When it comes to uploading and posting videos on TikTok, the last thing you would want for your video is poor quality. By following this cheat sheet of TikTok video specs and our leads you can find the right file size, video length, and format of file for your next video.

Video Specs for high-quality TikTok videos:

If your video ever looked perfect on your phone, but when it goes live, it looks pixelated, distorted, or cut off, you’re not alone. This can happen for many reasons.

You shouldn’t worry about getting your videos converted into TikTok specs. There are easier ways to optimize your videos than converting them.

1. Size of TikTok Videos

With its huge user base and millions of daily users, it’s no surprise that TikTok has become one of the most dominant apps in the world. A one-size-fits-all approach means that the video dimensions are not suitable for every user.

The perfect dimensions are 1080 by 1920 pixels, which is what most phones are capable of capturing and sharing on social media platforms.

TikTok’s Intelligent Optimization Tool or online video editors can be used to resize your content to any of the available sizes just in case you may need to convert to the optimum size.

Another meaning of the size is the file size, which is measured in megabytes (MB). Newsfeed videos uploaded to YouTube.com are limited to 72 MB in size, whereas those uploaded to Facebook.com are limited to 287.76 MB.

TikTok videos have a threshold file size of 500MB, and that’s good because a bigger file means you can upload more of them in one go.

2. Video Dimension: Portrait or Landscape

The ideal TikTok format is portrait because the app is designed for viewing on your phone. While it’s possible to post a landscape video, we don’t recommend it. Portrait allows you to use every pixel of a smartphone screen to engage people’s attention.

3. Length of TikTok Videos:

TikTok videos should be less than 3 minutes long. This gives you time to create outstanding content. If you want to reach a global audience, then the best strategy is to make sure that your videos are not long enough that push users to bounce or exit. You need to make sure that your TikTok videos are optimized for the algorithm. If you have a long, drawn-out video that is poorly edited, your videos are likely to be penalized, even if they’re super catchy.

4. Best video format?

While both MP4 and MOV work just fine on TikTok, using.MP4 is the better choice. However, you will probably not be able to differentiate between the two. There are a couple of grounds why you may want to use MP4 over MOV.

iTunes MOV is the native or original file format for Apple and is apt to have a larger file size. You’ll probably end up having to resize the MOV file before you upload it, so having a few PNG files will help make that process go smoothly. This is pretty much it about non-advertising TikTok video specs.

TikTok Video Ad Specs:

TikTok has about 1 billion users around the world. That’s a lot of eyeballs, and that means it’s a great place to invest in advertising to generate leads or brand awareness.

The platform definitely enables users to put background sound in the videos. Sound isn’t the only parameter that attracts the audience’s interest. Captions and text work well too. They also have images and other elements that entice people who don’t listen to your content to view your website.

You can use its advertising in two different ways: either as an In-Feed Video Ad or a News Feed Video Ad. Let’s dive into different type of ads and their native TikTok video specs.

1.    Infeed TikTok ads:

People who view ads primarily on the feed rather than on individual videos are more likely to become ad viewers. In-feed TikTok video ads can be one of the best possible ways to get your product in front of this audience.

As your social media following grows, the likelihood that you’ll see in-feed paid ads also grows.

In-feed TikTok ads are similar to organic newsfeed videos. They are placed at the end of a clip, above the footer, and below the logo.

It’s possible to upload any type of video. When you upload, you’ll see your upload status in the top right-hand corner. To check the quality, click the play button at the beginning of the clip.

To produce a high-quality content that looks good on all devices, you should use 9:16 or 720 x 1280 pixels, or 1080p format. Ad in-feed videos should be more interesting and more of a conversation than a typical ad. Design your ad to appear like an organic piece of content for viewers scrolling through their feeds.

People are much more likely to interact with someone they are familiar with rather than someone they don’t know. That’s why it’s important to always have an introduction when interacting with someone new. In-feed ad should be no longer than 20 seconds, but if they’re longer, make sure they include multiple frames.

2.    Topview Ads:

An ad that immerses people in an immersive viewing experience lasts for at least 60 seconds.

TikTok’s TopView ads are another great way to create awareness about your brand because of how it pops up on the viewer’s screens. They’re practically unmissable, so they get viewers talking about your brand. That’s a full minute of uninterrupted viewing when it’s released.

