Launch Video Length and Aspect Ratio by Platform

The quick reference table

These are recommendations for launch and product videos, not platform maximums. Most platforms allow much longer uploads than you should use. Platform limits and specs change often, so check current limits in each platform's help centre before you export.

Start with one master cut

Do not make eight separate videos. Make one master: a 45–60 second, 16:9 cut that tells the whole story, with clean product footage and a short headline on every scene. Then derive the other versions from it:

1. The short cut (15–30s). Keep the hook, the single strongest demo beat and the end card. Drop the feature grid and secondary demos.
2. The vertical cut (9:16). Reframe each scene around the important region of the screen. Product UI shot at 16:9 rarely survives a simple centre crop; zoom into the part that matters instead.
3. The square or portrait cut (1:1 or 4:5). For LinkedIn and Instagram feeds. Usually the master's pacing with reframed scenes.
4. The long cut (1–3 min). For YouTube and your docs: the master plus a fuller walkthrough of each feature.

A tool that reframes scenes rather than cropping the final video makes this much faster. Spotlight exports 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5 from the same project; see the social video resizer.

Product Hunt

The gallery video is often the first moving thing a visitor sees about your product. 30–60 seconds in 16:9 is the sweet spot: enough to show three real screens, short enough that people reach your URL. Product Hunt has historically used a YouTube link for gallery videos, so upload the file to YouTube first and check the current form. The Product Hunt launch video guide covers structure in detail.

X and LinkedIn

Both feeds autoplay video without sound, so the first frame and the captions do most of the work. On X, 20–45 seconds keeps people watching; 16:9 is fine, though a square cut takes up more of the timeline. On LinkedIn, audiences are often more willing to watch a fuller explanation, so 30–90 seconds works, and square or 4:5 portrait cuts take more feed space than landscape.

For both, burn the captions into the video rather than relying on auto-generated subtitles, and make sure your first frame is not a blank or black title card.

YouTube

YouTube is where people go when they want detail, so it is the one place a longer video earns its length. A 1–3 minute walkthrough with chapters works well as the "watch the full demo" link from your launch posts. If you also post Shorts, use your 9:16 cut and check current Shorts length limits.

Instagram Reels and TikTok

Vertical, short and fast. Aim for 15–30 seconds on Reels and 15–45 seconds on TikTok, both in 9:16. The hook needs to land in the first second or two, and on-screen text should stay inside each app's safe zone, away from the top and bottom where buttons and captions overlay the video. A phone in a device frame is a quick way to make desktop software read well on a vertical screen.

App stores

Store videos have the strictest rules. Apple has historically limited app previews to 30 seconds, required specific resolutions per device size and favoured footage captured from the app itself. Google Play has historically used a YouTube link for its promo video. Confirm everything in Apple's App Store Connect help and Google's Play Console help before exporting; our App Store preview video specs guide lists what to check.

Landing page hero video

You have two options. A silent autoplay loop of 20–60 seconds shows the product moving without asking for attention; keep it light (short, compressed) so it does not slow the page. Or a click-to-play explainer of 60–90 seconds with sound, behind a clear thumbnail and play button. Many sites use both: a loop in the hero and the full video one click away. See the landing page hero video use case.

Sales emails and investor updates

Not every launch video lives in a feed. For sales follow-ups and investor updates, 60–90 seconds in 16:9 works well. Email clients generally do not play video inline, so send a thumbnail image with a visible play button that links to the video page. Keep the first frame meaningful, because it doubles as that thumbnail. For investors, a demo that shows the current product honestly is more useful than a polished vision piece; see the investor demo video use case.

How to shorten without losing the story

Cutting a 60-second master to 15 or 30 seconds is where most cut-downs go wrong. A reliable order of cuts:

1. Remove the feature grid and any secondary demo beats.
2. Shorten the logo reveal to a second, or merge it into the hook.
3. Trim each remaining demo scene to its single most important moment.
4. Keep the hook, the strongest proof of value and the end card intact.

If the short version still feels rushed, it is trying to say too much. Pick one benefit and drop the rest; the full version is a click away.

Export settings that work almost everywhere

• Format: MP4 (H.264) is accepted by nearly every platform.
• Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 for 16:9, 1080×1920 for 9:16, 1080×1080 for 1:1, 1080×1350 for 4:5).
• Loudness: normalise to a social-friendly level, commonly around -14 LUFS, so your video is not much louder or quieter than its neighbours.
• Captions: burned in for feeds, plus an .srt file for YouTube and LinkedIn.

Cadenzova Spotlight exports MP4 in 1080p in all four aspect ratios, with loudness normalised for social and both burned-in captions and a downloadable .srt file. The pricing page shows which plans include HD exports.