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Video Export Settings: Resolution and Codec Best Practices

Choose the right resolution, codec, and bitrate for YouTube, TikTok, and professional delivery.

6 min readBy FrameGen Team

Resolution by Platform

YouTube

1920×1080 (1080p) or 3840×2160 (4K). Use 16:9. Bitrate: 8–12 Mbps (1080p), 35–45 Mbps (4K).

TikTok & Reels

1080×1920 (9:16). Export at high bitrate (e.g. 10+ Mbps) then let the app re-encode; starting with quality helps.

Instagram Feed

1080×1080 (1:1) or 1080×1350 (4:5). Keep aspect ratio consistent with your letterbox or matte if you use one.

Codec Choices

For web delivery: H.264 (AVC) is universal and plays everywhere. H.265 (HEVC) gives better quality at lower bitrates but isn’t supported everywhere. For archival or grading, use ProRes or DNxHD; for final delivery to clients, match their spec or default to H.264 High Profile.

Matching Aspect Ratio on Export

If you’ve used letterbox mattes in the timeline, export at the same resolution as your sequence (e.g. 1920×1080). The mattes are part of the image, so no extra steps are needed—just export as usual and your aspect ratio will be preserved.

Need Letterbox Mattes for Your Export?

FrameGen generates clean letterbox overlays for any aspect ratio—perfect for matching platform specs.

Try FrameGen