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Clip specs by platform: sizes, lengths and limits
Updated 15 October 2026 · Written by the SOVE7GN founders
This is a reference for editors, clippers and marketing teams who export one clip for many platforms. Every figure links to the platform's own help page, checked in October 2026. Where a platform doesn't publish a number, the table says so instead of guessing.
Short answer: export clips at 9:16 vertical, 1080 x 1920. For posting, the limits that matter most are: YouTube Shorts up to 3 minutes; Instagram Reels over 3 minutes aren't recommended to new viewers; TikTok uploads up to 60 minutes; X 140 seconds without Premium; LinkedIn 3 seconds to 15 minutes. A clip of 30 to 60 seconds fits every platform's posting and recommendation limits.
The main table
All figures checked October 2026. "Not published" means the platform's help pages don't state it.
| Platform | Aspect ratio | Length | File size and resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 recommended | Record up to 10 min in app; upload up to 60 min (TikTok Support) | App limit not published |
| Instagram Reels | 1.91:1 to 9:16 (Instagram Help) | Up to 20 min; over 3 min not recommended to new audiences (Instagram Help) | At least 720 px and 30 fps |
| YouTube Shorts | Square or vertical | Up to 3 min (YouTube Help) | Not stated on that page |
| X | Not published for posts | 140 s without Premium; up to 4 h with Premium on web and iOS, 10 min on Android (X Help) | Premium up to 16GB; over 2 h must be 720p |
| Snapchat Spotlight | Vertical, with sound (Snap creators) | At least 5 s to post (Snapchat Support); max not published | Not published |
| 16:9 to 9:16 (Meta video chart) | All videos post as reels since September 2025 (Facebook Help); reel max not published | Not published for reels | |
| 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 (LinkedIn Help) | 3 s to 15 min (2 s minimum on mobile) | 75KB to 5GB; 256 x 144 to 4096 x 2304; 10 to 60 fps |
A few notes the table can't hold:
- Instagram lets you post long Reels, but only Reels of 3 minutes or less reach people who don't follow you. For clips, that's the real limit.
- Snapchat says horizontal Snaps, still photos, blurry Snaps and text-only Snaps won't show up in Spotlight.
- LinkedIn is the only platform here that accepts both very wide (2.4:1) and very tall (1:2.4) video. Vertical 9:16 sits inside that range.
Length rules that affect reach and money
Some limits don't stop you posting but do change what a clip can earn or reach. These are easy to miss.
| Rule | Effect | Source (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts over 1 minute with any Content ID claim | Blocked worldwide until the claim is resolved | YouTube Help |
| Instagram Reels over 3 minutes | Not recommended to new audiences | Instagram Help |
| Snapchat Spotlight under 30 seconds | Not eligible to earn in Snap's monetization program | Snapchat Support |
| X without Premium over 140 seconds | Can't be uploaded | X Help |
Put those together and you get a practical window. A clip of 30 to 60 seconds can earn on Spotlight, avoids the Shorts Content ID block for clips with music, stays inside Instagram's recommendation limit and uploads on X without Premium. Shorter clips are fine too; this is the range that works everywhere at once. For how to choose the moment, see how many clips per video.
Safe zones
Platform buttons, captions and usernames sit on top of the bottom and right of a vertical video. Platforms don't publish safe zones for regular posts, but they do for ads, and those are a sound guide:
- Meta (Instagram and Facebook Reels): Meta's Reels ad specs suggest keeping roughly the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side clear of text and logos. On a 1080 x 1920 frame, that's about 270 px at the top, 670 px at the bottom and 65 px on each side.
- TikTok: TikTok publishes downloadable safe-zone templates on its in-feed ad specs page and says the safe zone shrinks as the caption gets longer.
- YouTube Shorts, Snapchat, X, LinkedIn: no published safe zone. Use the Meta numbers; they keep text clear of the buttons on most apps.
Caption placement is covered in more depth in how to caption clips.
Text limits
The post text around a clip has its own limits. Only some platforms publish them:
| Platform | Text limit (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Title 100 characters; description 5,000 (YouTube Help) |
| X | 280 characters; Premium longer posts up to 25,000 (X Help) |
| Up to 30 hashtags per post (Instagram Help); caption character limit not stated on the help pages we checked | |
| TikTok | Caption limit not stated in TikTok's help center |
One export for everything
If you only export once, make it this: 9:16, 1080 x 1920, MP4 (H.264), 30 fps, burned-in captions inside the safe zone, no watermark from another app. That file works on all 7 platforms above. For platform-by-platform tactics, see TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts for clips and X clipping.
Questions people ask
What size should a TikTok video be?
Export at 9:16 vertical, 1080 x 1920. TikTok lets you upload videos up to 60 minutes, but clips are usually far shorter.
What are the Instagram Reels dimensions?
Instagram accepts Reels from 1.91:1 to 9:16, at least 720 pixels and 30 fps. Use 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 for full screen.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, in a square or vertical frame. Shorts over 1 minute with a Content ID claim are blocked until the claim is resolved.
What is the best length for a clip?
There's no official best length. A 30 to 60 second clip meets every platform's posting, recommendation and earning limits listed above.
Can I post the same clip file everywhere?
Yes, if it's 9:16 with captions inside the safe zone and no watermark. Some platforms favor original content, so change the hook or caption per platform when you can.
Want a straight answer for your videos?
Book a 30-minute call. Send us a link first and we'll tell you which plan fits and how many clips we can make.
Book a call See plans and pricing- TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts for clipsHow the three big short-form apps differ for clips.
- How to caption clipsCaption style, safe zones, auto captions and an accessibility checklist.
- X (Twitter) clippingVideo limits, the new Original Content Rewards and clips that work on X.