# Frame rate explained: 24, 30 and 60 fps for social video

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/frame-rate-explained)

Frame rate decides whether video feels like cinema, like television or like a video game. Here is what each common rate is for, which to pick for social video, and the mistakes that make footage stutter.

## The short version

- Frame rate is the number of still images, or frames, a video shows each second, measured in frames per second (fps).
- 24 fps gives a cinematic look, 30 fps is the everyday standard for phone and social video, and 60 fps looks very smooth and suits fast motion and screen recordings.
- In countries with 50 Hz mains electricity, such as the UK and most of Europe, 25 or 50 fps avoids flicker from artificial lights.
- Edit and export at the frame rate you filmed at, because converting between rates can cause stutter.
- Filming at a high frame rate and playing it back at a lower one creates smooth slow motion.

**Frame rate** is how many still pictures a video shows each second, written as fps (frames per second). The higher the number, the smoother movement looks. For social video, 30 fps is the safe everyday choice, 24 fps gives a softer, cinematic feel, and 60 fps looks very smooth and suits fast action, gaming and screen recordings. If you film in the UK or Europe under artificial light, 25 or 50 fps avoids flicker. Whatever you choose, keep the same rate from filming through to export.

## What each frame rate is for

| Frame rate | Look | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24 fps | Cinematic, a little motion blur | Films, brand films, music videos, moody social video |
| 25 fps | Like 24, without flicker under 50 Hz lights | UK and European broadcast, filming indoors in those regions |
| 30 fps | Natural, everyday | Phone video, social posts, vlogs, talking to camera |
| 50 fps | Smooth, crisp motion | Sport and action in 50 Hz regions, slow motion at 25 |
| 60 fps | Very smooth, almost hyper real | Gaming, screen recordings, sport, slow motion at 30 |
| 120 fps and up | Used for slowing down | Slow motion clips played back at 24, 25 or 30 |

The common frame rates. Most phones film at 24, 30 and 60, and many offer 25 and 50 in their settings.

You will also see 23.976, 29.97 and 59.94. These are the North American broadcast versions of 24, 30 and 60, slowed by one part in a thousand for historical reasons. For social video, treat them as the same thing; just don't mix the exact and the decimal versions in one edit.

## 24 vs 30 vs 60 fps: how to choose

A portrait card showing 24 fps labelled cinematic, with softer motion and a filmic feel

24 fps blurs fast movement slightly, which reads as film. It suits slow, considered brand video.

A portrait card showing 60 fps labelled smooth, for action, games and screen recordings

60 fps shows fast movement crisply. It's the right choice when the viewer must follow quick action or scrolling.

1. **Talking, tutorials and everyday posts** 30 fps, or 25 in 50 Hz countries. Natural, efficient, and what viewers are used to from phone video.
2. **Brand films and atmospheric clips** 24 fps for the cinematic look, with a shutter speed around 1/50.
3. **Screen recordings and gaming** 60 fps if the screen scrolls or moves quickly; 30 fps is fine for slow clicking through menus. [Screen recording](https://gradiently.design/guide/screen-recording-tips) covers the rest of the setup.
4. **Anything you might slow down** Film at 60 or 120 fps, then play it back at 30 or 24 in the edit for smooth slow motion.

## The best frame rate for social media

Social apps play 24, 25 and 30 fps video well, and YouTube supports higher rates up to 60 fps. YouTube's own guidance is simple: upload at the frame rate you recorded at. Its list of [recommended upload settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171) includes 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps.

Higher isn't automatically better. A 60 fps file carries twice as many frames as a 30 fps one, and platforms compress uploads, so at the same file size each frame has less data. For talking and slow scenes, 30 fps often looks cleaner after compression than 60. For the frame sizes themselves, see [social media video sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/social-video-sizes).

## Shutter speed and flicker

Frame rate works together with shutter speed, which controls how much motion blur each frame holds. A long standing rule of thumb is to set the shutter to about double the frame rate, written as a fraction. Natural motion blur makes movement look smooth; a very fast shutter makes it look choppy.

| Frame rate | Shutter speed | Flicker safe under |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24 fps | 1/50 | 50 Hz lights (UK, Europe) |
| 25 fps | 1/50 | 50 Hz lights |
| 30 fps | 1/60 | 60 Hz lights (North America) |
| 50 fps | 1/100 | 50 Hz lights |
| 60 fps | 1/120 | 60 Hz lights |

Shutter speeds close to double the frame rate, rounded to values that stay in step with mains lighting.

> **Banding stripes under lights** If dark stripes roll through your footage indoors, your shutter is out of step with the mains frequency of the lights. In the UK and Europe, film at 25 or 50 fps with a shutter of 1/50 or 1/100. Many phone camera apps handle this with an anti flicker setting.

## Mixing frame rates and slow motion

Problems start when footage at one rate goes into a project at another. A 24 fps clip in a 30 fps timeline must repeat some frames, which causes a faint, regular stutter called judder. A 30 fps clip in a 25 fps timeline must drop frames. Set your project to the rate of most of your footage, and film everything at that rate where you can. [Video editing for beginners](https://gradiently.design/guide/timeline-video-editing) covers setting up an edit.

```text
Slow motion = recorded fps ÷ playback fps

 60 fps played at 30 fps  ->  50% speed (2× slower)
120 fps played at 30 fps  ->  25% speed (4× slower)
120 fps played at 24 fps  ->  20% speed (5× slower)
240 fps played at 30 fps  ->  12.5% speed (8× slower)

Slowing 30 fps footage down instead repeats frames and stutters.
```

Real slow motion comes from filming more frames than you play back.

## Frame rates for GIFs, loops and animated posts

Animated designs follow the same logic. GIFs usually run at 10 to 20 fps to keep the file small, which is why they can look slightly jerky; [GIF vs MP4](https://gradiently.design/guide/gif-vs-mp4) explains when that trade off is worth it. For moving backgrounds and loops posted as video, 30 fps is the sweet spot: smooth enough for slow drifting colour, light enough for every platform. Slow, gentle motion also hides the difference between rates far better than fast motion does, one reason calm [seamless loops](https://gradiently.design/guide/seamless-loop-video) look good everywhere.

Gradiently records its moving designs and Mark loops as video at 30 fps, seamless from 5 to 30 seconds with Pro, and shrinks GIFs to a lighter frame rate so they stay a sensible size. You choose the length and the pace; the frame rate is already right for social video.

## FAQ

### What does fps mean?

Frames per second: how many still images a video shows each second. More frames make movement look smoother.

### Is 24 or 30 fps better for social media?

Both work. 30 fps looks natural and is the everyday standard for phone video; 24 fps gives a more cinematic feel. Choose one and keep it from filming to export.

### Should I upload at 60 fps?

Only if the footage was recorded at 60 fps and has fast motion, like gaming, sport or scrolling screens. For talking and slow scenes, 30 fps usually looks as good and compresses better.

### Why does my indoor video flicker?

The shutter speed is out of step with the mains frequency of the lights. In 50 Hz countries such as the UK, use 25 or 50 fps with a 1/50 or 1/100 shutter.

### What frame rate do I need for slow motion?

Film at 60 fps for half speed or 120 fps for quarter speed when played back at 30 fps.