Right now, video is trending everywhere – even on everyone's favorite professional networking platform.
And while LinkedIn might not be the most obvious home for videos, it's easy to understand why this kind of content is doing really well, especially when we're all watching so many videos on other platforms.
In fact, LinkedIn has seen a surge in this type of content, with video watch time up 36% year-over-year in 2024. Videos now get 1.4x more engagement than other types of posts.
There's an opportunity for brands here, but to get involved, you need to understand LinkedIn’s latest video specifications and format requirements.
This guide breaks down everything you need, from LinkedIn video specs to best practices, so you can upload high-quality LinkedIn videos that engage your audience.
In this guide:
Video dimensions and aspect ratios on LinkedIn
Choosing the right video dimensions and aspect ratio is key to making your content look great on LinkedIn. A stretched or badly clipped video just looks unprofessional and could cost you leads.
The platform allows a broad range of aspect ratios from 1:2.4 (very tall vertical) to 2.4:1 (extra wide horizontal).
Now, you might not know this, but LinkedIn is the second-most downloaded app in the world after TikTok, with 817 million app downloads in 2024. Why? Because everyone needs to work and be connected.
Therefore, your audience is likely to be on mobile, so vertical and square videos can outperform landscape because they take up more vertical space and stand out.
In practical terms, it's worth sticking to one of the following tried-and-tested formats when creating LinkedIn videos.
Widescreen 16:9
This is the standard horizontal format because most smartphones shoot video in 1920×1080 pixels for Full HD. It displays well on desktop and mobile in-feed. If you plan to repurpose content from YouTube or webinars, 16:9 is a safe choice.
LinkedIn also recommends using 16:9 for video ads if you want one file to cover both desktop and mobile viewers (since extremely vertical formats may not display optimally on desktop).
Square 1:1
A square video of 1080×1080 pixels is a versatile format that looks good on mobile and desktop.
Square videos take up more vertical space in the mobile feed than widescreen, which can help catch attention while displaying fully on the desktop without cropping. This format is great for interviews, announcements, and text-based clips.
Vertical 4:5
A 4:5 aspect ratio usually results in 1080×1350 pixel video posts and is slightly taller than square. LinkedIn often encourages using 4:5 for vertical video ads to maximize screen real estate on mobile.
These videos take up more space in the mobile feed, which can help boost engagement. On desktop, they’ll appear with narrow black bars on the sides(a look known as pillar boxing). If mobile engagement is your priority, 4:5 is an ideal format.
Full portrait 9:16
This is the classic vertical format of 1080×1920 – the size of a smartphone screen. LinkedIn supports 9:16 for organic posts and video ads, but 9:16 ads are delivered only to mobile devices.
That means if you upload a 9:16 video ad, LinkedIn may skip showing it to desktop users entirely. That might be what you want – or not – but it's important to be aware of.
Use 9:16 if you are specifically targeting mobile viewers (for example, in a mobile-only campaign or LinkedIn Story-style content). Otherwise, 4:5 or 1:1 might be safer for broad distribution.
Notes on LinkedIn video resolution
Use a high resolution to keep your video looking sharp, no matter which aspect ratio you choose. 1080p is a good standard for LinkedIn as it fits all video formats in one way or another.
Avoiding black bars
Make sure your video’s aspect ratio is within LinkedIn’s supported range. If you upload a video that’s too tall or too wide beyond the 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 window, LinkedIn won’t stretch or crop it for you – it'll likely display with black bars above and below.
This might look a little unprofessional and negatively impact your brand as a result.
Supported video formats and file types
Uploading the right file format will save you from compatibility headaches.
LinkedIn supports several file formats for organic video posts, but it has become more strict over time about which formats work seamlessly.
Best format: MP4
The MP4 format with H.264 codec is the gold standard for LinkedIn video. This format is widely supported and is required for LinkedIn Video Ads.
If you stick to MP4, you can be confident your video will upload and play properly on LinkedIn (and on other social platforms, too).
For regular (organic) posts, LinkedIn allows a range of video formats and codecs such as ASF, FLV, MKV, WebM, and others. However, many of these video formats are older or less common. Notably, LinkedIn no longer supports AVI or QuickTime MOV files.
Audio codec
AAC is the recommended audio codec (it’s what you get with MP4 by default).
LinkedIn video ad specs note that the audio should be AAC or MPEG-4 with a sample rate of 48 kHz (and under 64 kHz).
Captions/subtitles
LinkedIn videos play on mute by default, so you'll need captions.
The platform allows you to upload an .SRT file for captions along with your video, or you can burn subtitles into the video itself.
Thumbnails
While not a “format” of the video file, a custom thumbnail image is another media element to prepare.
LinkedIn will auto-generate a thumbnail from a random frame of your video, but this might be a blurry or awkward frame. To increase your play rate, it’s best to upload a custom thumbnail that’s eye-catching and relevant. Use a JPG or PNG image under 2 MB that matches the video’s aspect ratio (so it doesn’t get cropped weirdly).
Video length and max file size limits
LinkedIn supports everything from short clips to longer-form videos, but there are clear limits depending on how you post the video.
It’s important to know these limits so you don’t try to upload something that LinkedIn rejects for being too long or too large.
Organic posts (native videos)
A native video post on your LinkedIn feed can be up to 15 minutes long when uploaded from the desktop site (if you upload via the mobile app, the limit is 10 minutes).
In terms of file size, LinkedIn allows a generous 5 GB maximum for video uploads to regular posts. This 5 GB cap is quite high, far more than most videos under 15 minutes will typically need if compressed properly.
In practice, you should export your videos in the range of a few hundred megabytes for faster uploading and smooth playback. 50 MB to 200 MB is a good, manageable size.
LinkedIn video ads
The limits differ slightly if you post sponsored video ads (via Campaign Manager or Advertise).
LinkedIn video ads can also be up to 30 minutes long, but the file size is capped at 500 MB per ad video.
LinkedIn recommends using 15- to 30-second videos for ads. This is because shorter ads tend to hold attention better, and certain LinkedIn ad placements might only accommodate short videos.
So, while you can run a 5- or 10-minute ad, it’s not usually optimal.
Best practices for high-performing LinkedIn videos
Meeting the technical video specs is the first step – now, let’s cover some of the best ways to make sure your LinkedIn videos are worth watching.
Keep it short and engaging
In the busy LinkedIn feed, brevity is your friend.
Try to hook your viewers in the first two or three seconds with an interesting visual or statement. As discussed, aim for the 15-60 second range for most videos. Even though you can go longer, every extra second means more drop-off.
If you have a complex message, consider breaking it into a series of short videos rather than one long video.
Remember, LinkedIn users are more likely to watch shorter videos to completion, and shorter videos will loop, giving you multiple impressions for the price of one.
Optimize for silent autoplay
LinkedIn videos autoplay without sound in both the feed and for sponsored content. Most people will not tap to enable audio unless the video really grabs their interest. Therefore, design your video to work with sound off.
Use captions, especially in your LinkedIn video ad campaigns, and include on-screen text or graphics to highlight key points. For example, if it’s a product demo, overlay callouts or titles that explain what’s happening.
If it’s a talking head clip, add subtitles of what the person is saying.
By assuming the viewer of your LinkedIn video posts won’t turn on sound, you ensure your message gets across to everyone. If you want to include music or voiceover, go for it – just don’t make audio the only way to understand the content.
Use an eye-catching thumbnail
As noted earlier, always upload a custom thumbnail. This way, the LinkedIn algorithm doesn’t do it for you. Choose a frame or design an image that grabs attention and clearly conveys the topic of your video.
For instance, use a bold title text on the thumbnail or a bright, high-contrast image. Avoid thumbnails that are just a blur or an awkward facial expression (which can happen if LinkedIn picks a random frame).
Think of the thumbnail as the cover of your video – it should make people want to click “Play.”
This is especially important for videos not set to autoplay (for instance, if someone comes across your video on your profile or a company page, they might see the thumbnail and title first).
Match the aspect ratio to content
We discussed aspect ratios in the LinkedIn video specs above; as a best practice, fill as much of the viewer’s screen as makes sense for your content.
If you filmed a vertical interview on a phone, don’t force it into a widescreen format – use a vertical or square video so it appears larger in the feed.
On the other hand, if you have a widescreen webinar recording, consider cropping a 1:1 center cut for LinkedIn feed use. You might find square (1:1) or vertical (4:5) videos outperform horizontals for feed engagement.
Vertical formats stand out in the feed because of their shape. Just ensure the important visuals and text are centered so nothing essential gets cut off on different screen sizes.
Always upload natively
As a rule, post your video directly on LinkedIn or via Brandwatch Publish rather than share a link to an external video. Native uploads will autoplay and generally receive more reach in the LinkedIn algorithm.
A LinkedIn video ad must be a native upload (you cannot use a YouTube link in an ad), and the same logic goes for organic posts – a YouTube link will appear as just a link preview and won’t auto-play, resulting in lower engagement.
So, whenever possible, upload the .mp4 file to LinkedIn or Publish for maximum impact.
Make the most of LinkedIn’s features
Take advantage of features like combining LinkedIn articles and videos or pinning videos to your profile (in the “Featured” section) if you have a particularly important piece of video content.
While not a spec issue, it’s a way to extend the life of your video. For example, you could write a LinkedIn article or newsletter post and embed your video for additional context and SEO on LinkedIn.
Also, consider adding a brief descriptive caption when you post the video – set up the content with a one-liner in the post text that encourages people to watch (and include relevant hashtags to increase discovery).
Test and analyze
Finally, use LinkedIn analytics – either on the platform itself or via Brandwatch – to see how your videos perform.
For organic videos, look at view counts and engagement. For video ads, examine metrics like completion rate (what percentage of viewers watched 25%, 50%, and 100% of your video).
If your LinkedIn analytics show a big drop-off at the 10-second mark, that’s a sign to front-load important info earlier or shorten the content.
LinkedIn’s report that video content gets 1.4x more engagement is a general stat – your results will depend on how well your particular videos resonate.
Keep experimenting with different formats. Perhaps try a square vs a horizontal video of the same message, or a 15-second edit vs a 30-second one. You’ll soon discover what your audience responds to best.
Time to make the most of LinkedIn video
As with all the other social media platforms, video is booming on LinkedIn. But getting it right – and increasing your views – is more likely if you're familiar with what works and what doesn't.
While it's important to stick to the correct format and consider the perfect length for your videos, you must remember smart must-haves like captions and compelling thumbnails.
This is true for both LinkedIn video ads and organic videos.
Tick these boxes, and you'll be confident that your LinkedIn videos will upload without a hitch and be more likely to truly engage your target audience.
You can do it all via Brandwatch Social Media Management and get extra insights into your content.
Remember, a well-formatted video that respects viewers’ time (short and to the point, with clear visuals and subtitles) can make it significantly more likely that someone will watch it – and pay attention.
With video content driving higher engagement on LinkedIn than ever, now is the time to polish your video strategy.
Stick to these specs and tips, and you’ll be on your way to creating scroll-stopping LinkedIn videos in 2025 that get your message heard, even with the sound off.
