My complete backup strategy and workflow.

The one question I never want to ask myself as a photographer and filmmaker is if the images I've created are backed up and secure.

I never want to ask because I never want to have to explain to someone why I no longer have the images they paid me to create.

Losing images is one of those things you don't think will happen to you until it does. A card is corrupted, files are unintentionally written over, or forgotten in the fury of things on set — simple mistakes that can be avoided altogether if a proper workflow is in place.

So, based on the 3-2-1 Method, here's my proven data management and backup strategy to ensure no image is ever lost from the moment it's captured, through editing, and eventually put into long-term storage.

Image capture.

The success of my backup strategy starts well before any images are captured.

Because for it to work properly, every step of the process has to be mapped out. There should be no question of where data is currently or what needs to happen next.

The key is creating a redundant copy as quickly as possible.

The best way to create a redundant copy is to capture images onto two cards if the camera has dual card slots. This way, two copies are saved simultaneously, and if anything happens to one card, you have another mirrored copy.

But not all cameras have dual card slots, so here's how to manage data captured onto a single card.

Multiple SD Cards.

I prefer to capture images across multiple cards rather than a single card for a whole shoot.

One card is a single point of failure, and everything would be lost if anything happened to that card.

I'm using the 128 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro card for video work.

128 GB is enough for a little over an hour of 4K footage, which is as much as I'd want on any one card.

For photos, I use the 64 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro cards, which hold about 2,000 photos.

Of course, smaller shoots may all fit on a single card, but anything more significant gets split across multiple.

Having multiple cards means parts of the day are captured on each. This way, the rest aren't affected if anything happens to one of them. The worst-case scenario is having to reshoot a segment of the day if it ever comes to it, which it never should, given what I do next.

On-set Data Check.

While it may seem like more of a hassle, the benefit of shooting to smaller cards is that you have to swap them out more frequently.

It's an opportunity to put the card into a laptop and check to make sure everything looks good.

This way, I can see the images on a larger screen and check for anything I may want to adjust, or, for whatever reason, and however unlikely, the card got corrupted, we can reshoot it right away.

I also do this throughout a shoot before changing a setup or moving to a new location, not only when a card is full.

On-set Backup.

At this point, there's only one copy of the data.

So, after I confirm everything looks good during the data check I'll duplicate the card to an external hard drive to create two copies.

Then the card gets a bit of tape put over it and placed in my Pelican Card Case to make sure it's not written over until I'm back in the studio and have data across multiple hard drives.

Editing workflow.

Once a shoot is wrapped and I'm back in the studio, I copy the data to three hard drives.

One drive will be my Live Work, a second will be my Live Backup, and a third will be my Backup Drive.

Depending on the size of the project these drives could be dedicated to the project itself or saved with multiple projects.

Live Work Drive.

The Live Work Drive is for anything being actively worked on. The assets and their Premiere Pro projects or Lightroom Catalogs all live here.

Live Backup Drive.

The Live Backup Drive duplicates the work on the Live Work Drive and is backed up daily. This way, the worst that can happen is that I have to redo a day's worth of work.

Backup Drive.

The Backup Drive maintains clean copies of each asset in case anything should happen to the other two drives. No work happens on this drive.

I remove the tape and clear the cards only after the data is copied onto these three drives.

Long-term storage.

After a project is over and the files are delivered, I'll prepare and store the data in long-term storage.

Data Cleanup.

While I'm particular about file structure and management, project files can still get a bit messy during editing. So, once everything is done, I'll go through and clean up any file names, delete unused files, and generally tidy things up so things are clean if I, or someone else, ever need to get back into a project.

It also helps reduce the file size as it goes into long-term storage. Yes, hard drives are "cheap," but there's simply no reason to pay to save things you'll never need again.

Archiving.

The data cleanup work happens on the Live Work Drive, as it's the most current version. Then, to archive a project, I copy the cleaned up files and folders to three places. Two Archive Drives and Google Cloud.

Archive Drives.

