Glossary
What is frame rate (fps)?
By the KeyMo team · Updated
Frame rate is the number of still pictures a video shows each second, written as frames per second or fps. A higher rate gives smoother motion and needs more data to store. YouTube names 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps as common rates, and KeyMo exports its clips at 30 fps.
Frame rate definition
A video is a stack of still pictures shown fast enough that the eye reads them as movement. The frame rate counts how many appear in one second. Twenty-five fps means twenty-five pictures every second, so each picture stays on screen for a little longer than it would at thirty.
Frame rate is not resolution and not bitrate. Resolution is how big each picture is, and bitrate is how much data is spent per second of video. Two clips can share a frame rate and look completely different.
Common frame rates and what platforms state
| Where | What the page says | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Upload at the frame rate the video was recorded at; 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 are common, other rates are acceptable | Its 1080p SDR bitrate guide is 8 Mbps at 24, 25 or 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48, 50 or 60 fps |
| Instagram Help (Reels upload) | A minimum frame rate of 30 FPS | No maximum is given on that page |
| Instagram developer docs (publishing by API) | 23 to 60 FPS accepted | A different context from in-app upload, and the figures differ |
| KeyMo | Clips export at 30 fps | Alongside 1080x1920 vertical video |
The Instagram figures do not match, so check the page for the route you publish through.
Why the recorded rate matters
YouTube's advice is to upload at the rate you recorded, not to convert it. Changing the rate after the fact makes software invent or drop pictures, and it cannot add detail that was never captured.
One case needs care: interlaced footage. YouTube asks for it to be deinterlaced before upload, and its example turns 1080i60 into 1080p30, where sixty interlaced fields per second become thirty full frames.
Example: a talking-head podcast
Say a podcast was recorded at 25 fps and you want Reels. Instagram's help page names 30 FPS as the minimum for a reel. A clip made in an editor would be set to 30 fps on export. A talking-head clip has little fast motion, so the practical gain from a higher rate is small and the file stays lighter.
Decision rule: if the footage is mostly people talking, 30 fps is enough. If it has fast action, such as sport or screen scrolling, record or keep a higher rate and check the platform's limit first.
Common mistakes
- Assuming more fps always means better quality. It only means more pictures per second.
- Converting footage up to a higher rate, which cannot restore detail.
- Mixing rates inside one edit without checking the export setting.
- Treating a platform's minimum as its recommendation. Instagram's 30 FPS is a floor, not advice to aim for.
Where KeyMo touches it
KeyMo exports every clip as vertical 1080x1920 video at 30 fps, so you do not choose a rate. The codec is H.264, covered on the H.264 page.
Sources: YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings (checked 11 October 2026); Instagram Help Center: Reels specifications (checked 11 October 2026); Instagram Platform: Content publishing API reference (Reels) (checked 11 October 2026).