Export settings for X from CapCut, Premiere Pro and iPhone

Our guide on how X compresses uploads explains why a well-prepared file survives X's processing better. This one is the practical companion: exactly which buttons to press in the three tools people ask us about most, CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro and the iPhone itself.

App menus change with updates, and the names below are what we see at the time of writing. If an option has moved, look for the closest equivalent; the underlying settings (resolution, frame rate, bitrate, codec, colour) are what matter, and they translate between any editor.

The target, in one list

Whatever app you use, aim for this unless you have a reason not to:

• Container: MP4
• Video codec: H.264 (AVC)
• Resolution: 1920×1080 (landscape), 1080×1920 (vertical) or 1080×1080 (square)
• Frame rate: the same as your footage, usually 30 fps (or 25/24); 60 fps only if the content benefits
• Bitrate: about 8–15 Mbps for 1080p30, higher for grainy or fast footage, and always within X's file-size limit
• Colour: SDR, Rec. 709 (HDR off)
• Audio: AAC, 48 kHz, stereo, 128–320 kbps

Check X's current help page for the size and duration limits that apply to your account before exporting something long.

CapCut (mobile)

CapCut's export screen is simple, but its defaults aren't always right for X.

1. Finish your edit. Before exporting, check the canvas ratio (the "Ratio" or "Format" option in the bottom toolbar). Choose 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 so your video isn't letterboxed.
2. Tap the resolution indicator at the top right (it usually shows something like "1080P"), next to the export arrow.
3. Set Resolution: 1080p. CapCut offers 2K and 4K, but X won't serve those for regular posts, and your file will be downscaled anyway.
4. Set Frame rate: 30 (or match your footage; pick 60 only for gaming or sports clips shot at 60).
5. Set Code rate / Bitrate: Recommended or Higher. Avoid "Lower", which compresses before X compresses again.
6. If you see a Smart HDR or HDR toggle, turn it off for X.
7. If CapCut offers a codec choice (H.264 / HEVC), pick H.264.
8. Tap Export. When it finishes, CapCut offers to share directly. Saving to your device first and uploading through the X app gives you a copy to keep and re-use.

Watch out for: the CapCut ending clip or watermark. Depending on your account and template, CapCut may add an ending. Remove it from the timeline before exporting if you don't want it. Some templates also carry licensed music that's only cleared for use inside certain platforms. Check before posting to X.

CapCut (desktop)

1. Click Export at the top right.
2. Set Resolution: 1080p, Format: MP4, Codec: H.264.
3. Bit rate: choose Recommended or Higher; if a custom field exists, try around 10–12 Mbps for 1080p30.
4. Frame rate: match your project (usually 30fps).
5. Under Audio, keep AAC and choose the highest offered rate.
6. If there's a color space or HDR option, choose SDR / Rec. 709.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere gives you full control, which also means more ways to get it wrong. Here's a reliable path.

Set up the sequence correctly first

1. Create the sequence from your main clip (drag it onto the "New Item" icon), so the sequence matches its frame rate.
2. For vertical video, go to Sequence → Sequence Settings and set the frame size to 1080×1920.

Export

1. Select the sequence and open the Export tab (or press Ctrl+M / Cmd+M).
2. Format: H.264. Premiere's preset list has included social media presets over the years. If you see one labelled for Twitter or X, it's a reasonable starting point, but check the settings below rather than trusting the label.
3. Video settings:
   • Frame Size: 1920×1080 (or your vertical/square size). Match Source is fine if your sequence is already correct.
   • Frame Rate: match source.
   • Profile: High. Level: Premiere usually chooses a suitable one automatically; for 1080p30, 4.1 or 4.2 is typical.
   • Render at Maximum Depth: optional; it can help gradients.
4. Bitrate settings:
   • Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 2 pass.
   • Target Bitrate: about 10–12 Mbps. Maximum: about 16–20 Mbps.
5. Audio: AAC, 48000 Hz, stereo, 320 kbps.
6. Color: make sure the output is Rec. 709 SDR. If you edited HDR footage, use Premiere's colour management to tone-map to SDR before export, or the result may look flat on X.
7. Name the file, choose a location, and click Export.

Tip: Turn on Use Maximum Render Quality if you're scaling footage (for example 4K source to a 1080p export). It gives sharper downscaling.

iPhone: recording and exporting

Many people post straight from the iPhone, so it's worth setting the camera up properly.

Camera settings

Open Settings → Camera:

1. Record Video: choose 1080p at 30 fps for most content. 4K gives more room to crop in an editor, but if you post straight from the phone, 1080p means less work for the upload. 60 fps is good for sport and fast motion.
2. Formats: High Efficiency records HEVC (smaller files); Most Compatible records H.264. If your clips go through editors or computers that struggle with HEVC, Most Compatible avoids problems.
3. HDR Video (in Record Video on recent models): consider turning it off if your clips look washed out on X. HDR footage can look inconsistent after social-media processing.
4. Enhanced Stabilization or Action mode helps handheld walking shots compress better, at a slight crop.

Trimming and posting

• Trim in Photos → Edit, then Save Video as New Clip to keep the original.
• When posting from the X app, select the video from your library. The app may offer basic trimming before you post.

If you need to convert an HDR clip to SDR

The simplest no-cost options are exporting through an editor (CapCut, iMovie or Premiere) with HDR off, or, in recent iOS versions, using Share → Options where some sharing flows offer to send a more compatible version. Menu options vary by iOS version.

Checking your export before uploading

Open the exported file in VLC or MediaInfo and check:

• resolution and frame rate are what you intended
• the codec is H.264 (AVC), audio AAC
• the overall bitrate is sensible and the file size is under X's limit
• the colour looks right on a normal (non-HDR) screen

It takes 20 seconds and catches most problems.

Troubleshooting

X rejects my CapCut export. Check length and size against X's current limits. Re-export at 1080p with the Recommended bitrate.

My Premiere export looks fine locally but bad on X. Check the bitrate isn't very low (under ~5 Mbps for 1080p), that you didn't upload 4K, and that HDR isn't involved.

There are black bars around my video. The export frame size doesn't match the content. Fix the canvas ratio in CapCut or the sequence frame size in Premiere.

Audio is out of sync after upload. Usually caused by variable frame-rate footage (common with phone recordings and screen captures). In Premiere, try transcoding the clip to constant frame rate before editing. In HandBrake, choose Constant Framerate on the Video tab.

The file is huge. Your bitrate is too high for the length. Use the formula bitrate (Mbps) × seconds ÷ 8 ≈ MB and adjust.

Using other people's footage in your edit

If your edit includes clips from other creators, music or stock footage, export settings won't protect you from a copyright report. Use material you own, licensed music, or clips you have permission for. Our permission guide includes templates for asking.