The Archive Drives have identical copies of the final project and all used files. One stays with me in the studio, while the other is off-site. I rotate these drives as new projects are added.

Google Cloud.

The same final project files are also copied to Google Cloud Archive each quarter.

Archive is their cheapest storage tier, meant for infrequent to never-needed retrieval. This is an off-site backup I'll hopefully never have to touch, but I sleep well knowing it's there in case anything happens to the physical drives I keep.

After the files have been copied to the Archive Drives and Google Cloud, I can remove them from the Live Work, Live Backup, and Backup Drives to make room for new projects.

As you see, the point is always to have multiple copies in multiple places so no one thing can wipe out your data.

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What to read next.

The simple way to organize your folders.

There's an endless number of reasons you'll want to organize content a certain way.

But that doesn't mean all folder structures are sound. Some are naturally better than others.

First, I'll tell you how I organize my documents, photos, videos, and archived projects. Then, I'll share some best practices to follow in case you need to modify anything for what you do.

If you read nothing else, though, the key principle of folder organization is to keep the structure as simple as possible. You should be able to easily direct someone to what they need over the phone, even if this is the first time they've seen the folders.

Pair this with a straightforward file naming convention, and you'll be miles ahead of anyone else.

Organization Frameworks.

Different types of content require different organizational structures.

So, instead of a one-size-fits-all structure, here are a few frameworks to start from, depending on what you're organizing.

And the main types of content you'll need to keep organized as a creator or marketer are:

• Documents

• Photos

• Video

• Archiving

You should be able to fit other content into these or take bits and pieces from each to build whatever else you need.

Organizing Documents.

Here's the top-level structure I use for organizing my business and client docs. You can set up the folders within these however you want, as everyone does something a bit different, but I'll share a bit of what I do, too, so you get an idea.

Every file should have a home, you don’t want to let anything become an unorganized catch-all.

00-Admin

Admin is for client and vendor contracts, project estimation templates, registrations, and expenses.

00-Operations

Operations has process docs and templates along with a subscription tracker.

00-SuperAdmin

Super Admin is for banking and legal documents. If you have a team, this folder is only for the owners and anyone who helps manage the finances.

01-WESJONESCO

This brand folder has all your company branding, like logo lockups, letterhead, people photos, reels, case studies, and website copy.

02-Marketing

The Marketing folder contains all your marketing materials, like social assets and blog posts.

03-Projects

Sometimes, you need to treat an internal project like a client project, so those go here.

04-Products

If you sell your own products, you'll save and manage all of those assets and documents here in the Products folder.

05-Clients

All client work goes here and should be organized by date in their own Client Folder.

06-Resources

Resources are any creative asset or business guide. For me, it's a lot of photo presets, video LUTs, graphics packs, and some SEO and writing guides.

MISC

MISC is for things that don't have a home yet or only need to be saved for a short period of time. I don't treat this as a long-term storage folder, as it would just become a mess. So, it's more of an interim landing pad for things I don't know what to do with yet. And then, every so often, I'll go through and either move things to where they need to go or delete them if I don't have a use for them.

Also, I put numbers in front of these so they're organized in the order I like. If I didn't include the numbers, they'd be arranged alphabetically, and that would be fine, but not how I'd like them.

Organizing Photos Folders.

While I use Lightroom to catalog and edit my photos, there are a few other programs people use to do those same things. So, this structure is for organizing your photos on your hard drive rather than setting up the organization inside whatever editor you prefer, though often they'll mirror each other.

The three folders you need are RAW, Live, and Selects.

The backend organization of photo projects is relatively straightforward, while how you categorize images in your editor can be much more customized.

RAW

The RAW folder, obviously, has all of your RAW image files. These are then sorted in sub-folders by date. So, a brand shoot for my company, LIIP, on August 16, 2024, would be in a folder titled 240816-LIIP-BrandShoot.

Live

The Live folder is there for working images. Now, if you're only editing in a single program like Lightroom, you won't be saving anything here. But, if you're starting in Lightroom and then finishing an image in Photoshop, you'd save the Photoshop file here. You'll also want to create a folder with the same name as what you have in the RAW folder so they're clearly part of the same project.

