TikTok Video Size Guide: Best Dimensions for 2024

Key takeaways:

• The best TikTok video aspect ratio is 9:16, although 16:9 and 1:1 are also supported.
• The maximum video resolution is 1080p, so even if you upload videos in 4K, they will be downgraded to 1080.
• The most widely used formats for TikTok videos are MP4 (on Android devices) and MOV (on iOS devices).
• Switching your video aspect ratio is easy with tools like Riverside, even on mobile devices.

If your TikTok video’s format isn’t right, it will look unpolished and unprofessional. And it will likely get fewer views and shares as a result.

In this article, we’ll explore all TikTok video size specifications. If you want to know everything about the optimal video length, formats, dimensions, resolution, and ad specifications, just keep reading - we've got you covered.

TikTok video size specifications 

The ideal TikTok video size involves several technical details you want to get right. 

Follow the specifications below to ensure your content displays correctly on all devices. This improves your audience’s experience, making them more likely to engage.

Here's a summary of the platform's technical requirements and why they matter:

Aspect ratio: 

TikTok supports

• 9:16 (vertical videos)
• 1:1 (square videos), and 
• 16:9 (horizontal or landscape videos) ratios. 

The aspect ratio determines the proportion of the width versus the height of your video. It determines how your video fits on the screen and influences how viewers engage with it. 

Different ratios are more suitable for certain types of content, although the 9:16 vertical ratio is the most commonly used.

Video resolution: 

Video resolution refers to the number of pixels in your video. The more pixels your video has, the more detail it shows. 

The recommended resolution for TikTok is 1080p (1080x1920 pixels). Lower resolutions and different dimensions are also supported, but your content may look less crisp.

Video file size: 

While there’s no minimum size limit for video files, TikTok sets a maximum size cap depending on the device. This is 72 MB on Android and 287.6 MB on iOS. 

The maximum size is increased to 500 MB for in-feed video ads. However, smaller file sizes help improve playback performance and reduce buffering.

Formats: 

TikTok supports both MP4 and MOV formats for standard video uploads, as well as AVI, MPEG, and 3PG formats for video ads. Choosing the correct format is important for compatibility. This ensures viewers can play your video across different platforms and devices.

Minimum and maximum video length: 

The minimum length for a TikTok video is 1 second, while the maximum length is 60 minutes. Choosing the right length for your videos depends on your content strategy, as it affects both their discoverability and viewer interest and engagement.

TikTok video dimensions and aspect ratios: landscape vs portrait

TikTok supports several video dimensions, each with multiple aspect ratios and resolutions. Depending on the aspect ratio and resolution you choose, your video will have a different format and quality.

Here’s a table that summarizes all the sizes supported by TikTok:

As a general rule of thumb, vertical (portrait) videos are ideal for mobile devices. They are also optimized for desktop viewing.

Horizontal (landscape) videos are used less frequently on TikTok, but they have specific use cases, particularly for content that benefits from a wider frame.

Square videos are supported, but they’re the least used format on TikTok. They are mostly limited to repurposed videos from other social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the pros and cons of portrait and landscape videos:

Portrait mode

The TikTok app originally ran on mobile devices only. Even today, the majority of users still watch videos on their smartphones. The portrait orientation is optimized for vertical viewing since it fills the entire screen of mobile devices. This is the most recommended format choice for the vast majority of videos on TikTok.

Pros:

• Engaging full-screen experience: Fills the entire screen on mobile devices, making your videos look more engaging.
• Native compatibility: Aligns with TikTok's native format, ensuring full compatibility.
• Focused content: Perfect for videos concentrating on a single subject, like dances, talks, and most one-person shots.
• User-friendly viewing: Viewers can watch your video without rotating their device, enhancing user experience.
• Highlighting content within the feed: Easier to highlight and consume your content within TikTok’s vertical feed.
• Algorithm-friendly: The TikTok algorithm generally favors vertical videos, increasing their discoverability.

Cons:

• Limited scope: Less suitable for wide areas or situations where multiple subjects stand side-by-side.
• Cramped scenes: Can make some scenes look cramped, limiting the number of angles you can use.
• Reformatting needs: May require cropping or reformatting of horizontal footage.
• Limited cross-platform compatibility: Reduced compatibility with other platforms that prioritize landscape formats, like YouTube or Spotify.

Landscape mode

The landscape format is the widescreen view commonly used in traditional video content like movies and YouTube videos. It is much less common on TikTok, especially because users need to rotate their mobile devices to watch them. This can be inconvenient when most other videos in the feed use a 9:16 aspect ratio. 

