# Frame rate

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/frame-rate
Last updated: 2026-10-08

> Definition: Frame rate is the number of individual images (frames) a video displays per second, measured in frames per second (fps). Common rates are 24, 25, 30 and 60 fps.

Frame rate is how many pictures per second make up the motion you see. At 24 frames per second, movement has the slight blur and cadence of cinema. At 60, it looks smooth and immediate, like live sport or a video game. Most social and YouTube video sits at 30, which is what phones record by default.

## Where do the standard frame rates come from?

The standard frame rates come from film and television history. 24 fps became standard for 35 mm sound film between 1927 and 1930 as a compromise between quality and film cost. Analog TV used 50 fields per second in most of the world and 60 in North America and Japan, which gave us 25 and 30 fps video, and the 29.97 fps that NTSC colour introduced ([source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate)).

## Which frame rate should you use?

The frame rate to use depends on the content more than the platform.

| Frame rate | Look | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 24 fps | Cinematic, slight motion blur | Films, brand stories, narrative pieces |
| 25 fps | Same feel as 24 or 30 | Regions with 50 Hz power and broadcast (PAL) |
| 30 fps | Natural, standard | Talking heads, tutorials, product demos, short-form |
| 60 fps | Very smooth | Gaming, sports, fast screen motion, slow motion |

YouTube accepts 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps, and other rates too ([source](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en)). The usual advice is to export at the rate you recorded at, since converting between rates can cause stutter.

## Frame rate vs shutter speed: what's the difference?

Frame rate is how many frames are captured per second; shutter speed is how long each frame is exposed. A common guideline is a shutter around 1/(2 × frame rate), such as 1/50 s at 24 or 25 fps, which gives natural motion blur. Faster shutters make motion look choppy; slower ones smear it.

## What frame rate does Vidiyo use?

Vidiyo edits on a 30 fps timeline and exports 1080p at 30 fps. When you import footage, it normalises variable frame rates (common from phones and screen recorders) and creates playback proxies, so picture and audio stay in sync. Footage shot at 24 or 60 fps can be imported, but the edit and export are at 30 fps: Vidiyo doesn't currently export 60 fps or 24 fps, and it has no speed ramps or slow-motion controls.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is 30 fps or 60 fps better for YouTube?

Neither is better in general. 30 fps suits talking-head videos and tutorials. 60 fps makes fast motion like gaming and sports smoother but doubles the frames to encode. YouTube accepts 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps, among others.

### What frame rate do Reels and TikTok use?

Short-form platforms don't require one specific rate. Export at the rate you recorded at, which for most phone footage is 30 fps unless you changed the camera setting, rather than converting it.

### What is variable frame rate?

Variable frame rate (VFR) is when a recording changes its frame rate over time, common with phones and screen recorders. Editors usually convert it to a constant rate on import to keep audio and picture in sync.

## Related terms

- [Bitrate](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/bitrate)
- [H.264 vs HEVC](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/h264-vs-hevc)
- [Aspect ratio](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/aspect-ratio)
- [Timeline](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/timeline)

## Where Vidiyo does this

- [The best video editing setup for Mac](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/best-video-editing-setup-for-mac)
- [Is the MacBook Air good for video editing?](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/video-editing-on-macbook-air)

## Sources

- [Frame rate (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Recommended upload encoding settings (YouTube Help)](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en) (accessed 2026-10-08)