Selects

The Selects folder is for your final images. And, like in the RAW and Live folders, you'll want to create another folder with the same project name so you know what's what.

Also, I recreate these folders in a top-level year folder like 2024, so I can easily archive a year's worth of work and not have to dig through a bunch of folders all the time.

Organizing Video Projects.

While similar to Photo projects, Video projects have many more assets to manage and, therefore, need a different structure.

The main reason for this is each video project is self-contained. This means each project will have all its assets saved within a singular folder structure without any crossover from one project to another. This way, projects can be easily transferred between computers or editors and later archived.

Every video project will have a main project folder and then sub-folders for each type of asset.

Video projects are best saved and managed independently from every other video project you’re working on.

Project Folder.

The Project Folder will include the reverse date for organization followed by the brand and project. For example, a launch video capture on January 15, 2014, for Liip would be saved to a folder named 240115-LIIP-LaunchVideo.

Then, the asset folders within the Project Folder are:

00-Premiere

The Premiere Folder is where I save the project itself. I edit in Adobe Premier Pro, which is why I named the folder Premiere, but you can call it whatever editor you use.

01-Motion

The Motion Folder is where I save all of my video assets. Depending on the size of the project, I may put all of the clips here. Or, if I have media from multiple cameras or different days, I'll further break them out however makes the most sense.

02-Audio

All of my audio clips then go into the Audio Folder, which is further broken down into folders of the different types of audio files I have. These audio sub-folders are Dialog, Ambient, Music, and SFX.

Then, like the Motion Folder, I'll create additional sub-folders if I need to separate things by recording device or day captured.

03-Graphics

The Graphics Folder is for any titles, overlays, or visual elements used in the project.

04-Stills

The Stills Folder is obviously there for any still images being used. Graphics can be still assets, but Stills to me is any photo image while Graphics are more of a rendering or visual.

05-Exports

All Final Exports are saved to the Exports Folder. Mostly, I'll put them all in the main folder and make sure I name them correctly so I know what's what if there's more than one. But, if needed, I'll create other sub-folders for the size or platform the video is going on if there are multiple.

Archive Organization.

Ok, so far, all of our assets and top-level folders have been organized by reverse date in their folder or file name.

Now, something I like to do when they go into my archive is to add another layer above those to categorize them by client or project type. When I need to go back and find something I worked on before, I more often remember the client or project type than the specific date I worked on it.

Then, inside these client or project-type folders, everything remains dated as they were initially.

This extra bit of categorization makes it super easy to find things no matter how long ago I worked on them.

Additional Considerations.

Settings up your folders doesn't have to be hard. But it takes being diligent, so here are a handful of things to consider as you either set up your folders or continue maintaining them.

• The fewer folders, the better — you don't want to have to dig for every asset.

• Be consistent, each project should mirror each other so you always know where to find things.

• Be logical, do whatever makes the most sense for your project within these frameworks.

• Don't let short-term storage pile up — everything needs a home.

• Be able to tell someone where to find an asset without having to show them.

All this said, good file and folder structure doesn't matter if you don't have a proven backup strategy to protect your data from ever being lost or destroyed.

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What to read next.

The ideal way to name your files.

How to name files was one of the first things I learned when I started my first job at an advertising agency.

And as simple as it seems, it's one of the most critical project management skills one can have. Correctly named files are the difference between losing assets and your mind and being able to find things with your eyes closed. Files are the atomic elements of a rock-solid data management system, and how they're named creates the organization for your organization.

My strategy is to name files so that someone who comes across one for the first time will have a general idea of what it is just by reading the name.

Like I said, it's not hard, but it takes diligence. Here's how.

The best asset naming convention for content creators is YYMMDD-BRAND-PROJECT-HRDWR-00X-V#

Oh, and while this is mostly for photo and video assets, the naming convention applies to pretty much anything.

Hyphens only, no spaces, underscores, or special characters.

