Demo Video Sizes and Specs Cheat Sheet: Product Hunt, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, GitHub
Demo video sizes for 2026, checked against each platform's own docs: Product Hunt, YouTube and Shorts, X, LinkedIn and GitHub README GIFs, with export settings.
For most product demo videos, export a 1920x1080 (16:9) MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio at 30 fps as your master. Then add a 1080x1920 (9:16) cut for Shorts and mobile feeds, a 1080x1080 (1:1) cut for square feeds, and a short GIF under 10MB for GitHub READMEs and Product Hunt galleries. The tables below give each platform's limits, with a link to the page each number came from.
Every number here was checked against the platform's own help or developer docs on 17 October 2026. Where two official pages disagree, we say so. Limits change, so check the linked page before a big launch.
What sizes does a demo video need?
The quick version: one edit, five exports.
| Export | Dimensions | Container / codec | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape master | 1920x1080 (16:9) | MP4, H.264 + AAC | YouTube, landing page, LinkedIn, Product Hunt (via YouTube) |
| Vertical | 1080x1920 (9:16) | MP4, H.264 + AAC | YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn mobile |
| Square | 1080x1080 (1:1) | MP4, H.264 + AAC | X and LinkedIn feeds |
| GIF | ~800–1280 px wide | GIF | GitHub README, Product Hunt gallery and thumbnail |
| Web embed | same as master | WebM (or MP4) | Lightweight autoplay on your own site |
If you're starting from scratch, the product demo video guide covers length and structure before you get to exports.
What are Product Hunt's video and image specs?
Source: Product Hunt's posting guide, media article and launch guide.
| Asset | Spec |
|---|---|
| Thumbnail | Square, 240x240 recommended |
| Thumbnail GIF | Under 3MB; animates on hover only |
| Gallery images | 1270x760 recommended; minimum 2 to display |
| Gallery GIFs | Allowed |
| Video | YouTube links only; not private; full URL (short links don't load) |
| Video length | No limit stated |
Product Hunt doesn't host video files, so your YouTube upload settings (below) are what matter. More on launch-specific choices in how to make a Product Hunt launch video.
What are YouTube's recommended upload settings?
Source: YouTube Help on encoding settings, aspect ratios and Shorts length.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Container | MP4 |
| Video codec | H.264 |
| Frame rate | Same as recorded (24, 25, 30, 48, 50 or 60) |
| 1080p bitrate (SDR) | 8 Mbps at 24–30 fps; 12 Mbps at 48–60 fps |
| Audio | AAC-LC (or Opus); 384 kbps stereo |
| Standard aspect ratio | 16:9 (1920x1080 for 1080p) |
| Shorts | Square or vertical; up to 3 minutes |
YouTube adds padding around vertical video on desktop and asks you not to add black bars yourself. Export a true 9:16 file for Shorts instead of a 16:9 video with bars.
What are X (Twitter) video specs?
Sources: X Help Center, How to share and watch videos on X, and X developer docs, media best practices.
| Setting | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Max length, regular account (web) | 140 seconds | Help Center |
| Max file size, regular account (web) | 512MB | Help Center |
| Premium subscribers (web) | Up to 4 hours at 1080p, max 16GB | Help Center |
| Codec | H.264 High Profile | Developer docs |
| Frame rate | 60 fps or less | Developer docs |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1:3 and 3:1 | Developer docs |
| Resolution | 32x32 to 1280x1024; 1080p for subscribers | Developer docs |
| Animated GIF | 15MB or less, 350 frames or less, up to 1280x1080 | Developer docs |
The two sources describe different upload paths and don't fully agree. The API page lists longer default limits than the Help Center. For normal posting, plan around 140 seconds and 512MB. A 30–45 second demo is far inside that anyway.
For the feed, 1:1 or 16:9 both work. The GIF limits are useful if you post a looping UI clip rather than a video.
What are LinkedIn video specs?