Still, landscape videos can be effective and have their place for certain types of content.

Pros:

• Cross-platform repurposing: Ideal if you need to repurpose your content for or from other platforms where this format is preferable, like YouTube or Spotify.
• Cinematic presentation: More suited for cinematic content or horizontal scenes that benefit from a wider frame, such as scenic views or group shots.
• Multiple subjects: Great for content showcasing multiple subjects side-by-side, like slides or tutorials.
• Improved readability: Fits more naturally on desktop screens and improves readability if your content contains a lot of text.

Cons:

• User inconvenience: Because they have to rotate their phones, many users may skip the content or watch it with empty spaces on the sides.
• Reduced engagement: Videos appear smaller and less immersive, which can potentially reduce viewer engagement.
• Discoverability issues: Less favored by TikTok's algorithm, potentially reducing discoverability as well.

How to switch aspect ratio with Riverside (desktop)

There’s no need to settle for less-than-optimal aspect ratios when posting on TikTok. With an online video editor like Riverside, switching the aspect ratio of a video for TikTok is quick and easy. Whether you need portrait, landscape, or square dimensions, you can adjust your video format effortlessly with just a few clicks. (We have lots more tips on how to edit TikTok videos too!)

Whether you recorded your video in Riverside or are uploading it from your device, follow these simple steps to adjust the aspect ratio:

Step 1: Open the Riverside editor

Login to Riverside and go to an existing studio or click the "+" button to create a new one. In the studio, you can either:

• Click on a project and select an existing recording.
• Or, you can click "Upload" to add your own video to open in the editor.

Hover over the video you want to edit, then click “Edit” to open the editor.

Step 2: Change the aspect ratio

Click on the rectangle button at the top of your screen to switch your video’s aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, or 1:1).

Once you’re done, click on the purple “Export” button on the top right corner of the screen to export your video. Your file will appear on your dashboard. Click the download arrow to save it to your device. Then, all you have to do is upload your video to TikTok.

Switching aspect ratio with Riverside (mobile)

You can easily change the aspect ratio of your video with Riverside's mobile app too. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Riverside app

Login into your Riverside app and in your studio dashboard select the video you want to edit.

Tap on “Create new edit” to access the editor.

Step 2: Change the aspect ratio

Tap the aspect ratio button at the bottom of your screen to change to the desired video’s aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, or 1:1).

Once you’re done, tap the purple icon in the upper right corner of your screen to access the “Export” dialog box. 

Here, tap the purple “Export video” button at the bottom to export your file. Your file will appear on your dashboard where you can download it.  (Click on the export and then select the “Save” button.)

Now, you’re ready to upload your video to TikTok.

TikTok video resolution and file size

High-quality video is one of the key factors for making your TikTok videos look polished and professional. Videos recorded in full HD resolution (1080p) look better and tend to perform better.

TikTok recommends using a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (1080p in 9:16), or at least 720 x 1280 pixels (720p in 9:16). Check our table above for a full list of all resolutions and aspect ratios supported by TikTok.

While full HD videos appear crisp and detailed, larger file sizes can slow down uploads and affect playback performance. Keeping your files as small as possible will improve playback performance and reduce buffering.

These are the maximum file sizes you can upload to TikTok depending on your device:

• Android devices: 72 MB 
• iOS devices: 287.6 MB
• In-feed video ads: 500 MB

Riverside makes it easy to strike the right balance between resolution and file size. You can record professional-quality 1080p video and 48 kHz audio, while using efficient compression techniques that maintain high quality without creating oversized files.

Best file formats for TikTok videos

TikTok supports two principal formats for videos, MP4 and MOV, along with a few more for in-feed ads: MPEG, AVI, and 3GP.

Choosing the right file format is essential for ensuring crisp video quality while maintaining manageable file sizes.

• MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14): This is the most widely used and recommended format for TikTok videos, offering a good balance between video quality and file size. It's also appreciated for being compatible with many different editing tools.
• MOV (QuickTime File Format): Mostly used by iPhone users, MOV files are native to Apple environments. They're generally larger than MP4 files, which is why TikTok is more lenient when it comes to maximum file size on iOS devices.

Recommended Codec: TikTok recommends using the H.264 codec for video and the AAC codec for audio. These two codecs are both optimized for high-definition outputs while maintaining relatively small file sizes. When you export videos in the MP4 format on Riverside, they are in H.264/AAC by default - perfect for TikTok!

TikTok video length

The maximum length of videos you can post on TikTok has increased overtime. From the initial 15-second upper limit for all content, now your videos can be up to 60 minutes long.