First, you only want to use hyphens to separate anything in your file name.

You shouldn't use underscores, and you definitely don't want to use spaces. This is because search engines will interpret a hyphen as a space between words while an underscore is read as a joiner. And, while you could use spaces, not all applications support spaces in file names, and it can cause errors if you try to load one in.

Also, don't use any special characters like " / \ [ ] : ; | = , < ? > & $ # ! ‘ { } () *. Those cause errors, too. Letters and numbers only.

Descending dates, first.

The key to this naming convention is all about how you type out the dates.

See how the ones on the left are all the same width while the ones on the right are different.

By starting with the Year > Month > Day, you inherently build in automatic sorting, as all files will order themselves by date.

And, while you could type out the whole year, like 2024, I like to keep it to just two characters to save space. Then, I'll also add zeroes to single-digit numbers to keep all dates the same width. So, June 14, 2024, becomes 240614.

By doing this, you'll be able to quickly navigate to any asset by simply knowing the date.

Brand code.

Following the date, I include a two to four-character code to identify the brand or project I'm working with.

Sometimes, this can be the full brand name like BMW or YETI. Or, it's an abbreviation like TNF for The North Face. Whatever makes sense to you and whoever you may be working with.

Project code.

Now, the Brand Code isn't enough to distinguish one project from another with the same brand, so you'll also need to come up with a shorthand for the specific project you're working on.

Naturally, this will be a bit more descriptive, but you also want to keep it relatively short. You want your file names to be at most 25 characters. The shorter, the better.

If you're at a specific location, you could use that, or if it's a studio shoot, you could use "studio." Or, if it's a fall campaign, you could use "fall-campaign."

Part of coming up with the Project Code is knowing everything in the file name provides context, so you don't need to rely solely on any one aspect of it.

Hardware code.

A Hardware Code isn't always necessary, but if you have a project where you're creating multiple assets at the same time and want to know where they came from, you should add this in before the Asset Numbering.

Specifically, I'm thinking of a photo or video shoot with multiple cameras or when you're capturing video and audio.

If that's the case, you'll want to quickly be able to identify which assets came from what camera or device.

For example, if you're on a shoot with two Canon R5 cameras and are capturing audio with a Zoom F3, you could add R51 to the first camera's files and R52 to the others, with F3 added to the audio files.

Asset numbering.

When importing your assets, you want to add them in the order they were captured starting from 1.

You'll also want to pad all numbers with additional zeros so they take up the same amount of space. This means if you have less than 1,000 but more than 100 assets, you would have three number spaces and start at 001. This makes sure each number takes up the same amount of space and is easier to read.

You should be using zeros to make all numbers the same width.

Then, the one thing I am conscious of when exporting some but not all of the assets is to make sure the Asset Number stays the same. You don't want asset 035 to become asset 004 after a partial export. It'll just be a mess trying to reconcile everything.

Version code.

Another "only-as-needed" aspect of this naming convention is adding Version Codes. Add these after the Asset Number so you don't break the rest of the system and can keep track of each new asset. To create these, I'll start by adding v1 and then increasing the number v2, v3, etc, with each new file.

You also need to be consistent with the way you name different versions of the same asset.

Consistency.

All systems are only as good as the people who use them. The key is being consistent. It only works if everyone is committed to it.

That's it, a simple, straightforward naming convention for your digital assets. The key is consistency, as this only works if everyone is committed to it. But how you name your files is only one part of it. You also need a systematic folder structure to keep them in and a backup strategy to keep them safe.

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What to read next.

How to Airdrop content from your Mac to your iPhone 2x faster.

When I started creating content, transferring it from my computer to my phone so I could post it was always the most annoying step.

I'd finish editing a reel or a handful of photos for Instagram. Then I'd have to go through the tedious process of right-clicking, finding Airdrop, and making sure I wasn't accidentally sending the files to someone else's phone and waiting for it to get there.

But now I've figured out how to do it twice as fast and not worry about sending it to anyone I don't want to.

