Let me get straight into it: This article is a must-read for every content creator to avoid a bad TikTok video quality after the upload. 🤔
With 400,000 followers both on TikTok and Instagram, our ambassador at Submagic, Sebastien Jefferies, gave me his secret tips for the best TikTok quality you can get. Whether you’re a beginner on TikTok or a seasoned content creator, you’ll find the best practices in under 5 minutes to eventually make your TikToks more likely to go viral! 😎
Why is my TikTok quality so bad? 5 reasons
I know… you want to fix the quality on TikTok as soon as possible. But, before, it is essential to understand the numerous reasons for this issue. For this part, I’ve got you covered! Here are 5 reasons your TikTok video quality is bad after the upload.😉
1. A simple TikTok’s uploading glitch
Sometimes, you could think that TikTok ruins your video quality, but only you can see this bad quality. Indeed, this blurry video can come from a TikTok glitch only happening on your device.
Before deleting it to upload it again, I suggest checking your video from another device. If the quality of your video is correct on another device, it is a simple glitch!
So you don’t have to worry! It’s just a preview issue. 🧡
2. Your server capacity is limited
One factor that could greatly affect your TikTok quality is the state of your device’s server capacity. It be bad if you have a limited server capacity.
Uploading a good-quality video on TikTok requires loads of space and performance from your device. Before uploading a TikTok, check your device’s capacity so you don’t repeat this mistake!
3. Incorrect TikTok quality settings requirements
TikTok has hidden guidelines. If these are not respected, TikTok can mess up your video quality.🤫
Here are three 3 sub-reasons why TikTok makes your video quality worse:
- You don’t use the recommended video dimension (see point 4)
- You don’t use a suitable codec for your TikTok videos
- You upload your video with an inappropriate format for TikTok (only MP4 or Mov. are accepted).
4. Your video resolution is too high or too low
Here’s the harsh truth: TikTok will always compress your video in 1080p. Yes, no matter if you upload a 4K video on TikTok, it will become a 1080p video quality. Why? 🤔
Picture this: When you upload a video, TikTok hosts it, so there is a server cost behind this. And, the larger the files you upload, the more money it costs.
Considering that 23,600 videos are posted each minute on TikTok, we could easily assume that they considered optimizing their server cost. How? By compressing bigger size videos in the best TikTok quality: 1080p. 🚀
We’ll get back to this point soon.
5. Your Data/WiFi speed is too slow
TikTok can ruin your video quality if your Internet connection is too slow. When your video has a slow upload connection, TikTok may apply heavier compression to make the video smaller.
A speed test tool is the best way to test your connection speed. Try testing your upload speed before uploading to avoid a worse TikTok quality.
8 hacks to fix bad quality videos on TikTok
There is a list of video settings to fix bad quality videos on TikTok, and avoid TikTok's shadowban. Here's what you have to know.🧡
Respect your video settings to increase the upload quality on TikTok
1. Maximum upload size from an Android device: 75 MB
We suggest uploading a video of less than 75MB from an Android device to expect a good TikTok upload quality. Otherwise, TikTok might compress your video if it has a bigger size than 75MB.
2. Maximum upload size from an IOS device: 250 MB
Like on Android, this social media platform might compress your video if its size is too high. For an upload from an IOS device, we suggest uploading a TikTok video of less than 250 MB. By respecting this size limitation to get high-quality videos on TikTok. 😎
3. Video quality to upload: 1080p
Here’s the most important thing to know. Always upload a TikTok video in 1080p. Your video won’t face a lot of compression.
4. Best codec for TikTok: H.264
TikTok primarily uses the H.264 video codec for video compression. H.264 is a widely supported and efficient codec that allows high quality uploads on TikTok at lower bitrates, making it suitable for online video streaming and sharing platforms like TikTok. 🔥
5. Video ratio to choose from: vertical video format (1080x1920 pixels)
A 1080p short-form video has a dimension of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels (1080x1920). So, if you’re not sure your video is in 1080p, look at the resolution!
If you see your video with a resolution of 2,160 pixels tall and 3,840 wide (2160x3840), your video is in 4K. You just need to change the resolution to get the best quality upload on TikTok, in 2023.
6. Best TikTok formats: MP4 or MOV.
TikTok only accepts MP4 or MOV. video formats. Using another format like AVI., you might face a bad TikTok video quality. 🤔
How to change the resolution of my video?
- Go to your favorite video editor
- Put your TikTok video on the timeline
- Export it by choosing 1080p (which will create a 1080x1920 dimension)
With all of this information, here’s what your exporting page will look like:
Export your video in 1080p, with a H.264 coded, in mp4 to enhance your video quality
7. Turn off TikTok’s data saver to enhance your TikTok video quality
Disabling the data saver option on TikTok can improve video quality when uploading videos. The data saver setting is designed to reduce data usage from your phone when watching videos.
