Mavericks Docs

Supported Codecs & Formats

Video and audio codecs supported by different social media platforms

Video Codecs Overview

A codec (compressor-decompressor) is software or hardware that compresses and decompresses digital media. The right codec choice affects quality, file size, and compatibility.

Common Video Codecs

- Codec Full Name Best For Compatibility
  • H.264
 AVC (Advanced Video Coding) General purpose, widely supported Excellent across all platforms
  • H.265
 HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) Higher quality at lower bitrates Limited support on some platforms
  • VP9
 Video Processing 9 High-quality streaming, alternative to H.265 Good, especially on YouTube
  • AV1
 AOMedia Video 1 Next-gen codec, better efficiency than HEVC Growing support, future-focused
  • ProRes
 Apple ProRes Professional editing, high quality Limited to professional workflows

Audio Codecs Overview

- Codec Full Name Best For Compatibility
  • AAC
 Advanced Audio Coding General purpose audio Excellent across all platforms
  • MP3
 MPEG Audio Layer III Compressed audio, legacy Very good, universally supported
  • PCM
 Pulse Code Modulation Uncompressed audio, highest quality Good for production, not for delivery
  • Opus
 Opus Interactive Audio Codec Low-latency applications Good and improving

Container Formats

- Format File Extension Description Platform Support
  • MP4
 .mp4 Most common container for social media Universal support
  • MOV
 .mov QuickTime container, common for production Good support, but MP4 preferred
  • WebM
 .webm Open format for web (VP8/VP9 video, Opus audio) Limited, best for web
  • AVI
 .avi Older format, less compression Limited support on social platforms

Platform-Specific Codec Support

Instagram

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codec
 H.264
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 3-5 Mbps for 1080p

TikTok

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codec
 H.264
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 5 Mbps for 1080p

YouTube

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codecs
 H.264 (most compatible), VP9 (better quality at same bitrate), AV1 (best quality, limited support)
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 1080p: 8 Mbps, 1440p: 16 Mbps, 4K: 35-45 Mbps

Facebook

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codec
 H.264
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 4 Mbps for 1080p

Twitter/X

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codec
 H.264
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 5 Mbps for 1080p

LinkedIn

- Parameter Recommendation
  • Recommended Video Codec
 H.264
  • Recommended Audio Codec
 AAC
  • Recommended Container
 MP4
  • Bitrate
 5 Mbps for 1080p

Best Practices

  1. Default to H.264/AAC in MP4: This combination has the best cross-platform compatibility.
  2. Appropriate bitrate: Higher isn't always better - match to your content type and platform.
  3. Two-pass encoding: Use two-pass encoding for the best quality-to-size ratio.
  4. Audio settings:
  • Sample rate: 48 kHz
  • Channels: Stereo (2.0)
  • Bitrate: 128-256 kbps for AAC
  1. Color space: Rec. 709 for HD content
  2. HDR content: Only supported on specific platforms (YouTube, Apple platforms)

Technical Specifications for Professional Delivery

Frame Rates

  • 24 fps: Cinematic look
  • 25 fps: PAL standard (Europe)
  • 30 fps: Common for social media
  • 60 fps: Smooth motion, sports, action

Color Bit Depth

  • 8-bit: Standard for social media
  • 10-bit: Professional grade, HDR content

Chroma Subsampling

  • 4:2:0: Standard for delivery
  • 4:2:2: Professional production
  • 4:4:4: High-end production, not for delivery