3.    Spark Ads:

When you’re looking for something to sell, your best bet is to advertise in a way that doesn’t look like advertising. Spark Ads leverage organic posts to boost your business. In fact, you should consider running your campaigns as organic content, allowing you to build a community of loyal followers.

TikTok has an engagement rate of over 140%, and they’ve even earned a lot of positive feedback from their user base, who’ve been impressed by their services. Brands get to use spark ads to build a real connection with their community. They can also go to your profile just by swiping left, duet your post, and use your soundtrack.

It’s really easy to set up Spark Ads using a variety of different tools.

When you collaborate with creators on TikTok, you can quickly set up Spark Ads, and when people tap on them, they’ll be brought to your Spark Ads.

4.    Takeover Ads:

This takeover ad is named ‘takeover’ because it takes over the entire screen of the user. You need to make sure your target audience knows you are there before they even know what you are selling. It does occupy a lot of the viewer’s full screen, but it’s worth it! You can link this ad unit to a landing page or to an ongoing brand challenge, and it almost sounds the same as TopView ads. 

The difference between Brand Takeover and Top View ads is that Brand Takeover ads are the first videos users see when they open the app, and TopView ads are the first videos they view on their FYP.

5.     Branded Hashtag Challenge:

Whether it’s your brand or product, the best way to encourage engagement is to create branded challenges This means that you’ll leverage your organic and paid content to drive more engagement from consumers.

The outcome is generally a high level of engagement that heightens only on one click. Over 50 percent of branded hashtag challenges on TikTk have more than $5 return on ad spend for the CPG industry.

6.     Branded Effects:

This ad format allows brands to be creative and allows them to have fun. It’s a good place for brands to showcase their brand personalities, such as humor or a unique approach to solving problems. This ad enables the users to use stickers, effects, and filters on their content.

TikTok Marketing Tips

Whether you’re new to marketing on social media platforms or just need a refresher course, I think this list will be helpful for you to get started in the right direction. Marketing is something every business needs to focus on. When you need help getting a marketing plan in place, these tips will be of use.

• Consider your audience:

If you’re just getting started and want to create the best TikTok campaigns, you need to think about the type of audiences you are trying to reach. Do they appreciate a thoughtful and informative video?

This social media platform that caters to short, entertaining videos. You can create a video to have a few followers if they like the humorous video or if it shows off a product or service. It should be between 15 to 60 seconds long.

• Create TikTok Native Content:

The most important thing is that the content you create is authentic. The community of users has developed its own sense of style. You need to respect this if you want your video to feel like it belongs there.

Take, for example, the #YoloChallenge, which involves people filming themselves with wide grins on their faces, and in the process, they capture themselves doing weird and funny things.

Create a unique spin on the common format. You’ll need to find a creative way to integrate your product into the article in order to make it stand out, but always follow the common format of 4-5 sentences, each with bullet points and subpoints.

And if you aren’t entirely sure what the latest fad is, you can easily catch up with the most popular videos and trending hashtags around your geographical location on the platform’s Discovery Page. There you’ll see what the hottest trends are trending and what people are talking about around your location.

• Keep it Short:

There are lots of things to test out. If you do a ton of testing, you’re going to come up with a lot of ideas. The key to making a compelling and engaging content is to make sure that it’s short. You want your audience to watch your clips over and over again without getting tired. That way, they can easily share it with their friends, thus increasing engagement.

The platform recommends a 60-second video because you’re more likely to like and comment on the content of that length. It also helps you grow your following and get discovered by brands.

• Video Description:

Write down the purpose of your piece and the benefits it promises to provide to your viewers and prospects. TikTok supports all Latin alphabet letters and a few Asian characters, such as Japanese Hiragana (わ), Katakana (ヾ), and Mongolian Cyrillic (ү). You’ll also need to avoid the following:

Using emojis or special characters such as parentheses (《》), hashtags (〇), or exclamation marks (〈！〉). Using punctuation marks in place of characters.

Here’s all you need to know about TikTok video specs for ads, including which types of ads are available, what each ad type does, and which one you should use.

Bottom Line

After going through the above guide, hopefully, you’ve learned everything you need to know about the size, dimension, format, and other TikTok video specs.

The average person spends between 10 minutes and 2 hours every day on this platform, which gives you lots of opportunities to share your creativity and express yourself.

All the best, and may you make amazing videos that will dazzle your audience!

