Nothing beats the speed at which you can reach a vast Twitter audience, especially if you specialize in digital marketing. But some limitations surround the social platform’s video section, especially regarding video timing and the ability to publish full-length videos.
The default video length restrictions can make it difficult to pass your complete brand message to your audience. Fortunately, you can use different effective ways to beat this hurdle and upload your entire clip.
Whether you’re using Twitter for marketing, to create awareness, or for fun, this article will guide you on uploading lengthy videos on Twitter and leveraging the platform’s full potential.
Understanding Twitter Video Length Limit
Finding your video resized or cut by Twitter can be a huge bummer. But you can avoid this by learning a few pointers about the platform’s video sizes, formats, and frame rates. Read on to explore!
Minimum and Maximum Resolution
Your video’s minimum resolution should be 32×32, and the maximum resolution should be 1200×1900 for portrait and 1920×1200 for landscape. The recommended aspect and resolution ratio differ significantly despite the much higher maximum resolutions.
Maximum Frame Rate
It’s recommended that you upload at least 30 frames per second and a maximum of 60 frame rates per second. Anything below this will be choppy.
Supported File Formats
Twitter supports MP4 and MOV video formats. MP4 is the best option, so find ways to export your MOV videos before uploading.
Maximum Twitter Video Length
How long can a video be on Twitter? Your video shouldn’t go beyond 140 seconds (2:20). While this is quite long, you can upload beyond the platform’s maximum video length using some effective hacks.
Generally, the perfect length to deliver the best engagement should be 20 – 45 seconds long. Posting longer videos on Twitter might be tempting, but there’s a lower likelihood that viewers will watch till the end.
How to Upload Longer Videos on Twitter
Now, you’re aware that Twitter limits you to a maximum video length of 140 seconds. But how do you upload videos on Twitter if they’re beyond the threshold?
Here are some effective strategies:
Using Twitter Media Studio
Twitter’s Media Studio makes measuring, managing and monetizing your Twitter videos easy. This straightforward platform has an expansive library where you can upload, consolidate, and share GIFs, images, and videos.
In terms of monetization, the platform establishes remarkable partnerships between advertisers and publishers for video clips, live footage, and more. It’s also great for changing thumbnails and adding captions and titles.
Here’s how to upload a video on Twitter using Media Studio:
- Open Twitter and log in to your account.
2. Hit the More option, then click on Media Studio Library.
3. You’ll find the Uploading Media option within the Table of Contents; select your video and upload it. Remember to upload the right video format.
4. Edit your video by adding subtitles and setting a thumbnail
5. Hit the blue Tweet button to post your video. Alternatively, you may click on Schedule, then select the time and date you’d wish your content to go live.
Using Twitter Video Dashboard
The effective, long-term solution to posting long videos on Twitter is to create a Twitter Ad account and use the Video Dashboard. You’ll be required to include your bank details, but you won’t pay a dime for the process and future videos. The Video Dashboard lets you upload video lengths of up to 10 minutes for free.
Here are the steps:
- Open your Twitter account, then click on More.
- Select Twitter Ads
- Click Videos right below the Creatives option
- Upload your video by clicking the gray button that reads “upload your first video.”
- Click the Compose button. This will present two options: The main tweet body comprising 116 characters, and the second section where you can edit your video.
- Click on Save, then preview your video tweet.
- Once you’re done editing, click Publish.
Embedding YouTube Links
The final way to beat Twitter’s video length limitations is to upload the video on YouTube and then post the link on Twitter. This will create a playable preview of your video to display on your followers’ screens.
What’s the Maximum File Size for Twitter Video?
To successfully post a video on Twitter, it has to be no more than 512 MB. Of course, this is relatively smaller than the high-quality videos you can record with today’s gadgets. However, it’s sufficient to match the recommended resolutions for uploads. So don’t struggle with a massive file that just can’t upload; compress it to a smaller size instead.
Possible Solutions If You’re Still Facing Challenges Uploading a Video to Twitter
Is it still hard for you to upload your videos on Twitter? Here are the most likely problems and their solutions:
Wrong Video Format
Your video may fail to upload on Twitter because it’s encoded and stored using the wrong format. The social networking site only accepts MOV and MP4 files, with the former being the higher quality and better layout. You can use the VEED video editor to convert your videos easily and download them in a preset that can export them in the ideal settings for Twitter.
It’s a Large file
Unfortunately, Twitter isn’t the ideal social network for posting high definition 4K videos. The site’s maximum video size limit is 512 MB. If you try to post anything beyond this, you’ll receive an error message notifying you that the video you’re trying to post is too large. But you can beat this challenge by compressing the file.
Slow Internet Connection
Another reason that could be preventing you from uploading on Twitter is a slow internet connection. Generally, uploading, especially via a web browser, can be fragile. If you have a choppy or slow internet connection, you could risk losing your progress and ultimately failing to upload the content.
The Bottom Line
Twitter creates new meaning in the way users upload their videos and photos. Therefore, we owe it to the platform to do it right. A well-managed Twitter video can be a perfect communication channel to target your specific audience. So be sure to use the above guidelines to publish an excellent video to achieve your objectives.
