices and online browsers that support HTML5. Almost every video editing app exports videos in MP4 format.
2. MOV ? Best for iOS devices
MOV is the best video format for Apple devices. It stores high-definition video, audio, text, and effects but this makes files of quite large sizes. This format was developed by Apple for QuickTime Player and used for watching and saving movies on the internet. It is compatible with Windows and a free version of the QT player is also available.
MOV files consist of a large volume of video data saved together. It uses a multimedia container that is divided into many tracks. This format supports a wide range of codecs for compressing movies and other files.
DSLR camera brands such as Canon and Nikon produce H.264 videos in a MOV container. It is playable on several USB-supported TV sets but it requires much larger space for quality functioning.
3. AVI ? Basic Video Format
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) works smoothly with almost every web browser of Windows, Linux, and Mac. It is developed by Microsoft and is one of the oldest audio and video formats that stores data in different codecs. This video format is best for TV and is also very famous across the internet. AVI is a very simple video format that is compatible with all Windows, Android, Xbox, and PSP devices.
AVI format stores data with the highest quality in smaller compressions in comparison to its similar formats. This format is not much reliable when it comes to program subtitles so it is not ideal for streaming. The high quality of this format also complicates the process of compressing videos.
4. WEBM ? Best for Web Videos
WEBM, a free format developed for HTML5 videos is best for websites whether it is personal or business. Videos of this format can be easily streamed as it loads quickly due to their small sizes. It is supported by all leading browsers such as Safari, Opera, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer. It is an ideal format for videographers, bloggers, and online businesses as they often have to attach small videos to their website contents.
With the addition of HTML5, WEBM supports high-quality videos with small sizes embedded on websites. However, due to the improvement of online platforms, this format is losing its popularity.
5. WMV ? Most Compressed Format
WMV is one of the best video formats for online sharing. It is developed by Microsoft based on RealVideo for webcasting and Windows Media Players. It delivers videos of the smallest file size on the internet.
It compresses the video file even better than MP4 and works well with email and post systems with 1080p high-quality video support. This format is normally stored in an ASF container but it can?t be compressed manually to choose proportion. There is also no option to choose aspect ratio in WMV videos.
WMV files decrease in size after compression and sometimes the quality of the video is also compromised to make it sufficient for space. Although it is developed by Windows, other OS users can also access this format by downloading a Windows media player.
6. FLV ? Flash Video Players
FLV video formats such as FLV, SWF, and F4V are designed by Macromedia for flash players on the internet. It is a popular choice for embedded videos across the web. The newest version of the flash player also supports H.264 videos with AAC audio. This format?s videos can be viewed by Adobe flash player or web browser plugins.
FLV videos are commonly used for online streaming and they also support downloading through modern video downloaders. The only drawback of this format is that iOS and many other mobile devices do not support flash player plugins.
7. RealVideo
This format is developed by RealNetworks and stores video files with the RV extension. It is suitable for streaming online videos and watching live TV at low bandwidths. It is supported by several platforms like Windows, Linux, MAC, etc.
8. MPEG-2
This format is used for satellite, over the air, and cable transmissions. It is also used to burn movies on DVDs and other discs.
Video Specifications for Different Social Media Platforms
Here are the upload specifications you should keep in mind when posting videos on major social media platforms:
The advertising industry on Instagram is increasing rapidly. As such, users uploading professional videos can choose between landscape and square orientation for their videos and ads on the timeline. Square videos are preferable because they do not distract the audience through video metrics and the recommended posts appear on the screen.
Following are the parameters to upload videos on Instagram:
- The best format for Instagram videos is MP4
- Try to keep the video size under 30MB in the post and under 650MB in IGTV.
- The maximum length for Instagram videos is 60 seconds in post and 15 minutes in IGTV.
- Video dimensions allowed by Instagram are 1080×1080 pixels in post and 1080×1920 pixels in IGTV.
- The aspect ratio for Instagram videos are 1:1 (square videos) and 16:9 (landscape videos)
On Facebook, users have more video options. While uploading a video or purchasing an ad on Facebook, you will get 4 different ways related to your content.
Following are the parameters to upload a video on Facebook:
- The best format for Facebook is MP4.
- Try to keep the Facebook video file size under 2GB.
- The maximum length of videos allowed on Facebook is 45 minutes.
- Facebook allowed video dimensions are 1280 x 720 pixels.
- Aspect ratio available for Facebook videos are 16:9 (landscape videos), 1:1 (square videos), 9:16 (portrait videos).
Since more than 93% of Twitter users are on mobile devices, everyone should prefer their video specs according to it.
Following are the perfect parameters for Twitter mobile users:
- The best format for Twitter video format is MOV (MP4 is better on desktop).
- Try to keep Twitter videos under 15MB.
- The maximum length allowed for Twitter videos is 140 seconds.
- Twitter allowed video dimensions are 1280 x 720 pixels.
- The aspect ratio available for Twitter videos is 1:3 and 3:1.
YouTube
YouTube supports all major video formats such as MOV, MPEG4, MP4, AVI, WMV, MPEG-PS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, etc. The best video format that YouTube recommends is the MP4 format with the H.264 video codec and the AAC audio codec.
The recommended video dimensions by YouTube are:
- 426 x 240 pixels (240p) (lowest)
- 640 x 360 pixels (360p)
- 854 x 480 pixels (480p)
- 1280 x 720 pixels (720p)
- 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p)
- 2560 x 1440 pixels (1440p)
- 3840 x 2160 pixels (2160p) (highest)
The maximum size of a video allowed on the platform is 128GB and the maximum length allowed is 12 hours.
There are two aspect ratios available to upload a video on YouTube, 16:9 and 4:3. When you upload a video in the ratio of 4:3, the platform automatically adds a black letterbox to it.
Facing trouble when uploading videos?
If you are using a video format that?s supported by the target social platform, and you are following all the specifications laid down by the platform, your upload should ideally go smoothly. However, if the video that you are trying to upload is problematic, it won?t upload to the platform.
In such a case, you?ll have to fix the errors in the video before trying to upload it. For this, the best solution is a reliable and efficient tool like Stellar Repair for Video. Check out this page to learn more about how this software can help you ensure your video upload succeeds.
To Conclude
Most social media platforms have a consistent video format optimization that everyone should prefer. For most cases, users are advised to use H.264 codec with AAC audio to compress and upload a video. However, sometimes due to problems with a video, it can?t be uploaded to social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. In such a case, confirming if the video meets the upload specifications of these platforms is necessary. If you?ve done that too and are still facing an upload error, repairing the video with Stellar Repair for Video is recommended.
