Video Sizes for Social Media in 2026

Why the format is best decided before filming

You don't need to turn up with a technical specification sheet. The useful information for us is where the finished video will appear.

If you want a main website film as well as Reels, Stories or social advertising, we can compose the shots from the outset so they have room to work in landscape and vertical versions. That helps avoid faces, products, hands or other important details disappearing when the picture is reframed.

During the shoot we can use 9:16 and 4:5 framing guides while recording a wider master image. That lets us see in advance what will remain visible in the social versions.

What does “open gate” mean?

Some cameras can record a taller area of the sensor, known as open gate — a feature more videographers are now asking camera manufacturers to include because clients increasingly want the same footage to work in both landscape and vertical formats. You don't need to worry about the terminology; the practical benefit is simply that there can be more picture above and below the subject when a 9:16 or 4:5 version is created later, giving us more flexibility to adapt one shoot for different platforms without compromising the composition.

The four video shapes worth knowing

Most business video requirements now come down to four main aspect ratios.

Most companies won't need every version. In many cases, a 16:9 main film plus a 9:16 vertical edit will cover the most useful placements. If Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn feeds are a major part of the campaign, a 4:5 version can also be worthwhile.

The point is to choose the formats you will genuinely use rather than ordering every possible variation.

16:9 Landscape Video

Recommended size: 1920 × 1080 pixels

This familiar widescreen shape remains the natural starting point for most business films. If you're commissioning a case study, testimonial, company film or event video, 16:9 will often be the version used in the widest range of places.

Best for:

• YouTube
• Company websites
• Case study films
• Customer testimonials
• Corporate films
• Training and induction videos
• Conference films
• Presentations
• LinkedIn
• Video embedded within web pages

For many productions, 16:9 works well as the main film, with shorter or differently shaped edits supplied alongside it for social media.

4:5 Portrait Video

Recommended size: 1080 × 1350 pixels

4:5 is taller than square but not as narrow as a full-screen Reel. For businesses publishing into social feeds, it offers a useful compromise between landscape and full vertical.

Best for:

• Facebook Feed
• Instagram Feed
• LinkedIn Feed
• Social advertising

The benefit is straightforward: it takes up more of a phone screen than landscape video while still sitting naturally within a scrolling feed.

If paid social or feed-based content matters to the campaign, a 4:5 edit can be a useful addition to the final delivery.

Instagram Video Sizes in 2026

If Instagram is central to your campaign, there are two formats most businesses should think about first.

Instagram Reels and Stories

1080 × 1920 — 9:16 vertical

This is Instagram's full-screen mobile format. Faces, logos, captions and product details should stay away from the extreme edges because interface elements can cover parts of the picture.

Instagram Feed

1080 × 1350 — 4:5

Instagram accepts several aspect ratios, but simply uploading successfully isn't the same as using the screen well.

If you want Reels and feed content from the same shoot, include both in the brief from the beginning so the footage can be framed accordingly.

LinkedIn Video Sizes in 2026

LinkedIn is more flexible than many businesses expect. Landscape, portrait and vertical formats can all work, depending on how the content will be used.

Standard LinkedIn company video

1920 × 1080 — 16:9

Well suited to case studies, testimonials, interviews, company news, recruitment films, project videos and event films.

Mobile-focused LinkedIn content

1080 × 1350 — 4:5

A useful choice when the main audience will encounter the video while scrolling through the LinkedIn feed.

Short vertical content

1080 × 1920 — 9:16

If you're already producing vertical edits for Reels or Shorts, properly framed material can also provide useful LinkedIn content without another filming day.

What About Website Banner Videos?

Website banner videos — sometimes called hero videos or background videos — behave differently from a normal video player. They often sit behind a headline or call to action and can be cropped differently depending on the screen.

There is no single universal banner dimension. A wide desktop monitor might show a broad section of the image while a phone can reveal a much tighter crop.

A good starting point

1920 × 1080 — 16:9

The main consideration is where the important action is positioned within the frame. Put a person, product or other key detail too close to an edge and it may disappear as the website adapts to different displays.

Banner footage is therefore usually composed with the most important visual information kept in a safer central area.

Website banner videos should also be short

A homepage banner generally works better with short visual moments than a complete company film: people working, machinery in use, product details, customer interaction, locations, movement through a building or short drone shots.

These clips often work without dialogue because banner video commonly autoplays silently. The full film can sit elsewhere on the page with sound and playback controls.

Should Text Be Added to the Video?

Sometimes, although permanent text inside the picture isn't always the best option.

Your website may already place its own headline over a banner video, while social platforms can add captions, usernames, buttons and descriptions over the frame.

If text needs to be part of the video itself, it should remain inside a sensible safe area so it stays readable and isn't covered by interface elements. This matters particularly with 9:16 video.

Do I Need Four Completely Different Videos?

Usually not. Planning the deliverables in advance can turn one production into several useful pieces of content.

For example, one customer case study shoot could provide:

Main film

16:9 — 1920 × 1080
For your website, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Vertical social edit

9:16 — 1080 × 1920
For Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Stories and YouTube Shorts.

Feed version

4:5 — 1080 × 1350
For Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn feeds.

Website banner

A short, dialogue-free selection of shots prepared for your homepage.

Rather than commissioning four separate productions, you can come away with a set of related video assets from one project, each prepared for the platform where it will appear.

So, What Video Sizes Should I Ask For?

For a typical business video project in 2026, this is a useful starting point:

Main video:
1920 × 1080 — 16:9

Vertical social version:
1080 × 1920 — 9:16

Social feed version if required:
1080 × 1350 — 4:5

Square version if specifically needed:
1080 × 1080 — 1:1

Website banner:
Usually based around 16:9 footage, edited specifically for the website layout.

Your project may need fewer versions, or a different mix. You don't need to decide every technical detail yourself. Tell us where the content will appear and MJ Films can recommend a practical set of deliverables before filming.