Whom are you hiring? Where are you shooting? What gear kit are you using? These questions become considerable while making a production budget. Videographer prices do not only include the charges of a videographer. A lot more aspects are considered while making a budget. Let’s explore the details of pricing and production cost of videographers and how you can manage everything more efficiently!

1. What goes into videography pricing?

Here are some of the key elements that influence and decide the pricing of different videographers:

• Experience 

Video production cost greatly and unquestionably depends upon the experience of the video production company you’ve hired. The more experienced it is, the less time it will take to produce a video. This, in turn, will save your money by reducing the number of retakes, dubbing and tweaking by doing it all in one go or two.

However, if we talk about the price side, the most experienced crew will charge you high because of the quality of the content they will provide you. Conclusively, we can say that a more experienced video production will charge more.

• Gear Kit

A DSLR camera can make a simple video. Still, if you want a good quality, you may need a camera with advanced features and lenses, as lenses significantly impact the quality. It’s a no-brainer that you’re hiring professional videographers for a good quality video, and for that, you’ll need many other tools besides a camera. For example, you may need a professional lighting setup, a recording audio setup, or a drone shot, depending upon the required result. Ultimately your videographer price will include charges for this gear kit and the camera. They may have to rent these tools sometimes.

• Crew/Skillset

Crew refers to a number of people included in the team. A crew of one or two team members is enough for an inbound video. However, the crew’s size increases as the video’s complexity increases. A complex video requires a variety of gears, and you’ll need a crew to operate each piece of equipment separately and efficiently. If you want a well-produced video, the crew may include a whole team, from producer/director, lighting tech, and sound man to videographer/cameraman and drone operator. And each one of these members will be paid individually. So you’ll have to include their rates in videographer pricing as well.

• Script Development

For a great video, one requires a great script. It depends on whether it is entirely written or you must provide an outline to actors or models on camera. Script writing also depends on the duration of the video. Longer the piece, the longer the script. So the videographer’s price will also include the script writer’s rate.

•  Time 

Videographer prices don’t only depend on the time spent on a shoot. Instead, these include the whole time spent on the project, from planning for the shoot to post-shoot editing and revisions. So videographer pricing is determined by the time over the entire project, whether an hour, a day or a week. Some videographer prices are according to per hour rates, while some charge according to per day rates.

• Location 

Where is your video being shot? If you have a dedicated inbound area for shooting, that’s cool. If not, you’ll have to find a location most relevant to your topic. And eventually, location rent will add up to your production cost.

• Travel cost

With location comes the travel expense because the crew will have to travel to the site. Videographer prices will include travel costs in the budget too.

• The hiring of actors, models, voice-over artists

This factor depends on the type of video since some don’t require actors or models while others require them. So actors/models will charge according to the duration of the shoot and their experience.

• Editing

Here comes the most critical factor. Excellent editing skills can transform a monotonous video into an exciting one by using different effects like graphics, animations, and slow-motions. The editing part is considered post-shooting time, but the editor will include its own videographer prices to the entire video production cost.

One important thing is that as a client, you must put forward your budget and then ask what the videographers can do in that budget? And what they’ll charge for your demands?

2. Videographer pricing by the type of professionals:

Apparently, a videographer’s price includes the whole crew’s budget. However, crew members’ prices depend on the video’s complexity and duration. Following are the day rates of some standard crew members.

• Director of Photography: $900$ – $1,500

The role of the DoP is to ensure that every photo or shot is worthwhile and point out when they are not useable. They also closely work with colorists during editing.

• Producer: $800$ – $1,500

A producer is an essential crew member responsible for the whole team’s coordination from the beginning to the end of the project.

• Camera operator: $600 – $900

Camera operators are responsible for dealing with a variety of cameras. Their pay depends upon their experience.

• Drone operator: $700 – $1,200

A drone operator is responsible for using drones to capture photos or footage clips.

• Gaffer: $750 – $1,200

He is the light person who is responsible for coordinating all the lights needed on the set.

• Audio guy/ Sound mixer: $600 – $800

An audio guy ensures good quality content by checking sound equipment, mic placement, and lip-syncs.

• Makeup and hair artist: $400 – $700 plus kit

They ensure that every person who has to appear on camera looks best and prepared. Usually the have additional charger for makeup kit.

• Production assistant, PA: $250 – $350

PA ensures everything is ready for the shoot, including the set, crew, and actors.