Sources: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, video ads specifications, and LinkedIn's Videos API documentation.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 |
| File size | 75 KB to 500 MB |
| Length | 3 seconds to 30 minutes |
| Frame rate | 30 fps recommended |
| 16:9 | 640x360 to 1920x1080 |
| 1:1 | 360x360 to 1920x1920 |
| 9:16 | 360x640 to 1080x1920 |
| 4:5 | 360x450 to 1080x1350 |
| Captions | Optional; the API takes one caption file per video (SRT in its example) |
These figures are from LinkedIn's ads specs and API docs. LinkedIn's help page for regular member posts couldn't be checked for this article, so if you post organically with a very large file, confirm the limit there. A demo video under 500MB and under 30 minutes fits every LinkedIn route listed above.
Upload captions as a separate SRT file when you can. If you burn captions into the video, people watching muted still get the story.
What GIF size works in a GitHub README?
Sources: GitHub Docs, Attaching files and About large files on GitHub.
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Images and GIFs (attachments) | 10MB |
| Videos (attachments), free plan | 10MB |
| Videos (attachments), paid plan | 100MB |
| Attachment video formats | .mp4, .mov, .webm |
| File added to a repo via the browser | 25 MiB max |
| Git push warning / block | Warning above 50 MiB; blocked above 100 MiB |
GitHub documents attachments for issues, pull requests and comments; its docs don't cover READMEs. The reliable option for a README is a GIF committed to the repo (for example docs/demo.gif) and referenced with a relative path:
Practical targets for a README GIF:
- 5–15 seconds, one workflow, looping cleanly.
- 800–1000 px wide. READMEs render narrower than your screen, and smaller frames mean smaller files.
- Well under 10MB. Under 5MB loads fast on a slow connection.
- A custom palette. UI screenshots have flat colours, and a palette built from your frames keeps them crisp without dithering noise.
Want the full video too? Put a GIF in the README and link it to the MP4 or a YouTube video.
Is there one export setting that works everywhere?
Close to it. 1920x1080, H.264, AAC, 30 fps, MP4, under 500MB, under 140 seconds fits YouTube, LinkedIn, Product Hunt (via YouTube) and X's web upload limits for regular accounts. X's developer docs list 1280x1024 as the API maximum for non-subscribers, so a 1080p file may be scaled down. Add a 9:16 version for vertical feeds and a GIF for GitHub, and you're covered.
That's the export set we built into Lumora: 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 from one edit, as MP4, WebM or a palette-optimised GIF, with SRT/VTT captions for LinkedIn and YouTube. If you want an agent to produce these automatically for every release, see making changelog videos with Claude Code or Codex.
Which mistakes cause rejected or ugly uploads?
- Letterboxed vertical video. A 16:9 file with bars in a 9:16 feed. Reframe, don't pad.
- Wrong frame rate. Exporting 24 fps from a 30 fps recording causes judder on UI motion. Keep the source rate.
- Oversized GIFs. A 30-second, full-width GIF can easily blow past 10MB. Shorten it before cutting quality.
- Short YouTube links on Product Hunt. Use the full URL.
- Text too small for mobile. If UI text is smaller than your captions, zoom in on it.
FAQ
What is the best size for a product demo video?
Export 1920x1080 (16:9) MP4 with H.264 and AAC as your master. Add 1080x1920 (9:16) for Shorts, Reels and mobile feeds, and 1080x1080 (1:1) for square feeds.
What is the Product Hunt gallery image size?
Product Hunt recommends 1270x760 for gallery images and a square 240x240 thumbnail. Thumbnail GIFs must be under 3MB, and video must be a YouTube link.
How long can a video on X be?
X's help center says regular accounts can upload videos up to 140 seconds and 512MB on the web. Premium subscribers can upload much longer videos, up to 16GB.
How big can a GIF be in a GitHub README?
GitHub allows images and GIFs up to 10MB as attachments, and files added through the browser up to 25 MiB. For a README, aim well under 10MB so it loads quickly.
What video size does LinkedIn accept?
LinkedIn's video ad specs list MP4 from 75 KB to 500 MB, 3 seconds to 30 minutes, at 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 or 4:5, up to 1920x1080 for landscape. 30 fps is recommended.