Where these numbers come from
YouTube and LinkedIn publish upload limits in their consumer help centres, and we use those directly. [1][3][4] For TikTok and Instagram, their consumer help pages are not quoted here; this guide uses their official developer documentation, which sets the limits that scheduling and publishing tools must meet. [5][7] The in-app limits for posting from a phone can differ, and a Riverside help page notes that TikTok length depends on the creator: all creators up to 3 minutes, some up to 5 or 10. [8]
If you post through a scheduler, an editor's direct-publish button or an agency tool, the developer limits are the ones that apply. If you upload by hand in the app, use them as a safe floor.
Upload limits by platform
Checked 30 October 2026. Not stated means the official page we read did not list it. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
| Platform | Length | File size | Resolution and frame rate | Formats | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube (long-form) | 15 minutes by default; verified accounts longer, up to 12 hours | 256 GB (or 12 hours, whichever is less) | Upload at recorded frame rate; 16:9 suggested for long-form | MP4 recommended, H.264, AAC-LC or Opus audio | Help centre |
| YouTube Shorts | Up to 3 minutes | As YouTube | Square or vertical aspect ratio | As YouTube | Help centre |
| 3 seconds (desktop) or 2 seconds (mobile) to 15 minutes | 75 KB to 5 GB | 256 x 144 to 4096 x 2304; aspect 1:2.4 to 2.4:1; 10 to 60 fps | MP4, MOV, AVI, WEBM, MKV, WMV and others | Help centre | |
| TikTok (posting API) | Up to 10 minutes per API upload | 4 GB | 360 to 4,096 px each side; 23 to 60 fps | MP4 recommended, WebM, MOV; H.264 recommended, H.265, VP8, VP9 | Developer docs |
| TikTok In-Feed ads (non-Spark) | Up to 10 minutes | 500 MB | 9:16 at 540 x 960 or more recommended; bitrate 516 kbps or more | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi | Ads help |
| Instagram Reels (publishing API) | 3 seconds to 15 minutes | 300 MB | Max 1,920 px wide; 23 to 60 fps; 9:16 recommended | MOV or MP4, H.264 or HEVC, AAC up to 48 kHz | Developer docs |
| Instagram Stories (publishing API) | 3 to 60 seconds | 100 MB | Max 1,920 px wide; 23 to 60 fps | MOV or MP4, H.264 or HEVC | Developer docs |
The limits that catch people out
YouTube's 15-minute default is an account setting, not a file problem. Verify your account by text or voice call and the cap rises to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever is less. [1]
YouTube now classifies square or vertical uploads up to 3 minutes as Shorts on standard channels for videos uploaded after 15 October 2024. If you want a 2-minute vertical clip to stay long-form, it has to be wider; YouTube suggests 16:9. [3] A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim is blocked globally. [3]
Instagram's 300 MB ceiling matters more than its 15-minute ceiling. At 15 minutes, 300 MB allows an average of about 2.7 Mbps for picture and sound together, far below YouTube's 8 Mbps reference for 1080p. [2][7] Long Reels published through a tool will be soft unless you shorten them.
TikTok ads have a 500 MB limit that organic API uploads (4 GB) do not, so the same file may be fine to post but too big to promote. [5][6]
Worked bitrate math: how long can each file be?
File size in megabytes equals total bitrate in megabits per second, times seconds, divided by 8. Using YouTube's 1080p reference of 8 Mbps video plus 384 kbps stereo audio gives 8.384 Mbps, or about 62.9 MB per minute. [2]
| Limit | Longest clip at 8.384 Mbps | Bitrate needed to fill the platform's max length |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels, 300 MB | About 4.8 minutes | About 2.7 Mbps for 15 minutes |
| TikTok In-Feed ads, 500 MB | About 7.9 minutes | About 6.7 Mbps for 10 minutes |
| TikTok posting API, 4 GB | About 64 minutes (length capped at 10) | Not a constraint at 1080p |
| LinkedIn, 5 GB | About 80 minutes (length capped at 15) | Not a constraint at 1080p |
| YouTube, 256 GB | Not a practical constraint | Not a constraint |
Two export presets that fit every limit
These presets combine YouTube's recommended encoding with the strictest limits in the table. Use them as a starting point in any editor. [2][4][5][7]
- Vertical, all platforms: 1080 x 1920, H.264 High profile, progressive, 30 fps (or the frame rate you recorded, between 24 and 60), constant or variable bitrate around 8 Mbps, AAC-LC stereo at 48 kHz, MP4 with Fast Start (moov atom at the front). Keep clips under about 4.5 minutes so the file stays below Instagram's 300 MB.
- Horizontal, YouTube and LinkedIn: 1920 x 1080, same codec settings, 8 Mbps at 24 to 30 fps or 12 Mbps at 48 to 60 fps. A 15-minute LinkedIn upload at 8.4 Mbps is about 0.94 GB, well under 5 GB.
- 4K: export 3840 x 2160 only for YouTube and LinkedIn; LinkedIn's maximum is 4096 x 2304, and Instagram's API caps width at 1,920 pixels, so send Instagram a 1080-wide file. [4][7]
- Long vertical clips for Instagram: drop video to about 2.3 Mbps for 15 minutes, or cut the piece into shorter Reels.
Pre-upload checklist
- Confirm the account can post the length you need: YouTube verification for over 15 minutes, TikTok length access for over 3 minutes. [1][8]
- Check file size against the strictest destination before exporting, not after.
- Match frame rate to the recording; YouTube asks for the same rate you recorded at, and TikTok and Instagram APIs accept 23 to 60 fps. [2][5][7]
- Use MP4 with Fast Start; Meta's spec also requires no edit lists and the moov atom at the front. [7]
- For vertical clips you want on YouTube as long-form, export wider than square. [3]
- Re-check these pages before a big campaign; platforms change limits without notice.
Questions before you decide
What is the maximum video length on YouTube?
By default YouTube lets you upload videos up to 15 minutes long. Verified accounts can upload longer videos, up to 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
YouTube's help page says Shorts can be up to three minutes. Square or vertical videos up to three minutes uploaded after 15 October 2024 on standard channels are categorised as Shorts.
What are LinkedIn's video upload limits?
LinkedIn Help lists a maximum file size of 5 GB, minimum 75 KB, duration from 3 seconds on desktop or 2 seconds on mobile up to 15 minutes, resolution from 256 x 144 to 4096 x 2304, and 10 to 60 fps.
What file size can Instagram Reels be when published by a tool?
Meta's Instagram API reference lists Reels at 3 seconds to 15 minutes, 300 MB maximum, up to 1,920 pixels wide and 23 to 60 fps, in MOV or MP4 with H.264 or HEVC video.
What are TikTok's upload limits for third-party tools?
TikTok's Content Posting API guide lists MP4, WebM or MOV up to 4 GB, 360 to 4,096 pixels on each side, 23 to 60 fps, and up to 10 minutes per API upload.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- YouTube Help: Upload videos longer than 15 minutes Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Shorts length and aspect ratio Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- LinkedIn Help: Video upload specifications Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- TikTok for Developers: Content Posting API media transfer guide Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- TikTok Ads Help: Video ads specifications Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Meta for Developers: Instagram IG User Media reference Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Riverside Help: Publish to TikTok, requirements Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.