01
How do you tell whose fault it is?
Compare your own file against the posted version, side by side, on the same phone. If your file is already soft, the cause is at the source, usually a small subject in a wide frame or a low quality recording. If your file is sharp and the posted one is not, that loss happened after upload.
02
Whose fault is it
Work down the list in order. The first yes is usually the whole answer.
| Test | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Is your own file already soft? | The cause is at the source | Look further down |
| Was the subject small in the original? | Cropping enlarged what little was there | Look further down |
| Was it exported more than once? | Loss accumulated before upload | Look further down |
| Did you judge it within a minute of posting | A lower quality version was still showing | The loss happened in processing |
| Does it look fine on your own file? | The loss happened after upload | The source needs fixing |
03
Checking your own file first
Play your exported file on your phone and compare it with the posted version. If your file is already soft, the problem is in the recording or export: focus, light, cropping or settings. If your file is sharp but the posted version is not, the platform's processing or a temporary lower-quality version is likely responsible.
This comparison tells you where to focus.
04
Causes at the source
Missed focus, low light causing noise, heavy cropping from a wide shot and low export bitrates all produce softness. Improve lighting, lock focus on the subject and frame closer when recording.
Export at standard vertical dimensions.
05
Causes at the platform
Platforms compress everything. Busy or noisy footage suffers most. Right after posting, a lower-quality version may play while higher versions process.
Check again later before worrying.
06
Avoiding double compression
Downloading a posted clip and uploading it elsewhere compresses it twice. Always upload your clean master file.
Keep masters organised for cross-posting.
07
Uploading the right size
Uploading at the expected size, such as 1080 by 1920, avoids extra resizing that can soften the image.
Larger uploads rarely help.
08
Fixing future clips
You cannot sharpen a posted clip; improvements apply to the next ones.
Note what caused the softness and adjust your setup.
09
Find out where the sharpness went
- Look at your own file first. Half the time the softness was already there.
- Check how large the subject was in the original. A small subject cropped large cannot be sharp.
- Send a clean file and give it time. Quality often improves in the minutes after posting.
Run one clip and compare it against your source.
Questions people ask
- Does a clip look worse right after posting?
- Often, because a lower quality version is shown first while processing finishes. Waiting before judging is worth doing.
- Why is cropped footage softer?
- A crop keeps part of the picture and shows it large, so whatever detail was there is spread over more screen. Nothing adds detail that was never recorded.
- What quality do clips come out at?
- Up to 1080p with no watermark on paid plans, and 720p with a small corner mark on the free video.
- Does uploading a bigger file help?
- Up to a point, and past it no. What matters is that the picture is clean rather than that the file is large.
- Can this be fixed after posting?
- Not on the posted version. It is fixed on the next one, by recording closer or wider depending on the cause.