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Video quality explained: MP4, resolution and file size
Why two downloads of the same clip can look and weigh differently.
Last updated: October 29, 2026
What MP4 means
MP4 is a container that holds video and audio together. Nearly every phone, TV and computer can play it, which is why most platforms use it. We do not convert files. You receive what the platform serves.
Resolution
Resolution is the number of pixels in each frame: 720p, 1080p and so on. Short vertical videos are often 720 by 1280 or 1080 by 1920. Higher resolution looks sharper on a large screen, but on a phone the difference is small.
Bitrate and file size
Bitrate is how much data is used each second. Two clips with the same resolution can look different if one has a higher bitrate. A one-minute 1080p clip is commonly between 10 and 40 MB.
Why we cannot give you a higher quality than the original
If the creator uploaded a 720p clip, no tool can make it truly 1080p. Upscaling only stretches pixels. We therefore offer the best file the platform publishes, which is the same one its own app would play.
Audio-only files
Audio is stored as MP3 or M4A. M4A usually sounds better at the same size. When a platform only publishes audio as a segmented stream, we join the pieces into one file for you.