Guide
Should I upload 4K or 1080p? Film in 4K, upload 1080p
Updated
Film in 4K if your phone can, because it gives you room to crop and zoom. Upload 1080p, which is 1080 by 1920 pixels for a vertical video, because TikTok and Reels shrink bigger files anyway.
In short
- You should upload 1080p, which for a vertical video means 1080 by 1920 pixels at 30 fps.
- Filming in 4K is still worth it if your phone handles it, because it gives you room to crop and zoom.
- TikTok and Instagram accept 4K files but show them at 1080p or lower, so a 4K upload looks no better.
- Turn on the HD upload setting in TikTok and Upload at highest quality in Instagram, so the app shrinks your video less.
- YouTube Shorts can be the exception, because YouTube often gives 4K uploads a sharper format.
- Pixels in the upload size for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
- 1080x1920
- Of an upright 4K frame's width you can crop away and still fill 1080 wide
- 50%
- Enough for a person talking
- 30 fps
Filming resolution vs upload resolution
Extra pixels help while you edit. After you upload, the app converts the file its own way, whatever you send.
- When you film, extra pixels let you crop, reframe and zoom in without losing detail.
- When you upload, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube convert every file into their own format.
- You do not control that step. You cannot choose how hard they compress the file or the size they show it at.
Filming resolution vs upload resolution
Film as high as your phone allows. Upload 1080 by 1920.
What going higher gives you
- Filming resolution
- Room to crop and reframe
- Upload resolution
- Almost nothing
Who decides what happens next
- Filming resolution
- You do
- Upload resolution
- The app does
Cost of going higher
- Filming resolution
- Storage space and a warm phone
- Upload resolution
- A longer upload, no gain
What to choose
- Filming resolution
- As high as your phone allows
- Upload resolution
- 1080 by 1920
| Filming resolution | Upload resolution | |
|---|---|---|
| What going higher gives you | Room to crop and reframe | Almost nothing |
| Who decides what happens next | You do | The app does |
| Cost of going higher | Storage space and a warm phone | A longer upload, no gain |
| What to choose | As high as your phone allows | 1080 by 1920 |
What filming in 4K gets you
The extra pixels help while you edit. Once you export at 1080p, you keep the sharper crop or zoom you made with them.
- You can cut a full 1080-wide vertical video out of a 4K video filmed with the phone held sideways.
- A 10 to 12% zoom-in stays sharp on 4K footage and goes soft on 1080p footage.
- You can fix the framing later, like a head sitting too low or something at the edge of the shot.
How much of the width you can crop away and still fill 1080 wide
Filming in 4K gives you room to crop. Uploading in 4K does not add anything.
- Filmed at 1080 by 1920no room
- Filmed at 1440 by 256025% to spare
- 4K, phone held upright (2160 wide)50% to spare
- 4K, phone held sideways (3840 wide)72% to spare
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
What to upload to TikTok, Reels and Shorts
Upload the size vertical feeds are built around: 1080 by 1920 pixels, 9:16, at 30 fps.
- TikTok, Reels and Shorts are built around 1080 by 1920, so a video in that size fills the screen the way you expect.
- The app's buttons and the safe area for captions are planned in this size, so what you see is what viewers get.
- 60 fps adds nothing to a video of a person talking, and it doubles the frames the app has to shrink.
- YouTube's upload guide recommends a bitrate of 8 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. Bitrate is how much data each second of video gets.
- If you put the video on your own website, tick 'optimize for web' or 'fast start' when you export, so it starts playing straight away.
Upload settings for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
The same settings work for all three apps.
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 by 1920 pixels |
| Shape | 9:16, vertical |
| Frame rate | 30 fps |
| File type | MP4 |
| Bitrate | About 8 Mbps, YouTube's advice for 1080p |
| HD upload | On, in the app's posting or data settings |
Setting: Resolution
- Use
- 1080 by 1920 pixels
Setting: Shape
- Use
- 9:16, vertical
Setting: Frame rate
- Use
- 30 fps
Setting: File type
- Use
- MP4
Setting: Bitrate
- Use
- About 8 Mbps, YouTube's advice for 1080p
Setting: HD upload
- Use
- On, in the app's posting or data settings
Why does my video look blurry after uploading?
Usually because the app shrank it more than it had to. Two settings and the right file fix most of it.
- In TikTok, tap More options on the posting screen and turn on Allow high-quality uploads. Some versions call it Upload HD.
- In Instagram, go to Settings, then Data usage and media quality, and turn on Upload at highest quality.
- Upload on a strong Wi-Fi connection. With that setting off, Instagram can lower the quality to upload faster.
- Upload the original file. A video saved from WhatsApp or downloaded from another app has already been compressed once.
- Film in good light. Dark footage turns blocky when the app compresses it.
When should you upload in 4K?
When the video is going to YouTube, or when it is not going into a phone feed at all.
- On TikTok and Instagram, a 4K upload looks no better in the feed. YouTube can be the exception, because it often gives 4K uploads a sharper format.
- Keep your best version as an archive copy, because every re-edit from a compressed copy loses quality.
- Give the biggest file to anyone who will edit or color-correct your video after you.
- For a TV, a shop-window screen or a large website banner, export in 4K, because people see it big and up close.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom is a video editor that turns one clip of you talking into a finished vertical ad. Every export is a 1080 by 1920 MP4 at 30 fps.
- Each export is also saved so it starts playing straight away when you put it on your own website.
- Cutroom cannot export horizontal, square or 4K video. For those, use a regular video editor.
- Your first video is free. After that, Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 thirty-second videos.
Questions people ask
- Does uploading 4K make my TikTok look worse?
- No, just not better. TikTok shows it at 1080p or lower either way, so you get a longer upload and a bigger file with no clear gain in the feed.
- What resolution is best for TikTok?
- 1080 by 1920 pixels, in the vertical 9:16 shape, at 30 fps. That is the size the vertical feed is built around.
- Does TikTok accept 4K uploads?
- Yes, but it shows them at 1080p or lower. Upload 1080 by 1920 with high-quality uploads turned on, and you get the same result from a smaller file.
- Why does my video look blurry after uploading?
- Usually because high-quality uploads were switched off, or the file was compressed before you uploaded it. Turn on the HD setting in the app and upload the original file over Wi-Fi.
- Should I film in 4K if I only post vertical videos?
- Yes, if your phone does it without overheating. The extra pixels let you fix the framing later and zoom in without a soft picture.
- Should I film at 60 fps?
- Not for a person talking. 60 fps helps with fast motion, like sport, and doubles the frames in every file. 30 fps is enough for a person talking.
- Can Cutroom export anything other than 1080 by 1920?
- No. Every export is a vertical MP4 at 1080 by 1920 and 30 fps. For horizontal, square or 4K video, use a regular video editor.
Upload one clip of you talking and get a 1080 by 1920 video ready for the feed. Your first video is free.