Social Media Image and Video Size by Social Platform Explained

October 12, 2022April 15, 2023 by Thomas Vandepitte

Image and video advertising refers to using photos and videos to relay content. The correct Social media image and video size is the first step and easiest way to turn viewers into your customers. Sharing images and videos on social media platforms isn’t always straightforward. You’ll need to follow some guidelines to ensure your media appears in the best state.

Social Media Image and Video Size by Social Platform Explained size-charts.com — _{Photo by Timothy Hales Bennett on Unsplash}

In this post, we’ll discuss the different ad sizes to use on different social networks. This will help you stand out from competitors and reach new prospects without hassle.

Let’s get started.

Jump right into the Frequently Asked Questions

Summary of Social Media Image and Video Sizes

Social Media Image and Video Ad Size Comparison Charts
How to Choose the Right Ad Size for Different Social Media Platforms
How to Run a Social Media Ad Campaign
Frequently Asked Questions

Social Media Image and Video Sizes: Image Ad Size Comparison

Image Type	Instagram	Facebook	Twitter	LinkedIn	Pinterest	Snapchat
In-Feed Ads	1080 x 1080 px	1200 x 1200 px	1200 x 1200 px or 1200 x 628 px	1080 x 1080 px	1000 x 1500 px	1080 x 1920 px
Landscape	1080 x 566 px	1200 x 630 px	1600 x 900 px	1200 x 627 px	–	1920 x 1080 px
Potrait	1080 x 1350 px	630 x 1200 px	–	627 x 1200 px	735 x 1102 px	–
Square	1080 x 1080 px	1200 x 1200 px	–	–	1000 x 1000 px	–
Stories	1080 x 1920 px	1080 x 1920 px	–	1080 x 1920px	–	–
Carousel Ads	1,080 x 1,080 px	1,080 x 1,080 px	800 x 800 px	1080 x 1080 px	1000 x 1500 px	–

Social Media Image and Video Sizes: Video Ad Size Comparison Chart

Social Media Ad	Recommended Size	Min Width	Max Video Length	Max File Size limit	Max Frame
LinkedIn Video Ad	1440 x 1080 px	360 px	1800 secs 30 mins	0.2 GB 200 MB	30 fps 9.144 m/s
Facebook Video (Feed) Ad	1280 x 720 px	600 px	14400 secs 240 mins	4 GB 4000 MB	30 fps 9.144 m/s
Instagram Video Ad	600 x 600 px	600 px	60 secs 1 min	4 GB 4000 MB	30 fps 9.144 m/s
Twitter Horizontal Videos	1280 x 1024 px 13.3 x 7.5 inch	32 px 0.333 inch	140 secs 2.33 mins	0512 GB 512 MB	40 fps 12.192 m/s
Snapchat Single Video	1080 x 1920 px 11.25 x 20.00 inch	–	10 secs 0.167 mins	0.032 GB 32 MB	–
YouTube Video Ad	426 x 240 px 3840 x 2160 px	240 px	43200 secs 720 mins	128 GB 128000MB	–
Pinterest Video Ad	600 x 600 px 600 x 900 px	240 px	1800 secs 30 mins	2 GB 2000 MB	25 fps 7.62 m/s

There are different requirements for ads on various platforms. As such, this section will cover several social media video ad specs.

1. Facebook

Facebook is the largest platform among social networks, with 2.5 billion active users every month. As such, it’s no surprise that many marketers are looking for the ideal size for videos and images. If you get the size right, there’s no limit to how big your audience can get. Now, let’s see the different recommendations for Facebook media.

Regular Facebook Video Posts

These videos are the ones you find on your feed and are the ones you see from your friends or brands you follow. You have two orientations available for these videos; portrait and landscape. Here are the recommendations for your Facebook feed videos.

Video dimensions: 1280 x 720 pixels
Minimum width: 1200 pixels
Aspect ratio for landscape video: 16:9
Aspect ratio for portrait video: 9:16 (or 16:9 if the video includes a link)
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Acceptable video formats: MP4 and MOV
Maximum video length: 45 minutes
Highest frame rate: 30 fps

Facebook 360 Video

You can post a video that viewers can scroll 360 degrees to see the entire environment rather than having a fixed view. These videos also appear in the feed but are prioritized, meaning they’ll appear among the first items your audience sees. The ideal specs for this type of video include:

Maximum monoscopic video resolution: 5120 x 2560 pixels
Maximum stereoscopic video resolution: 5120 x 5120 pixels
Monoscopic video aspect ratio: 2:1
Stereoscopic video aspect ratio: 1:1
Maximum file size: 10 GB
Maximum video length: 30 minutes
Ideal frame rate: 30 fps

Facebook Feed Video Ads

These are like regular Facebook posts, but they are sponsored. They follow similar guidelines to standard Facebook videos with a few changes.

