Top social media video format

Wambui Mugo February 10, 2020

The use of video as content has increased over recent years. People digest and connect more with video content than they do with just plain images. The popularity of using social networking sites to market your eCommerce or share information has become paramount now more than ever. Video content is playing a huge part in creating brand awareness.

However, it’s not only about creating an awesome video but knowing the best video file format to distribute your content. When it comes to video file formats, there are no one-size-fits-all. This is because different devices, browsers, and video platforms support diverse formats. You need to know who your visitors are, their preferred browsers and devices to give them the best video experience.

6 best video file formats for the web

AVI (Audio Video Interleave)

Developed by Microsoft in 1992, AVI is among the oldest file formats available. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac, and supported by all popular web browsers. It only undergoes a small degree of compression maintaining high-quality videos. However, high-quality videos make the file size too large to share online, download, or stream. It is more conducive to video storage on PCs.

MOV (Apple QuickTime Format)

MOV files are particularly developed for the Mac's QuickTime Player. It stores texts, high-quality audio, and video effects. It is compatible with Windows OS as there is also a QuickTime Player for Windows. Whenever a video is shot in MOV format, it is advisable to edit it in the MOV format.

The high-quality videos make the MOV file too large to share on social media. It can be used on websites but never on social media platforms.

MP4 (Moving Pictures Expert Group 4)

It is the default universal video file format as it is supported by most browsers and devices. It can store text, still images, video, and audio. The ability to compress MP4 files to small sizes while still maintaining high-quality videos has resulted in increased popularity.

MP4 is the best video file format for sharing content on social media.

AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding, High Definition)

Sony and Panasonic digital camcorders are known for developing high-end videos. The AVCHD is the best video file format for high definition variations. With it, you can create high-quality videos in very small sizes. You don't have to sacrifice quality for size as it leverages both the H.264 and MPEG-4 video compression algorithms. Additionally, AVCHD 2.0 supports 3D videos.

Perfect for anyone shooting their video as you can store hours of data with a tiny amount of data.

WMV (Windows Media Video)

Microsoft developed WMV for the Windows Media Player. For those with Mac, simply download the WMV player to open this file. It is a small video file and is commonly used to share video files on email.

FLV (Flash Video Format) and SWF (Small Web Format)

Flash video players are the most popular videos online. Over 99% of internet-enabled PCs use it. All browsers and video platforms support flash videos. They are high-quality small size videos that make it possible for fast streaming of videos on platforms like Google Video and YouTube.

It is one of the best video file formats online with compatibility with macOS and some mobile phones as the only drawback. However, this is easily solved with a Flash Plugin.

Each social media platform has its most optimum video file format. Here is a cheat sheet to help you when uploading your video content.

1. Facebook

The best video file formats are either MP4 or MOV. A video resolution of 1280*720 and a frame rate of 30 fps and below is fine.

2. YouTube

The best video file formats are MP4, AVCHD, WMV, FLV, or MOV. A video resolution of 2560*1440.

3. Instagram

The most preferred video file format is mp4 with H.264 codec. A maximum width of 1080p is optimal and no more than 60-seconds videos.

4. Twitter

MP4 is the most preferred file. A video on Twitter should not be more than 140 seconds with a resolution of 1280*1024.

Hope this will help you save time when sharing your video content.