If the data saver is enabled, TikTok compresses videos to a lower quality to reduce their file size, which can result in lower resolution and less detail in your videos. 😎
Disabling data saver allows you to upload videos at their original quality, resulting in sharper, more detailed content. Here’s how to deactivate the “Data Saver” mode to a bad video quality after upload:
- Open TikTok from your mobile and click the “Me” tab.
- Click on the three dots (top right) and open your TikTok account settings.
- Find Cache and Cellular data options.
- Turn the “Data saver” option off.
Deactivate the Data Saver option for a better upload quality on TikTok
This is part of TikTok’s quality settings best practice! 🧡
8. Use a desktop to enhance your video upload quality
Except if you have a broken desktop, its performance is always better than a phone. The upload speed is often better, and its capacity is much stronger, so it’s worth uploading videos from your desktop to enhance your TikTok video quality.
9. Activate the HD option to allow high-quality uploads on TikTok
This hidden feature can be game-changing for your TikTok account. The high-definition option, the so-called “HD”, will help you to get the best video quality on TikTok. 😉
How to activate the HD option and increase TikTok quality?
- Open your app and upload your video.
- Click on “next” at the bottom right of your screen.
- Toggle up to the section called “more options”.
- Turn on the “Upload HD” button.
This will drastically increase your video visual and fix your issues once your video is uploaded!
3 secret tips to get higher quality on TikTok (bonus)
Those three tips are coming from our ambassador at Submagic, Sebastien Jefferies. 😎
With almost 900,000 followers overall, he gave me 3 secret tips so that I can share them with you, to get more views on tiktok
10. Record in 4K, but export in 1080p to get the best quality on TikTok
You’re probably why there is a huge difference between the video quality of famous content creators and yours. The way to enhance your TikTok quality is to record yourself in 4K, but upload the video on TikTok in 1080p.
Recording in 4K and then exporting in 1080p is a common practice in video creation. Hence, by recording in 4K, the video captures more detail and information than recording in 1080p. This additional detail can improve the overall quality of the video, even when it's downscaled to 1080p during export. 🔥
11. Give your TikTok videos extra sharpness
There is one extra step. It just takes a few seconds! It's worth trying it. By adding an adjustment layer to your video and giving your videos extra sharpness, you can change video quality on TikTok. 🤫
How to give “extra sharpness” to my video and enhance my TikTok video quality?
- Import your TikTok video and put it on the timeline.
- Click "New Item" in the project panel and select "Adjustment Layer".
A pop-up box will appear, showing you the dimensions of the adjustment layer. There is no need to change the settings: click "OK"
- Drag the adjustment layer onto the timeline, and put it onto your TikTok video.
- Go to your "Effects" panel. In the "Color correction" section, pick the "Lumetri Color" and drag it over to the adjustment layer (in your timeline).
- Now, you can adjust the "Lumetri Color" settings by putting the option "Sharpen" around 25. You'll directly see a better video quality to download TikTok video.
Your video is good to go! Do not forget to export it in 1080p to get a high TikTok upload quality!
12. Compress your video to respect the TikTok quality size
As said before, the maximum upload size is 75MB if you upload from an Android device, and 250MB from an IOS device. So, if your video size is too high, it is way better to compress it with a compressor tool, than letting TikTok compress your video. It will eventually prevent TikTok from lowering your video quality.
By using Submagic, there is no need to use a compressor tool, since we’ll compress your video for you, as well as add trendy subtitles to your video.
Find out Submagic's free tool:
But…wait. What is Submagic?
Enhance TikTok quality using Submagic
Your TikTok video quality doesn’t only refer to your video resolution. Several ways to improve your TikTok quality, are to master its SEO, use TikTok hooks, and learn how to add captions on tiktok 2024! 🧡
The best TikTok caption generator is Submagic.co, which generates stylish and colorful subtitles in minutes (*Psstt*... you even have animated emojis and auto-sound effects).
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Frequently asked questions about how to get higher quality on TikTok
How to get 4k quality on TikTok
TikTok will always upload your video in 1080p. Nowadays, uploading a 4K video on TikTok can ruin your quality. The more you compress a video, the worse the quality.
How to stop Tiktok from lowering the quality?
TikTok has a set of guidelines to avoid bad quality videos. For instance, you can activate the HD option, or deactivate the "Data Saver" mode!
What is the TikTok live quality?
The TikTok live quality is in 1080p.
How do I make my TikTok video better quality?
You have loads of hidden features and tips to get a better video quality on TikTok. For example, it's better to use your desktop to upload a video. Plus, you should always upload your video in 1080p.
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