Recommended resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio for horizontal video: 16:9
Aspect ratio for square video: 1:1
Aspect ratio for vertical video: 4:5
Acceptable file types: MP4 and MOV
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Maximum video length: 240 minutes

Facebook Carousel Video Ads

This option allows you to post multiple videos or images with a link. This feature is great because your audience can check out your video from different angles to get a complete picture of your offer. Here are the ideal specs for carousel ads:

Ideal resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Acceptable file formats: MP4 and MOV
Maximum video duration: 240 minutes
Maximum frame rate: 30 fps

Facebook Collection Ads

Facebook Collection Ads feature the main video and multiple images below it. It’s a great way to advertise different products or various forms of the same item. Here are the recommended specifications.

Ideal resolution : 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Largest file size: 4 GB
Accepted video formats: MP4 and MOV
Maximum video length: 120 minutes
Maximum frame rate: 30 fps

Facebook Instant Experience Video

These offer a comprehensive experience to your audience using different media like product images and videos in one ad. Here’s what you need to know.

Minimum video resolution: 720 pixels
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Maximum video file size: 4 GB
Accepted video ad formats: MP4 and MOV
Video length maximum: 2 minutes
Recommended frame rate: 30 fps

Facebook Slideshow Ads

You can use slideshow ads instead of real-time videos when you want to reach viewers with a weaker internet connection. Here are the specifics of this type of ad.

Ideal resolution: 1200 x 720 pixels
Aspect ratio for Landscape – 16:9
Vertical aspect ratio – 4:5
Square aspect ratio – 1:1
Acceptable video formats: MP4 and MOV
Maximum slideshow length: 15 seconds

Facebook Stories Ads

These ads appear in the Stories section and remain there for only 24 hours. This feature is perfect for information with a short lifespan like upcoming offers and events etc. The recommended specifications are:

Video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Maximum size of file: 4 GB
Video length minimum: 1 second
Video length maximum: 2 minutes
Ideal video formats: MP4 and MOV

2. Instagram

With about 1.2 billion monthly users, Instagram is also among the social platforms where you can make a great statement for your business. Here’s a quick guide to the various Instagram video advertisement recommendations.

In-Feed Video Ads

These are like the organic content video feeds you see every day. They require the following:

Video resolution – 1080 x 1080 pixels
Landscape aspect ratio 16:9
Square aspect ratio – 1:1
Vertical aspect ratio – 4:5
Maximum file size – 4 GB
Recommended video type – MP4 or MOV
Video length – 3 to 60 seconds
Video max frames – 60 fps

Carousel Video Ads

This feature is similar to the one we find on Facebook. When you want your target audience to see more than one image or video of your product, this is the ad you need. Instagram offers 2 – 10 cards for the carousel posts. Here are the video ad specs.

Minimum resolution – 600 x 600 pixels
Maximum resolution – 1080 x 1080
Aspect ratio – 1:1
Maximum video length – 60 seconds
Acceptable types of video – MP4 and MOV

Instagram Stories Ads

Another way to get to reach potential audiences is with Instagram Stories. You’ll need to make them attention-grabbing since it’s easy for viewers to swipe to the next story without hassle. Here are the requirements for Instagram video stories.

Video resolution – 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio – 9:16
Maximum file size – 4GB
File type – MP4 or MOV
Maximum video duration – 2 minutes

Instagram Reels

This is another dimension your video marketing strategy can take. These short videos can show viewers your business or brand’s creative and interesting dimensions. Reels are the same whether you are advertising or randomly posting. They have the following recommendations.

Video resolution – 1080 x 1080 pixels
Aspect ratio – 9:16
Video duration – 15 or 30 seconds
Acceptable files – MP4 and MOV
Maximum file size – 4 GB

IGTV

If you want a way to post a long-form video that could take up to an hour to watch, IGTV is the way to go. These videos require the following:

Video resolution – 1080 x 1920 pixels
Minimum dimension – 720 pixels
Aspect ratio – 9:16 or 16:9
Minimum video length – 1 minute to 15 minutes on mobile and up to 1 hour on the desktop
Maximum file size for videos reaching 10 minutes – 650 MB
Maximum file size for videos reaching an hour – 3.6 GB
Acceptable file type – MP4

3. Twitter

Twitter is also a go-to platform when you want to communicate to your audience with captivating and click-worthy visuals. Your videos can take a landscape or portrait orientation on Twitter. Here are the specs you need.

Landscape resolution – 1280 x 720 pixels
Portrait resolution – 720 x 720 pixels
Aspect ratios – 16:9 (landscape) 9:16 (portrait) or 1:1 (square)
Largest file size – 512 MB
Acceptable formats – MOV and MP4
Maximum video length – 140 seconds
Ideal frame rate – 30 or 60 fps

4. Tiktok

Tiktok is also among the most popular social media networks specializing in video content sharing. If you want to launch your Tiktok Feed Ads campaign, you’ll need:

Video resolutions of 540 × 960, 640 × 64, or 960 × 540 pixels
Aspect ratios – 16:9 for landscape, 9:16 for portrait, and 1:1 for square videos
Maximum file size – 500 MB
Allowable formats – MP4, MOV, MPEG, and AVI

5. Snapchat

Your Snapchat video ads can either be single videos or long-form videos.

