LinkedIn video quality tends to be lower than other social media platforms like Facebook or YouTube for a few key reasons:
LinkedIn’s Video Compression
When you upload a video to LinkedIn, it goes through compression to reduce the file size. This compression inevitably reduces the video quality. The level of compression depends on the original video resolution and filesize:
- For videos under 16MB, LinkedIn uses minimal compression
- For videos between 16MB and 100MB, LinkedIn compresses to 16MB
- For videos over 100MB, LinkedIn compresses to 3-8MB
So the larger your original video file, the more compression LinkedIn will apply, resulting in lower quality. This compression allows videos to load faster and saves storage space on LinkedIn’s servers.
LinkedIn Video Resolution
In addition to compression, LinkedIn also limits video resolution. The maximum resolution for uploaded videos is 1280×720 (HD). If you upload a video larger than 720p, LinkedIn will downsample it to 720p. This reduces the video bitrate and visual quality.
Downsampling to 720p provides a balance between quality and file size for LinkedIn. But it means videos will not have the crispness of higher resolutions like 1080p or 4K. Other platforms like YouTube and Facebook allow for higher resolution uploads.
Bitrate Limits
LinkedIn also enforces bitrate limits on uploaded videos. Bitrate determines how much visual information is stored per second of video. A higher bitrate means more detail and sharpness. LinkedIn caps video bitrates at 5 Mbps for uploads. In contrast, YouTube supports bitrates up to 128 Mbps.
So LinkedIn’s bitrate limit leads to reduced detail and motion blur in videos, especially for content with high motion like sports or action scenes. This lower bitrate allows faster streaming on LinkedIn but degrades quality.
Intended Usage
It’s important to note that LinkedIn is designed for professional networking and content sharing, not as a primary video hosting platform. As a result, LinkedIn prioritizes fast video streaming over visually lossless quality. The platform’s compression, resolution limits, and bitrate caps all serve the goal of easily sharable business video.
YouTube and other dedicated video services optimize for video quality since that is their primary purpose. So the lower quality on LinkedIn is an intentional trade-off given its intended business usage. Most users are not expecting pristine video when sharing updates or content natively on the platform.
Playback Interface
Beyond just compression and resolution, LinkedIn’s video playback interface can also impact perceived quality. Videos play directly in the LinkedIn feed rather than a dedicated video player. So the relatively small native video size within the feed UI further reduces the visible detail. There are also no fullscreen or HD options to take advantage of higher resolution uploads.
The feed’s inline auto-play function also means videos must be quick loading rather than optimized for visual fidelity. So the playback experience emphasizes access and convenience over video quality.
Solutions for Higher Quality
If you want to share higher quality video content on LinkedIn, there are a couple options:
- Upload directly to YouTube, Vimeo, or another dedicated platform and share the link rather than uploading directly to LinkedIn.
- Upload a trailer or preview to LinkedIn to stay within the platform’s limits, and link to the full high-quality video elsewhere.
- Use an external video hosting platform like Wistia or Vidyard that optimizes for business video delivery over social media.
These solutions allow you to get the quality of the source video file while still making it easy for your audience to access the content within LinkedIn. You have more control over resolution, bitrate, and playback experience through these external services.
Why Does LinkedIn Limit Video Quality?
Understanding LinkedIn’s technical limits helps explain the why behind the lower video quality. But what are the reasons for these limits in the first place? There are a few driving factors behind LinkedIn’s approach to video:
- Platform intent – LinkedIn is built for professional networking and communication, not as a dedicated video hosting site. Video quality takes a backseat to ease of sharing and inline playback.
- Audience expectations – Most LinkedIn users do not expect or require pristine video quality. The priority is on informative business content that is easy to access.
- Performance – Higher quality video requires more bandwidth, storage space, and processing power. LinkedIn’s compression allows faster streaming at scale.
- Cost – Serving lossless video is extremely expensive at LinkedIn’s scale of over 740 million users. Compression reduces their storage and CDN costs.
In summary, LinkedIn’s technical limitations allow them to balance performance, cost, and platform alignement. Most users are not bothered by the trade-off of quality for convenience on a business-first network. But video professionals should be aware of the limits when sharing their content natively on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
LinkedIn caps video resolution at 720p, compresses files over 16MB, and enforces a 5 Mbps bitrate limit. This results in reduced quality compared to uploads on other platforms. The trade-off allows quick loading and sharing of business videos inline with the feed. Users prioritize accessibility over pristine quality on the professional networking platform. But there are workarounds like external hosting or trailers to share high fidelity video while respecting LinkedIn’s limits.