Product Demo Video Formats: Where to Post Each Cut
Oct 26, 2026 • 8 minute read
WildanThe right product demo video formats depend on where it plays: 9:16 portrait for TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts; 1:1 square or 4:5 for X, LinkedIn, Threads and Reddit; 16:9 landscape for your site, YouTube and the Product Hunt gallery. Make one video, export a file for each frame, burn in captions because many feeds autoplay without sound, and keep text clear of the buttons each app draws over the video.
This is part 6, the last step of how to make a product demo video.
Where each cut plays
Each of the four cuts has a home. Post the cut that fits the place, not the same file everywhere.
| Cut | Length | Where it plays | Usual frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaser | up to 30 s | Waitlist page, X, the week before launch | 16:9 on your waitlist page, 1:1 or 4:5 on X |
| Hook | up to 20 s | X, TikTok, Reels, Shorts, ads | 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts; 1:1 or 4:5 for X |
| Pitch | up to 45 s | Product Hunt, your homepage, YC application | 16:9 |
| Demo | up to 60 s | Onboarding, docs, sales follow-ups | 16:9 |
The hook is the one that travels most, so it's the one that needs the most files. The pitch and demo mostly live on pages you control, where 16:9 fits the layout.
Demo video aspect ratio, by frame
| Frame | Plays on | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 | TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts | The app draws buttons down the right side and a caption at the bottom. A landscape screen recording has to be laid out again, not just cropped, or the product ends up tiny. |
| 1:1 and 4:5 | X, LinkedIn, Threads, Reddit | Takes more of the feed than landscape on a phone. A centered crop of a landscape recording often works; when it doesn't, lay it out again. |
| 16:9 | Your site, YouTube, Product Hunt | Closest to how the recording was made. Text still has to be readable when the player is small. |
Screen recordings are usually landscape, which suits 16:9 and is hardest for 9:16. Record with a narrower window and bigger text if you know the video will go vertical. Part 3 covers the setup.
Product demo video formats by platform
These come from each platform's own docs. Specs change, so check the linked page before a launch.
X
X's media upload docs recommend 16:9 (landscape or portrait) or 1:1, at 1280×720, 720×1280 or 720×720, at 30 or 60 fps. Hard limits: the aspect ratio must be between 1:3 and 3:1, and the maximum length depends on whether the account has Premium. A hook or a teaser fits comfortably either way.
LinkedIn's video ad specs accept 16:9 (1920×1080 recommended), 1:1, 4:5 (720×900, and marked as the recommended vertical ratio) and 9:16 (720×1280). Files are MP4, under 30 fps, between three seconds and 30 minutes, and LinkedIn recommends 15 to 30 seconds for ads to qualify for every feed placement. Captions for ads must be an SRT file. For organic posts, the same frames work; 4:5 or 1:1 takes more of the feed on a phone.
YouTube Shorts
A video counts as a Short when it has a square or vertical aspect ratio and runs up to three minutes. Wider videos like 16:9 stay regular long-form videos. YouTube's Shorts help says you can upload Shorts at a maximum resolution of 1080p, so export 1080×1920.
TikTok
TikTok's In-Feed ad specs recommend vertical 9:16 at 540×960 or larger, and also accept 16:9 and 1:1. Files can be MP4 or MOV, up to 500 MB and up to 10 minutes. TikTok doesn't publish safe zones as pixel numbers on that page; it offers downloadable safe zone files, because the covered area depends on the format and caption length. Those are the ad specs; for an organic post, the feed is vertical, so make the TikTok file 9:16.
Product Hunt
The Product Hunt gallery takes video only as a YouTube link, and it has to be the full URL (shortened links don't load) and not private. Gallery images are recommended at 1270×760, and the gallery needs at least two images before it's viewable. So: upload your pitch to YouTube as 16:9, public or unlisted, and paste the full link.
Your site
Use 16:9 for a homepage hero or a docs page, or match the shape of the space in your layout. Host it somewhere that streams well. Keep the file small enough to start quickly.
Safe zones: keep text clear of the app
On TikTok, Reels and Shorts, the app draws over the bottom and right side of the video: the caption, the account name, like and share buttons. Anything you put there gets covered.
- Keep on-screen text and the key part of the product in the middle of the frame.
- Keep the bottom of the frame and the right edge free of text.
- Use TikTok's safe zone files as an overlay when you check your export.
- Watch the final file on your phone, inside the app's player if you can, before you post.
On X, LinkedIn and your site the overlay is lighter (a play button, a progress bar), but the video still shrinks. Keep text large.
Captions on muted autoplay
LinkedIn says it plainly: "Some videos on LinkedIn may play automatically without sound as you scroll through your feed." A product demo with no captions, playing muted, is a silent screen recording with a cursor moving around.
- Burn captions into the video. A separate caption file depends on the viewer's settings and on each platform's caption support. LinkedIn ads, for example, need SRT files with no custom styling.
- Keep lines short. Two short lines at most, readable at phone size.
- Place them in the safe zone. Captions low in the frame on a 9:16 video run into the app's own caption.
- Make the first frame make sense with the sound off. On-screen text that states the idea does the job the voice-over would do.
App demo video: phone recordings
For a mobile app, you record on the phone, so the recording is already 9:16. That suits TikTok, Reels and Shorts without layout work. For X, LinkedIn or your site, place the phone recording in a square or landscape frame instead of stretching it, and crop to the part of the screen that matters. Hide the status bar clutter before you record (see part 3 for iPhone and Android recording).
A posting checklist
- One file per frame: 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5, and 16:9, from the same video.
- Captions burned in, inside the safe zone.
- Text readable on a phone in every file.
- The right cut for the place: hook in feeds, pitch on Product Hunt and your homepage, demo in docs and sales emails.
- Product Hunt: a full YouTube link, not private.
- Watched once on a phone, muted, before posting.
Frequently asked questions
What aspect ratio should a product demo video be?
It depends on where the product demo video plays: 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, 1:1 or 4:5 for X, LinkedIn, Threads and Reddit, and 16:9 for your site, YouTube and Product Hunt. Make one video and export a separate file for each frame.
What video format works best for TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
Vertical 9:16. YouTube Shorts uploads max out at 1080p, so export the vertical file at 1080×1920, and keep text away from the bottom and right edge where the app draws its buttons and caption.
What video size should I use on X?
X's media upload docs recommend 16:9 or 1:1 at 1280×720, 720×1280 or 720×720, at 30 or 60 fps. The aspect ratio must be between 1:3 and 3:1.
What aspect ratio is best for a LinkedIn video?
4:5 or 1:1 on a phone feed, since both take more of the screen than landscape. LinkedIn's video ad specs accept 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16, and mark 4:5 as the recommended vertical ratio.
How do I add a video to a Product Hunt launch?
Upload the video to YouTube and paste the full YouTube link into the Product Hunt gallery. Product Hunt takes gallery video only as a YouTube link; shortened links don't load and the video can't be private.
Does a product demo video need captions?
Yes. Many feeds, including LinkedIn, autoplay video without sound, so a product demo video should have captions burned in, kept to two short lines and placed inside the safe zone.
What is a safe zone in a vertical video?
A safe zone is the part of a vertical video that the app's own caption, account name and buttons don't cover. On TikTok, Reels and Shorts, keep text and the key part of the product in the middle of the frame, clear of the bottom and the right edge.
Demo Editor makes one video and gives you a file for every feed you tick: 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 1:1 or 4:5 for X, LinkedIn, Threads and Reddit, and 16:9 for your site, each laid out again when a crop would cut too much and with text kept clear of the app's buttons and caption. See how it works or read the FAQ.