Single video ad

Here’s what you need for these video ads:

Recommended dimension 1080 x 1920 pixels
Aspect ratio – 9:16
Maximum file size – 32 MB
Ideal video formats – MP4 and MOV
Video duration – 3 – 10 seconds

Long-form video ad

Long-form video ads require the following specifications:

Video resolution – 1080 x 1920 pixels
Recommended aspect ratio – 16:9 or 9:16
Video length – 3 to 180 seconds
Maximum file size – 1GB
Allowable formats – MOV and MP4

6. LinkedIn

LinkedIn video ads are an excellent way to build a strong professional relationship and nurture loyalty with your audience. LinkedIn videos should follow these guidelines:

Minimum video resolution – 640 x 360 pixels, 360 x 360 pixels, 360 x 640 pixels
Maximum video resolution – 1920 x 1080 pixels, 1920 x 1920 pixels, 1080 x 1920 pixels
Aspect ratios – 16:9, 1:1, or 9:16
Ideal format – MP4
Maximum video length – 30 minutes
Recommended video length – 15 seconds

7. YouTube

There are various types of Youtube video ads you can use. Regardless of the one you choose, your video should follow these guidelines:

Maximum resolution – 3840 x 2160 pixels
Minimum resolution – 426 x 240 pixels
Ideal aspect ratio – 16:9
Maximum file size – 128 GB
Maximum video length – 12 hours
Allowable formats – MOV, MPEG4, MP4, WebM, AVI, WMV, FLV, 3GPP, and MPEG-PS

Learn more about social media image and video sizes and ratios in this guide (video)

_{Social Media VIDEO SIZES & RATIOS (Video Size Guide for 2022) by Ben Amos – Engage Video Marketing}

Now that you know the right sizes for different ads for social media, the next thing is to understand how to use your ads in a way that converts. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using image and video ads on social media.

1. Identify your audience

One of the advantages of social networks is that they provide an ocean of potential customers. It’s crucial to have a good picture of who you are advertising to to focus your efforts in specific directions. You shouldn’t use social media ads for a “general” audience; instead, you should find a target audience.

Your videos and images will respond better when directed at those interested in your brand, products, or services.

2. Run ads across multiple platforms

The people whose attention you want probably use different social media platforms. Some could be on several platforms simultaneously. As such, you’ll need an active presence on different social networks to ensure you get as much as possible from your marketing efforts.

Facebook and Instagram ad features are integrated, and you can post your videos and photos on both platforms when using either one.

3. Less is more

Sometimes marketers feel like they need to tell the audience everything about everything in one ad. However, this doesn’t bring the intended results since most viewers never stick to the end of the video. The average attention span of social media users is 8 seconds for a post. So, if you want an impactful campaign, you should keep the videos short, allowing the audience to remember more.

4. Use captivating visuals

Attention-grabbing visuals are a must-have, seeing how short a window you have to relay your message to the audience. You need to ensure the images and videos you share are engaging and interesting to see. If you miss the focus of your viewers, they’ll quickly scroll to the next post and ignore yours.

Learn more about social media image and video sizes and how to run a social media campaign in this extensive guide (Video)

_{Social Media Marketing & Ads From [BEGINNER TO ADVANCED] by Cereal Entrepreneur – Jordan Steen}

1. What size should photos be for video?

Generally, your videos should be 1280 × 720 pixels for landscape, 720 × 1280 pixels for portrait, and 720 × 720 pixels for square orientation.

2. What is the ideal video size?

The highest resolution for your social media videos is 1080 x 1080 pixels.

3. What is the video size for Instagram?

The ideal video size for Instagram ads is 1080 x 1080 pixels.

4. What is the Facebook video ratio?

It depends on the orientation, but it could be 16:9 or 9:16.

5. What is the video size for Instagram?

The maximum file size for Instagram videos is 4GB.

6. What is the aspect ratio for Facebook ads?

Facebook image ads have a 1:1 or 1.91:1 aspect ratio.

7. Do Video Ads Perform Better on Facebook?

Videos can communicate more information in a few seconds than a picture can. They naturally engage the audience and have a better conversion rate than images.

8. How Effective Are Image-Based Facebook Ads?

Facebook posts that have images have better engagement than those without.

Conclusion

Social media marketing is among the best ways to promote your brand and build a huge audience for your products. However, you’ll need to keep your viewers engaged with attention-grabbing visuals to keep up with competitors. Whether you are using videos or images, getting the size right is crucial to your viewers’ experience.

If you have questions about this topic, feel free to comment below.

Picture in this post is by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash