Titles and export
The last step is the one everyone sees first: readable titles, clean subtitles and a file exported with the right settings for the platform. One bad setting here can ruin weeks of work.
Titles people can read
- Simple typography: a legible sans serif for information; save decorative fonts for big titles.
- Contrast: light text over a dark area, or with a soft shadow or a semi-transparent box.
- Time on screen: as long as it takes someone to read it twice. A practical rule: one second for every 3–4 words, with a minimum of 2 seconds.
- Safe zones: leave a margin from the edges. In vertical video, avoid the bottom strip (the post caption) and the right side (the buttons).
- Consistency: the same font, size and position for the same type of title (names, places, figures).
Subtitles
A large share of social media videos are watched with the sound off. Subtitles aren't just about accessibility anymore: they're about retention.
| Type | What it is | When |
|---|---|---|
| Open captions (burned in) | They're part of the image | Social media, vertical videos |
| Closed captions (SRT or VTT file) | A separate file the viewer turns on | YouTube, the web, accessibility, multiple languages |
Rules for easy reading
- Two lines at most and about 37–42 characters per line.
- Break lines at units of meaning, not in the middle of a phrase.
- Sync: they should appear when the sentence starts and disappear when it ends.
- Always check the automatic transcription: proper names, numbers and punctuation.
An SRT is a text file with a number, timings and a line: 1 / 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,800 / Welcome to the course. You can edit it in any text editor and upload it to YouTube along with the video.
Export codecs
| Codec | What for | Advantage | Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 (AVC) | Delivering to the web and social media | Compatible with everything | Less efficient than H.265 |
| H.265 (HEVC) | Web, 4K, HDR | Half the size at similar quality | Slightly less compatible and slower to encode |
| ProRes / DNxHR | Master, exchange between apps, archive | Very high quality, easy to edit | Huge files |
| AV1 | Platforms that support it | Even more efficient | Slow encoding, patchy support |
Export a master version in ProRes or DNxHR and keep it. If you need another format tomorrow, you make it from the master without recompressing what's already compressed and without reopening the project.
Recommended settings by platform
| Destination | Resolution | Fps | Codec | Rough bitrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube 1080p | 1920 × 1080 | Same as recorded | H.264 | 8 Mbps or more (24/25/30 fps); 12 or more at 50/60 |
| YouTube 4K | 3840 × 2160 | Same as recorded | H.264 or H.265 | 35–45 Mbps (24/25/30 fps); 53–68 at 50/60 |
| Reels / TikTok / Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 30 (25 in the UK and Europe) | H.264 | 10–20 Mbps |
| Instagram feed | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | 30 (25 in the UK and Europe) | H.264 | 8–15 Mbps |
| Archive master | Same as the timeline | Same as recorded | ProRes 422 HQ / DNxHR HQX | Whatever the codec produces |
Audio: AAC at 320 kbps, 48 kHz, stereo, for every web platform. The bitrate figures are a guide: platforms recompress everything you upload and change their recommendations from time to time; check their official guidelines if you need the maximum.
How big will your file be? Work it out with the bitrate and file size calculator.
Before you hit export
- Watch the whole video one last time, on headphones.
- Check titles and subtitles: typos, names, numbers.
- Make sure there are no black or stray frames at the start and the end.
- Check the overall loudness (LUFS) and that nothing clips.
- Export with a versioned name:
project_v03_youtube.mp4. - Open the exported file and watch it: the render sometimes fails where the editor doesn't.
- Readable titles, inside the safe zones and on screen long enough.
- Burned-in subtitles for social media; SRT for YouTube and accessibility.
- H.264 for delivery; ProRes or DNxHR for the master.
- Always watch the exported file before publishing it.
Your turn: one piece, three outputs
Export the same minute of video for three destinations.
- A master in ProRes or DNxHR.
- A YouTube version in H.264.
- A vertical version with burned-in subtitles. Compare file sizes with the bitrate calculator.