Export Settings Guide: TikTok vs YouTube vs Instagram

Every platform wants something different. Post the wrong aspect ratio and your video gets cropped awkwardly. Wrong resolution? Blurry mess. File too big? Won't even upload.

If you're pushing lyric videos across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, juggling all these specs gets old fast. This guide breaks down every setting you need for every platform, plus a strategy for exporting efficiently so you're not re-rendering the same video six different times.

TikTok Export Settings

TikTok is vertical-first and compresses everything aggressively. These are the settings you want:

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
• Resolution: 1080x1920 (1080p) minimum. 2160x3840 (4K) if available.
• Format: MP4 with H.264 codec
• Frame rate: 30fps
• Bitrate: As high as your export tool allows. TikTok will compress it regardless.
• Duration: 15-60 seconds performs best. Up to 10 minutes is allowed, but lyric videos over 60 seconds see a steep drop-off in watch-through rate.
• File size: Under 287MB (TikTok's upload limit)
• Audio: AAC codec, 44.1kHz sample rate

TikTok-Specific Tips

TikTok's compression algorithm is aggressive. It will reduce your video quality no matter what you upload. Your best defense is uploading at the highest quality possible so there's headroom for compression. Think of it like printing a high-res photo vs a low-res one. Both get printed at the same size, but one looks sharp.

• Export at 4K if you can. Even though TikTok maxes out at 1080p display, uploading at 4K gives the algorithm more data to work with. The final video just looks less compressed and more polished.
• Avoid text near the edges. TikTok's UI overlays (username, caption, buttons) cover the bottom 15-20% of the screen and the right side. Keep your lyrics in the center-upper area of the frame.
• Hard-burn your captions. Don't rely on TikTok's auto-captions for lyrics. They'll butcher your words. Burn the lyrics into the video file itself (which Epitrite does by default).

TikTok Safe Zones

Knowing TikTok's safe zones is critical for lyric videos. Here's where text actually survives without getting covered:

• Top 10%: Safe, but can be covered by "Following/For You" tabs
• Middle 60%: This is your sweet spot. Put your lyrics here.
• Bottom 30%: Covered by caption, username, and interaction buttons. Avoid placing lyrics here entirely.
• Right 10%: Covered by like, comment, share, and bookmark buttons. Keep text away.

YouTube Export Settings

YouTube handles video differently depending on whether you're uploading a standard video or a Short.

YouTube Standard (16:9)

• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (horizontal)
• Resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p) or 3840x2160 (4K)
• Format: MP4 with H.264 or H.265 codec
• Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps
• Bitrate: 8 Mbps for 1080p, 35-45 Mbps for 4K
• Duration: No limit. 3-5 minutes is the sweet spot for full lyric videos. For music, matching the full song length is standard.
• File size: Up to 256GB (effectively unlimited for lyric videos)
• Audio: AAC codec, 48kHz sample rate preferred

YouTube is the one platform where 4K actually makes a visible difference. People watching on desktop monitors and smart TVs can tell. If your lyric video maker supports 4K (Epitrite Pro does), use it for YouTube uploads.

YouTube Shorts (9:16)

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
• Resolution: 1080x1920
• Format: MP4
• Frame rate: 30fps
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds
• Audio: Same as standard

YouTube Shorts uses the same specs as TikTok. Already exported a vertical video for TikTok? Upload that exact same file as a YouTube Short. No re-export needed.

YouTube-Specific Tips

• Custom thumbnails matter. Even for lyric videos, a good thumbnail increases click-through rate. Take a screenshot of your best lyric frame and add the song title.
• Add chapters. For full-length lyric videos, add chapter markers in the description (0:00 Verse 1, 0:45 Chorus, etc.). This helps with YouTube search.
• Closed captions. Upload an SRT file alongside your video for accessibility and SEO. Epitrite exports SRT files for free.

Instagram Export Settings

Instagram gives you three video placements with different specs. Reels are where lyric videos perform best, but Feed and Stories have their uses too.

Instagram Reels (9:16)

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
• Resolution: 1080x1920
• Format: MP4 with H.264 codec
• Frame rate: 30fps
• Duration: Up to 90 seconds. 15-30 seconds performs best for lyric videos.
• File size: Under 250MB
• Audio: AAC codec

Instagram Feed (1:1 or 4:5)

• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square, 1080x1080) or 4:5 (portrait, 1080x1350)
• Format: MP4
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds
• Frame rate: 30fps

Want maximum screen real estate in the Instagram feed? Go with 4:5. A 4:5 video takes up more vertical space than a 1:1 square, which means more attention as someone scrolls past.

