Export Settings for Vertical Video: Resolution, Bitrate and Aspect
There is a persistent belief that each platform needs its own export preset. In practice they all re-encode aggressively on upload, so the useful goal is a single high-quality master that survives that process.
The settings that matter
| Setting | Use | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 | Native vertical. Higher wastes upload for no visible gain after re-encode. |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 | Full-frame vertical on every feed platform. |
| Frame rate | Match your source | Converting frame rate introduces judder. Never up-convert. |
| Codec | H.264 | Universally accepted. H.265 is smaller but less reliably handled. |
| Bitrate | 10–15 Mbps | Generous headroom so platform compression starts from a clean source. |
| Audio | AAC, 128–192 kbps | Beyond this is inaudible after platform processing. |
Other aspect ratios
- 1:1 (1080 × 1080) — square, useful for feed posts that appear across multiple placements.
- 16:9 (1920 × 1080) — standard horizontal for YouTube long-form and embeds.
- 4:5 (1080 × 1350) — the tallest ratio that displays in full in most feed placements without being treated as vertical video.
If you need several, export each from the master rather than converting between them. Converting 9:16 to 1:1 by cropping loses content; re-framing from the original does not.
Captions and export order
Burned-in captions are rendered at export, which means caption size is relative to the export resolution. Captions styled against a 720p preview and exported at 1080p will not scale the way you expect in every tool. Preview at final resolution before committing.
- Lock the edit.
- Add and correct captions.
- Preview at final output resolution.
- Export the master at 1080 × 1920.
- Derive other ratios from the master, not from the export.
Frequently asked questions
Rarely worth it. Feed platforms deliver well below 4K on phones, and the upload cost is significant. 1080 × 1920 is the practical sweet spot.
No, but very large files fail to upload on poor connections, and a failed upload is worse than a slightly smaller file.
Platform re-encoding. You cannot prevent it, only give it a better starting point through higher bitrate and a clean, non-recompressed source.
Captions in the language you actually speak
Alfaaz captions Hinglish, Roman Urdu, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic and English with a start and end time for every word — rendered on your own phone, so an export never waits in a queue.
Get Alfaaz on Google Play