Short-form spec sheet, Oct 2026: YouTube, TikTok, Meta mapped to Sume
One table of what YouTube, TikTok and Meta's own pages say about short video, read 2026-10-05, next to the Sume field that produces each one.
As of 2026-10-05: YouTube says Shorts run up to 3 minutes with a 1080p maximum upload; TikTok lists 9:16 at 540 by 960 or more for non-Spark ads, up to 10 minutes and 500 MB; Meta recommends 9:16 for Reels ads and says they default to sound on. Each maps to a Sume Timeline field below.
What each vendor page says
Facts come only from the vendor pages named in the sources, read on 2026-10-05. If a cell is empty, the page did not say.
| Platform | Length | Shape and size | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Up to 3 minutes | Vertical upload; 1080p max | Title up to 100 characters |
| TikTok non-Spark ad | Up to 10 minutes | 9:16 at 540 x 960 or more | 500 MB, 516 kbps or more |
| TikTok Spark Ad | No limit listed on the spec page | .mp4 or .mov | Up to 10 minutes on the Spark page |
| Meta Reels ad | 9:16 recommended | Sound on by default |
Where each lands in Sume
The Sume side comes from docs.sume.com model pages.
| Need | Field or endpoint | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Length | audio.duration_seconds | 1 to 1800 s |
| Size | output.width, output.height | Even, 256 to 2160 |
| Frame rate | output.fps | 24, 25, 30 or 60 |
| Captions | /v1/video-captions | Up to 60 s per job at list price |
| Check | /v1/video-inspect | Probe plus stills |
How to use it
Pick the platform, set the Timeline size and length, burn captions, then probe the file. Each step has its own post in this series if you need more depth. Re-read the vendor pages before a launch; they change.
- Default Timeline output is 1080 x 1920.
- Check price in
GET /v1/catalogbefore a batch. - Use the unbilled plan route first.
Sources
Related posts
More in Use cases
- Shorts 2x playback speed: captions flash by, so set phrasing max_words
YouTube's June 2026 Shorts update lists 2x playback speed. At 2x a caption phrase is on screen half as long; limit max_words and burn captions with Sume.
- Shorts has no dislike button: test three openings before you post
YouTube retired the Shorts dislike in June 2026. Cut three openings from one clip with Sume video trim, compare their stills, and publish only the strongest.
- Shorts series episode one: check four opening frames in two seconds
A Shorts series has a watch series button that leads into a series feed, so episode one is the entry. Check four frames, 0 to 2 seconds, with video inspect.
- Shorts up to 3 minutes: the rule starts with uploads from Oct 15, 2024
YouTube's help page ties 3-minute Shorts to uploads on or after October 15, 2024. What that means for re-posting an old cut or a long Sume render.
Written by Sume