Click below to see other videography rate.

3. How to reduce your video production cost?

If you’re working on a budget but still want to get a high-quality video produced by a qualified videographer, here are some points to consider:

• Limit pre-production process

The pre-production process includes all the planning for a shoot, like a concept developing, hunting for location, and scheduling everything, which adds to the budget. You can reduce videographer pricing by doing these things yourself. Or you can hire a local production company that will have everything planned already.

• Provide your script 

You know about your product or service more than anyone, and it is better to provide your script to the agency. You don’t have to be a professional to write it. However, you can make a rough outline and give it to a professional videographer, and the videographer will modify it into something ready to be shot.

• Skip Storyboard

Not every video requires an artist for a proper storyboard with drawing. You can provide a video treatment document, and any professional videography crew will be able to work on it without any storyboard artist.

• Use your friends as talents or be a talent yourself

You can save money by being a talent for your video, or you can have a beautiful co-worker or friend who isn’t shy to come in front of the camera; otherwise, you’ll have to pay for actors/models.

• Utilize your location 

Shot locations or studios are expensive and can quickly raise your video production cost. To save money, you can find a nice place or use your office if you have a large conference room or an aesthetic wall. You can also use a bare wall by hanging paintings and some plants. Some companies also provide props and backdrops for the shoot in your office.

• Provide catering and craftiest if possible

You have to feed the production crew because it’s a universal fact that one cannot work well while starving. So instead of including catering service in the budget, it would be better if you provide catering yourself. This way, it will cost much less and save some money.

•  Save with Freelancers

You can also reduce videographer prices by hiring a freelance videographer and a sound and lighting operator rather than a whole crew. You can hire a company just to check the video for revisions after it is completed.

IMPORTANT: It’s crucial to note that you should never try to reduce the gear or crew costs. Here you need to trust the company you hired as it is their job to do the correct estimation on what it takes crew and gear to reach the production value you need.

4. Factors that can affect the price of videography

Videographer prices can vary according to certain factors. Some of them are discussed below:

• Complexity of the project

The more complex a project is, the higher the videographer price will be as it will need more crew members and the expertise of the production team.

• Deadlines of the project

It refers to the timeline that the crew needs to finish the whole project, from pre-planning to shooting to editing. If you need your project to be completed urgently, you will have to pay more to cover last minute videographer prices and expenses. Deadlines can range from a day, a week, to a month.

• Shooting in a public places

Shooting in public may require you to obtain a filming permit from the local film commission department, sometimes you will also require a police officer or firefighter, or you may need to block the street. This increases your budget.

• Competition

The more competition among professionals is in the market, the less they may charge you.

5. Benefits of working with a professional videographer

If you’re working with a pro videographer, you will get to enjoy some benefits from them. A few of those are listed below.

• High-quality equipment

A skilled videographer will have high-quality equipment, including a lighting setup, a good sound recording setup, and a professional camera and gear, which an amateur videographer mostly lacks.

• Professional crew

Professional videographers bring the benefits of the whole crew to the table. The role of each crew member is discussed earlier in this article.

• Professional editing

Anyone can make a video, but only very few people can transform a basic one into a great and exciting one through their exclusive editing skills. If you hire a skilled videographer, you’ll also get an efficiently edited and a well-shot content.

6. How to get the most out of your budget?

Working with a professional crew unquestionably costs you more. But getting a great content doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg. You can focus on certain aspects to get the most out of your video production cost.

• Shorten the video

Your budget can be economized by reducing the length of your video. Why stretch a one-minute video if you can convey your message in a 30-second video. Viewers also tend to remain interested in a short video rather than a long one, which makes it dull.

• Create multiple videos from one footage

Professional videographers are experts at creating more than one edit from the footage. They won’t have to take multiple footage as creating two footage is twice as expensive as creating one. So they may use the same footage to edit it so that they can make various pieces from it. That’s how they utilize their expertise and help you get the most out of your funds.

• Use free music

You can also use free music for your project, which is available online, instead of creating your custom music, which is too expensive.

• Budget-friendly locations

It is better to hunt for budget-friendly or accessible locations. Please choose to shoot outside because it is free, or you might need a permit that’s not too expensive, so you’ll save a lot by using an accessible location. Or you can also use backdrops in an in-bound location. Either way, you’ll save a considerable amount of your budget.