Video Format Cheat Sheet: Complete Quick Reference
Containers: The Wrapper
MP4 (.mp4): Universal. Works everywhere. Default choice. MOV (.mov): Apple's format. Great on Mac/iOS, inconsistent elsewhere. WebM (.webm): Google's web format. Excellent compression, limited outside browsers. MKV (.mkv): Feature-rich (multiple audio tracks, subtitles), poor device support. AVI (.avi): Legacy Microsoft format. Large files. Avoid for new content. FLV (.flv): Dead format (Flash). Convert to MP4.
Codecs: The Engine
H.264/AVC: The standard. Universal support, good compression. Use this when in doubt. H.265/HEVC: 40-50% better compression than H.264. Growing support. Requires licensing fees. VP9: Google's alternative to H.265. Royalty-free. YouTube uses it. AV1: Newest. Best compression. Slow to encode. Growing browser support. ProRes: Apple's editing codec. Huge files, excellent quality. For professional workflows only.
Social Media Requirements
YouTube: MP4, H.264, up to 256 GB, 12 hours. Upload at highest quality. Instagram Feed: MP4, H.264, 3-60 seconds, max 4 GB. Instagram Reels: MP4, H.264, up to 15 minutes, 9:16. TikTok: MP4, H.264, up to 10 minutes, 9:16. Twitter/X: MP4, H.264, up to 2:20 (free) or 60 min (premium), max 512 MB. Facebook: MP4, H.264, up to 240 minutes, max 10 GB. LinkedIn: MP4, H.264, 3 sec-10 min, max 5 GB.
Resolution Quick Guide
720p (1280×720): Minimum acceptable quality. Good for web. 1080p (1920×1080): Standard HD. Best balance of quality and file size. 1440p (2560×1440): Gaming content standard. 4K (3840×2160): Premium content. Large files. Overkill for most social media. 8K (7680×4320): Future-proofing only. Almost no practical use currently. Most platforms downscale to 1080p anyway.
Bitrate Recommendations
720p: 2,500-5,000 kbps. 1080p: 5,000-10,000 kbps. 1080p (high motion/gaming): 10,000-15,000 kbps. 4K: 20,000-40,000 kbps. Talking head/slides: use the lower end. Action/gaming/sports: use the higher end. Higher bitrate = larger file = better quality. These are for H.264; for H.265 or AV1, reduce by 30-40%.