Quick Answer
Yes, you can upload MOV files to LinkedIn. LinkedIn supports uploading MOV video files up to 5GB in size directly to your LinkedIn profile and sharing them in posts. MOV is a video file format developed by Apple, so it works seamlessly with LinkedIn on iOS devices.
MOV File Format
MOV is a common video file format introduced by Apple in 1998 as part of its QuickTime multimedia software. MOV files can contain video, audio, subtitles, timecode, and metadata.
Some key things to know about the MOV file format:
- Developed and maintained by Apple for use with its QuickTime Player and other applications.
- Typically uses MPEG-4 compression for video and AAC for audio.
- Supports high-quality lossless compression like Apple ProRes.
- Can incorporate many types of data including video, audio, subtitles, effects, metadata etc.
- Works seamlessly with Apple devices and software.
MOV is a very flexible container format that allows the storage of many different video and audio codec types. This makes it compatible with LinkedIn which supports common industry standard codecs.
Uploading MOV Files to LinkedIn
LinkedIn supports the uploading of MOV files in a few different ways:
Profile Video
You can upload a MOV file up to 10 minutes long and 5GB in size as your profile video on LinkedIn. This video appears prominently on your profile and is a great way to showcase professional introductions, a demo reel, or other videos.
To add a MOV as your profile video:
- Click on the “View profile” link at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click the video camera icon that says “Add profile video”.
- From here you can simply select your MOV file to upload.
Once uploaded, the MOV will appear as your profile video for all visitors to see.
Posts and Articles
You can embed MOV videos in your LinkedIn posts and long-form articles. Simply upload your video using LinkedIn’s upload tool when creating a post or article.
The video will be transcoded and hosted directly on LinkedIn’s servers. Then you can preview and insert the uploaded video into your content.
There is no limit on the number of videos you can use this way in your posts and articles.
LinkedIn Video
LinkedIn also offers a dedicated video hosting service called LinkedIn Video. You can upload MOV files up to 5GB in size to LinkedIn Video.
This gives you a hosted video that can be inserted anywhere videos are supported on LinkedIn. It also provides analytics on who watched your video.
To upload to LinkedIn Video:
- Click “Post” at top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click the “Video” tab then “Upload Video”.
- Select your MOV file to upload.
- Once processed, you can insert it anywhere you can post videos.
So in summary, LinkedIn offers several ways to upload and share MOV videos up to 5GB in size – more than enough for professional use. The flexible MOV format plays perfectly on LinkedIn across platforms.
MOV File Size and Compression
When uploading MOV files to LinkedIn, it’s important to be aware of the maximum file size limits:
- Profile video – 5GB max
- Native video uploads – 5GB max
Fortunately, MOV is a compressed video format, so file sizes are typically much smaller than uncompressed formats.
Here are some typical MOV file sizes:
Video Resolution | Video Length | File Size |
1920×1080 (1080p) | 1 minute | 30-80MB |
1280×720 (720p) | 1 minute | 20-60MB |
640×480 (480p) | 1 minute | 10-30MB |
As you can see, even at high resolutions you can get over 80 minutes of 1080p video under the 5GB limit.
If you need to compress MOV files further, here are some tips:
- Lower resolution – 720p is fine for LinkedIn.
- Lower frame rate to 24-30fps.
- Use H.264 encoding at a higher compression level.
- Re-encode lossless MOV files to lossy MOV/MP4.
- Shorten length – trim longer videos into shorter clips.
Following these best practices allows you to easily stay within LinkedIn’s size limits when uploading MOV files.
LinkedIn Supported Video Codecs
Since MOV is just a container, the specific video and audio codecs used are also important for LinkedIn support.
Here are the key video and audio codecs supported by LinkedIn:
Video Codecs
- H.264
- MPEG-4
- HEVC (H.265)
Audio Codecs
- AAC
- MP3
As long as your MOV file uses supported codecs like H.264 video and AAC audio, they will play on LinkedIn without issues. Old or proprietary codecs may not be supported.
MOV files created on Apple devices typically use H.264 already, so compatibility is generally not a concern. But it’s useful to check your video codec if you have issues uploading and playing certain MOV files.
Advantages of Using MOV on LinkedIn
There are a few advantages to using the MOV file format for your LinkedIn videos:
High Quality
MOV supports high quality lossless video using Apple ProRes codecs at up to 5K resolution. This allows MOV files to retain maximum quality for professional video work.
Small Files
Using compressed H.264 video, MOV files can be relatively small even for high resolution long videos. This makes them easy to upload and share on LinkedIn.
Universal Playback
MOV is designed to provide compatibility across platforms. LinkedIn users on desktop, mobile, and apps can all view MOV videos without issues.
Seamless Apple Experience
For iPhone and Mac users, MOV offers the smoothest recording and playback experience. Uploading direct to LinkedIn avoids any transcoding or conversion.
So in summary, MOV is a versatile high-quality file format that is a great choice for your LinkedIn video content.
Other Video File Formats
While MOV is great for LinkedIn, it also supports some other common video file types:
MP4
Like MOV, MP4 uses MPEG-4 video and AAC audio so it has broad support across LinkedIn. MP4 is also highly compressed, so file sizes remain small.
AVI
AVI is an older container format that can still be uploaded and played on LinkedIn as long as it uses supported codecs. But MOV is generally preferred over AVI.
WMV
WMV files use Windows Media codecs. These proprietary codecs have limited support on LinkedIn. It’s better to convert WMV to standard MOV or MP4 instead.
MKV
MKV/Matroska is not officially supported by LinkedIn. You will need to remux MKV videos into MOV or MP4 containers first before uploading.
So while other video file types may work, MOV and MP4 are the most broadly supported on LinkedIn and are the safest choices.
How to Convert Video to MOV for LinkedIn
If you have video content in other file formats, you may need to convert them to MOV to upload and share on LinkedIn.
Here are some ways to convert videos to MOV format:
Use Video Converter Software
Dedicated video converter apps like Handbrake and FFmpeg provide full control over converting any video file to MOV. This includes options for resizing, changing codecs, and compressing.
Use QuickTime Player (Mac)
On Mac OS, you can open videos in QuickTime Player then export them directly to MOV format. This provides basic conversion capabilities.
Use iMovie (Mac)
For more advanced features, iMovie on Mac allows importing videos then exporting them to MOV while retaining edits and effects.
Use Preview App (Mac)
The Preview app on Mac can also export screen and video recordings to MOV format after trimming and annotations.
So in summary, while MOV is natively supported by LinkedIn, you may need to convert other video types like MKV or WMV to MOV before you can successfully upload and share them.
Conclusion
MOV is an excellent video file format for uploading and sharing professional video content on LinkedIn. Key takeaways include:
- MOV files up to 5GB in size are fully supported on LinkedIn.
- Works seamlessly when uploading from Apple devices.
- High quality and broad codec support.
- Small file sizes for easy sharing.
- Can convert other videos to MOV format if needed.
So feel free to use MOV to upload all your important professional videos to LinkedIn profiles, posts, and articles. With broad platform support, high quality, and small file sizes, MOV is the perfect video format to communicate your message effectively on LinkedIn.