However, longer doesn't necessarily mean better. Most users still prefer shorter, snappier content, so the quicker you can convey your message, the better. Additionally, TikTok's algorithm rewards videos that are watched until completion, so longer videos are a bigger risk.

Here are the video lengths supported by TikTok:

• Recorded directly on TikTok: 1 second (min) to 10 minutes (max).
• Uploaded videos: 1 second (min) to 60 minutes (max).

For optimal performance, TikTok generally recommends keeping your videos between 9 to 15 seconds.

TikTok video ad size specifications

Competition among advertisers on TikTok is fierce. Knowing the the technical requirements for various video ad formats is essential to ensuring your video ad reaches its target audience.

Stick to the following specifications to ensure your ads display correctly across all devices.

In-Feed Ads (Standard and Top Feed)

Often mistakenly referred to as “news feed ads,” In-feed Ads are TikTok’s native advertisements. They appear within the user’s “For You” feed as they scroll through content. 

The difference between Top Feed Ads and Standard In-Feed Ads is their placement: Top Feed Ads occupy the first in-feed ad slot, while Standard In-feed Ads appear in random slots. All other specifications are exactly the same.

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (recommended), 16:9, 1:1
• Video quality: Low-res, 720p (recommended), 1080p (recommended)
• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Video length: 5-60 seconds (9-15 seconds recommended)
• Formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP

TopView Ads 

Not to be confused with Top Feed ads, TopView Ads are the first thing a user sees when opening the app. They take over the entire screen for a few seconds before the user can access their feed. 

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 
• Video quality: Low-res, 720p (recommended), 1080p (recommended)
• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Video length: 5-60 seconds (9-15 seconds recommended)
• Formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP

Spark Ads 

Spark Ads are used to boost existing organic posts, including videos from other TikTok creators who have given permission. They look like regular posts in the user’s feed rather than traditional ads.

• Aspect ratio: Same as the original video
• Video quality: Same as the original video (1080p recommended)
• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Video length: No restrictions
• Formats: Same as the original video

Branded Mission Ads

Branded Mission Ads are user-generated content based on a “mission” set by the brand. The best submissions are then selected and amplified as ads, benefiting both the brand by enhancing authenticity and the creators by increasing their visibility.

Other ads that encourage user participation by promoting collaboration with the brands, such as the Hashtag Challenge Ads and Branded Effect Ads fall within this category and share the same specifications.

• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Video quality: 720p, 1080p
• Maximum file size: 100 MB
• Video length: 5-60 seconds (12-15 seconds recommended)
• Formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, AVI

Pangle Ads

Pangle Ads leverage TikTok’s extended advertising network that goes beyond the social media platform itself. These ads are displayed across a variety of partner websites and apps within the Pangle Ad Network, which is particularly popular in Asia.

• Aspect ratio: 9:16, 16:9, 1:1
• Video quality: Low-res, 720p (recommended), 1080p (recommended)
• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Video length: 5-60 seconds
• Formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, AVI

Global App Bundle Ads

Global App Bundle Ads are similar to Pangle Ads since they are displayed outside the TikTok app. However, Global App Bundle Ads appear in other ByteDance (the company behind TikTok) apps such as CapCut and Fizzo, and across ByteDance’s ecosystem.

• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Video quality: 720p
• Maximum file size: 500 MB
• Video length: 30 seconds
• Formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVI

FAQs on TikTok Video Size

Still need more information? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

How do I fix the size of a TikTok video?

You can easily fix the size of a TikTok video by using a video editing platform like Riverside. You can easily switch a video's aspect ratio on Riverside’s desktop or mobile app to ensure it fits TikTok’s specifications, providing a polished and professional look. 

Does TikTok compress video size?

Yes, TikTok compresses all videos during the upload process to optimize playback and reduce loading times. If your upload speed is slow, it may apply heavier compression, so make sure your connection is fast and stable. Keep in mind that the maximum video quality allowed on TikTok is 1080p, meaning higher-quality videos (like 4K) will be automatically compressed to 1080p.

What are the recommended frame rates for TikTok videos?

The recommended frame rate for TikTok videos is typically 30 frames per second (fps), which keeps the files smaller without sacrificing too much motion fluidity. However, content creators posting particularly fast-paced content, such as gaming footage, might want to use 60 fps to ensure smoother visuals.

Does TikTok support 4K video uploads?

No, TikTok does not support 4K video uploads. The maximum supported video quality is 1080p, so even if you attempt to upload a 4K video, it will be compressed and downsized to 1080p.