01
The file format, settled quickly
MP4, H.264 video, AAC audio. That combination is accepted everywhere and is what you should export unless you have a specific reason not to.
This part of the question gets far more attention than it deserves, mostly because it is the easiest part to have an opinion about.
02
The shape, which matters far more
Aspect ratio is the decision that actually changes whether your video looks like it belongs in a feed.
| Shape | Where it fits | Worth a separate export? |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 vertical | TikTok, Reels, Shorts | This is your default |
| 4:5 portrait | Instagram feed | Only if the feed is your main placement |
| 1:1 square | Older feed placements | Rarely, these days |
| 16:9 landscape | YouTube, LinkedIn | If long form is the destination |
The container is a footnote. The shape is the decision.
03
What every platform re-encodes anyway
Whatever you upload gets compressed again on arrival. That has two consequences worth knowing.
- Uploading a much larger file mostly buys you a longer upload, not a better looking clip.
- Anything already soft or heavily compressed gets worse, because it is being squeezed twice.
- Text burned into the video survives this better than fine detail does, which is another reason captions work.
04
Frame rate and audio settings
Keep the frame rate you recorded at, usually 30 or 60 frames per second, and do not convert between them on export. For audio, a standard stereo or mono track at a common sample rate is all any platform needs. Changing these settings rarely improves anything and occasionally introduces stutter or sync problems.
If your recording mixes frame rates, pick one for the finished clip and convert the rest once, early in the process.
05
Where to keep your masters
Save the clean exported file, without any platform's watermark or music, in one folder you use for posting. Upload that file to every app rather than downloading a posted version from one app to reuse on another. Each extra download and upload adds compression and sometimes a logo.
Name files with the date and a short description so they are easy to find when you post to the next platform.
06
When a separate export is worth it
A second export earns its time when a placement shows a different shape well, for example 4:5 in an in-feed position, or when a platform needs a landscape version for long-form. Everything else can share the same 9:16 file.
Keep the words, hook and timing identical across exports so you can compare how each placement performs.
07
Checking the file before posting
Open the exported file on your phone and watch it once with the sound on and once with it off. Check that the words are readable, the audio is clear and nothing important sits at the very bottom, where apps place their own buttons.
A thirty-second check catches most problems before they reach viewers.
08
One export, everywhere
The practical version of all this: export one 9:16 MP4 at 1080p with captions burned in, and post that same file to TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
If producing that file is the part that takes an evening, that is the piece worth removing. Your first video with us is free and needs no card.
Questions people ask
- What file format should I upload?
- MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Every major platform accepts it, and nothing else meaningfully improves what viewers see once the platform re-encodes your upload.
- Does MOV or WebM cause problems?
- Usually not, but MP4 is the one that never does. There is no upside to being adventurous with a container here.
- What resolution is enough?
- 1080p is the practical answer for vertical video. Uploading 4K rarely changes what the viewer sees on a phone, because the platform compresses it either way.
- Which aspect ratio should I use?
- 9:16 if you want one file that works on TikTok, Reels and Shorts. 4:5 is worth a separate export only if the Instagram feed is your main placement.
- Do I need a different export per platform?
- No. That belief turns one job into several, and it is the most common reason people stop cross posting.