Instagram Stories (9:16)

• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Resolution: 1080x1920
• Duration: Up to 60 seconds per story (auto-split if longer)
• Format: MP4

Instagram-Specific Tips

• Reels are the priority. Instagram is pushing Reels harder than any other format. Your lyric videos should go to Reels first, Feed second, Stories third.
• Audio matters more here. Instagram's audio discovery features (trending sounds, audio pages) mean your original audio can be found by other creators. Tag your audio properly.
• Cover image. Instagram lets you choose a cover frame for Reels. Pick the frame with your most impactful lyric visible.
• Hashtags. Use 3-5 targeted hashtags in the caption. Instagram's algorithm now deprioritizes posts with 20+ hashtags. Quality over quantity.

Spotify Canvas Settings

Spotify Canvas is criminally underused by musicians. It's the looping video that plays behind your song on Spotify's mobile app. Adding a Canvas increases streams by an average of 5% according to Spotify's data, and increases shares by 145%.

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical)
• Resolution: 720x1280 minimum, 1080x1920 recommended
• Format: MP4
• Duration: 3-8 seconds (must loop seamlessly)
• File size: Under 16MB
• Frame rate: 24-30fps

Canvas-Specific Tips

• Seamless looping is non-negotiable. The video loops continuously while your song plays. If there's a visible cut point where the loop restarts, it's distracting. Use a single continuous clip or a smooth gradient animation.
• No text. Unlike lyric videos, Canvas works best without lyrics on screen. Use abstract visuals, slow-motion footage, or animated album art.
• Keep it subtle. Canvas plays in the background while someone listens. It shouldn't demand attention. Slow, ambient visuals work better than fast cuts.

Facebook Video Settings

Not a primary platform for most musicians, but worth knowing if you're cross-posting.

• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (horizontal), 1:1 (square), or 9:16 (vertical)
• Resolution: 1080p minimum
• Format: MP4 with H.264
• Duration: Up to 240 minutes (but keep lyric videos under 3 minutes)
• File size: Up to 10GB

Facebook auto-plays video in the feed with audio muted. This actually works in your favor for lyric videos because the lyrics are visible on screen even without sound. Include a "sound on" indicator in the first frame.

The One-Export Strategy

If you only want to export once and post everywhere, this is the most efficient approach:

Export at 9:16, 1080p, 30fps, MP4 (H.264).

That single export works natively on:

• TikTok
• Instagram Reels
• YouTube Shorts
• Spotify Canvas (trim to 3-8 seconds)
• Instagram Stories
• Facebook (vertical)

YouTube standard (16:9 horizontal) is the only platform that needs a separate export. If you're posting a full-length lyric video to YouTube, render that as its own file.

In Epitrite, switching between aspect ratios is a one-click change. Your lyrics, audio, and clips stay the same. You're just changing the frame dimensions. So exporting for both 9:16 and 16:9 takes an extra 30 seconds, not a full re-edit.

Quality vs. File Size

Larger files generally mean higher quality, but there's a point of diminishing returns. Practically speaking:

• 1080p at 30fps: File size roughly 5-15MB per 30 seconds. Good enough for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.
• 4K at 30fps: File size roughly 30-80MB per 30 seconds. Noticeably better quality on YouTube and large screens. Overkill for TikTok.
• 4K at 60fps: File size roughly 60-150MB per 30 seconds. Only useful for YouTube if your lyric video has fast-moving visuals. Most lyric videos don't need 60fps.

The sweet spot for most musicians: 1080p at 30fps for short-form (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) and 4K at 30fps for YouTube long-form.

What Epitrite Handles Automatically

One major advantage of using a purpose-built lyric video maker like Epitrite is that most of these export settings are handled for you:

• Codec: Always H.264 MP4, which every platform accepts
• Frame rate: Defaults to 30fps
• Audio encoding: AAC at 44.1kHz
• Safe zones: Epitrite's editor shows platform safe zones so your lyrics don't get covered by UI elements
• Aspect ratio presets: One-click switch between 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, and 4:5
• SRT export: Subtitle files for YouTube accessibility and SEO

You don't need to memorize codec names or bitrate numbers. Pick your platform, pick your resolution, and hit export.

Platform Comparison Quick Reference

| Setting | TikTok | YouTube | YouTube Shorts | IG Reels | IG Feed | Spotify Canvas | |---------|--------|---------|----------------|----------|---------|----------------| | Aspect Ratio | 9:16 | 16:9 | 9:16 | 9:16 | 1:1/4:5 | 9:16 | | Resolution | 1080x1920 | 3840x2160 | 1080x1920 | 1080x1920 | 1080x1080 | 1080x1920 | | Duration | 15-60s | No limit | Up to 60s | Up to 90s | Up to 60s | 3-8s loop | | Format | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 | | FPS | 30 | 30/60 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 24-30 |

Export Your First Lyric Video

Stop guessing at export settings and wasting time re-rendering. Epitrite gives you platform-optimized presets so your lyric videos look sharp everywhere you post them.

Export your first lyric video free at epitrite.com.