Video and recording
What length and aspect ratio work best for LinkedIn video?
Short answer
Aim for 60 to 90 seconds, the length LinkedIn's creator guide suggests, and make your point in the first few seconds. Record in portrait or square, so the video fills more of a phone screen and can be reused elsewhere.
LinkedIn accepts uploads of up to 15 minutes in a wide range of shapes, so these are choices rather than limits. Add subtitles to every clip.
60 to 90 seconds
is the length LinkedIn's creator guide tells members to aim for, with the point made in the first three seconds
How long should a LinkedIn video be?
Short enough that the point arrives before attention goes. LinkedIn's own guide for creators says to aim for 60 to 90 seconds and to get to the point in the first three seconds, which it says matter most. LinkedIn counts a video view after two continuous seconds of playback, so a view is a low bar and watch time tells you more.
Treat that range as a guide, not a rule. A clip that makes one point well can run a little longer, as long as the point comes at the start and the rest explains it. If you need several minutes, you probably have two or three clips.
Which aspect ratio should you record in?
Portrait or square for most talking clips. Many people scroll LinkedIn on their phones, where a taller video fills more of the screen than a landscape one does. Portrait also travels well, since the same file suits short-video apps if you decide to post there too.
Landscape still has a place when the content needs the width, such as a screen recording, a slide or two people side by side. Pick the shape before you record, so you frame yourself properly and don't have to crop your head off later.
What does LinkedIn actually allow?
Far more than you need. LinkedIn's help page on sharing videos allows uploads of up to 15 minutes and 5 GB, in aspect ratios from 1:2.4 to 2.4:1, which covers tall portrait, square and wide landscape. The minimum length is three seconds from a desktop and two from the mobile app. Tools that upload through LinkedIn's Videos API can go up to 30 minutes.
So the limits rarely get in your way. The choices that matter are how long you hold attention and how the video looks on a phone.
What else makes a short video work?
Subtitles, above everything else. Many people watch with the sound off, at work or on the move, and a video without subtitles can lose them in the first few seconds. LinkedIn can generate captions automatically when you upload, and burned-in subtitles show on every device and stay with the clip wherever you post it.
Then make it easy to follow. Open with the claim, not a greeting. Stick to one point per clip. Look at the camera, frame yourself from the chest up and keep the background simple. If you have more to say, record a second clip for another day rather than stretching the first.
Follow-up questions
Is there ever a case for a long video?
Yes, for a full talk, a product walkthrough or an interview that people have chosen to watch. Post it as a single piece with a clear line on what viewers will get.
For the rest of the week, record short fresh answers on its main points rather than leaning on clips.
Does landscape video still work?
It works, but it shows smaller on a phone, where many people scroll. Use it when the content needs the width, such as a screen recording, and choose portrait or square for a talking clip.
How quickly should I get to the point?
Within the first three seconds, which LinkedIn's creator guide says matter most. Open with the claim or the question, then explain. Introductions and greetings can wait until the end, or be left out altogether.
Talk for a few minutes. Post all week.
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