Guides
Short, honest answers to the questions that come up when you edit, shrink, convert and share video.
Video Size Limits for WhatsApp, Discord, Email and Social Apps
File size and length limits for sending video on WhatsApp, Discord, Gmail, Outlook, Telegram, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and TikTok, and how to fit under them.
6 min read
How to Compress a Video Without Losing Visible Quality
What actually decides video file size: bitrate, CRF, resolution, frame rate and codec. Practical settings to shrink a video while it still looks good.
4 min read
How to Compress a Video for Discord
Get a video under Discord's 10 MB free upload limit (or 50 MB and 500 MB with Nitro): the bitrate maths, the right resolution for each length, and quick steps.
4 min read
The Best Aspect Ratio for Reels, Shorts and TikTok
The right shape and resolution for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Stories and feed posts, with safe zones for text and how to convert landscape video.
4 min read
MP4 vs MOV vs WebM vs MKV
Containers versus codecs explained, and when to use MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV, with a compatibility table and how to convert without losing quality.
4 min read
H.264 vs H.265 vs VP9 vs AV1
How H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP9 and AV1 compare on file size, quality, encoding speed and device support, and which codec to choose for sharing and archiving.
4 min read
How to Make a GIF from a Video
Make a sharp, small animated GIF from any video: choosing the clip, frame rate, width and palette, and when animated WebP or MP4 is the better choice.
4 min read
SRT vs VTT vs ASS, and Burned-in vs Soft Subtitles
How SRT, WebVTT and ASS subtitle files differ, when to burn subtitles into the picture and when to keep them as a separate track, with examples of each format.
4 min read
How to Add Subtitles to Instagram Reels
Add Reel subtitles that always show: generate them from Hindi, Hinglish or English speech, fix the text, and burn them in clear of Instagram's buttons.
4 min read
How to Fix Out-of-Sync Audio and Subtitles
Fix a video whose sound is early or late, or subtitles that drift: constant offsets, frame rate mismatches and variable frame rate recordings explained.
3 min read
Fast vs Accurate Trimming, and Why Keyframes Matter
Why a fast trim can start slightly before the time you chose: keyframes, GOPs and stream copy explained, and when an accurate trim is worth the wait.
3 min read
How In-Browser Video Processing Works
How Aback Video edits video in your browser with FFmpeg WebAssembly, what is never uploaded, speed and memory limits, and what the Pro AI tools send.
4 min read
How to Extract Audio from a Video
Save the sound from a video as MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC or Opus: which format to pick, lossless copying, sensible bitrates and what to do afterwards.
3 min read
How to Make an iPhone Ringtone
Cut a song or a video's sound to 40 seconds or less, save it as an M4R ringtone, and add it to your iPhone with a Mac, a Windows PC or GarageBand on the phone.
4 min read