Export settings that look right on every platform

Start from the right template

Match your composition to the delivery. A 3840×2160 master can be cut down to 1080p and to vertical, but a 1080p project cannot be upscaled convincingly. If you know you need several formats, render the master large and derive the rest.

Recommended starting points

1. 1Master archive: QuickTime ProRes 422 HQ, full resolution, no scaling.
2. 2YouTube / Vimeo: H.264, high profile, 2-pass VBR at 16–24 Mbps for 1080p, audio AAC 320 kbps.
3. 3Instagram feed: H.264, 4:5 or 1:1, 8–12 Mbps, keep audio under -14 LUFS if present.
4. 4Instagram / TikTok vertical: 1080×1920, H.264, 10–15 Mbps, keyframe interval 1–2 seconds.
5. 5Broadcast: usually ProRes or XDCAM depending on the broadcaster — always ask for their spec sheet rather than guessing.

Colour: why the export looks darker

QuickTime and some browsers display Rec.709 footage with a different gamma than After Effects does in its viewer. If your render looks crushed when you play it back, compare it in the same application the client will use before “fixing” the grade. Exporting with the correct colour profile embedded (Rec.709 with 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 matrix depending on your pipeline) removes most of the mismatch.

Never correct colour by eye against a player you do not trust. Use a broadcast-safe reference and check scopes.

Audio that nobody complains about

Normalise dialogue and music to around -14 LUFS for online delivery and keep true peaks below -1 dBTP. Template audio placeholders are usually a music bed with a duck; replace the bed and re-check levels rather than trusting the original mix.

Add a watermark pass for review

Send clients a low-bitrate version with a large, semi-transparent watermark in a corner. It prevents a rough cut being posted before approval, and it costs you one extra render instead of a difficult conversation.