Let me show you how.

How to Add Airdrop to Your Mac Dock.

The trick is adding Airdop as an app to the Dock on your Mac.

Now, the first place you'd think to look to find Airdrop is the Applications folder. But you're not going to find it there.

Instead, here's exactly how to find it.

First, you need to open up Finder.

Then click Go in the Menu Bar.

You won’t find the Airdrop app in the Applications Folder, instead you need to search for it within Finder.

Next, select Go to Folder.

Then copy and paste this in the Search bar: /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Applications/

Click Enter, and the folder with all of the Finder apps will open.

Select Airdrop and drag it down to your Dock.

Unlike other apps, you don’t have to tell Airdrop to say in the Dock. It will always be there unless you remove it.

That's it for getting it in the Dock, but you can also add it to your Sidebar Favorites in Finder as well.

How to Add Airdrop to your Finder Favorites.

Open Finder.

Go to Finder > Settings from the Menu Bar.

Go to the Sidebar Tab and select Airdrop in the Favorites section.

Alongside Airdrop, you can customize what other apps or folders you want quick access to within Finder.

Now, you can access Airdrop from the Finder to drag and drop files from wherever.

Airdrop Speed Test Results.

These are minor optimizations, but now, instead of navigating through a bunch of menus, all you have to do is open Airdrop from the Dock. Select the content you want to transfer and drag it to the device you want to Airdrop it to. Or go into Airdrop directly from Finder if you're already there. Fewer clicks and no more worrying if you're sending the files yourself.

With the standard way, it takes 10.87 seconds to go through the Menus and Airdrop a file to yourself.

It takes at least four clicks to send content via Airdrop when you go through the menus.

But with the shortcut, it takes 5.57 seconds, nearly twice as fast as if you did it the other way.

Using the Airdrop app only takes two clicks to transfer content and is nearly twice as fast.

It's a slight difference, but these little tasks add up if you transfer content more than once a day.

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What to read next.

The Best Premiere Pro Export Settings for YouTube.

Here are the Premiere Pro export settings you want to use to upload high-quality YouTube videos.

I made export presets for all of these, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

Also, here are the settings for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok if you need those.

While YouTube tells us the exactly what we should upload, there are still a few tricks we can use to get even higher quality.

Premiere Pro Settings.

Format: H.264
Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate

Basic Video Settings.

Frame Size: 1920x1080 HD or 3840 x 2160 4K
Frame Rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60 FPS
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)
Render at Maximum Depth: Yes
Use Maximum Render Quality: Yes

Encoding Settings.

Performance: Software Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.1
Export Color Space: Rec. 709

Bitrate Settings.

Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 2 Pass
Target Bitrate: 8 Mbps HD or 60 Mbps 4K
Maximum Bitrate: 12 Mbps HD or 65 Mbps 4K

Audio.

Audio Format: ACC
Audio Code: ACC
Sample Rate: 4800 Hz
Channels: Stereo
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Captions.

Export Options: Burn Captions Into Video

YouTube is for sure the best video player on the internet, and lucky for us, they very clearly lay out the exact export settings to get the best performance from it.

So, if all you do is follow what's above, you'll be in good shape. But I've learned some nuances and tricks that can lead to even higher quality if you want to try them, too.

Also, if any of these settings are grayed out, all you have to do is toggle the checkbox next to it to activate and edit them. Then, depending on your hardware, you might not be able to select some of these settings, and if that's the case, pick whatever is the next closest option.

Lastly, there are a lot of settings in Premiere Pro, but if I didn't mention them, that means they won't affect the quality of your video.

Format.

H.264 is the current standard video encoding format associated with high-quality video and moderate compression. Eventually, though, I expect YouTube will upgrade to the newer H.265, which allows for even higher quality with less compression.

Preset.

Once you have all of these settings, you can create a YouTube Export Preset so you don't have to update these settings each time.

Frame Size.

Here's the biggest trick I've found for uploading high-quality videos on YouTube.

No matter what your video resolution is, you want to export and upload it in 4K.

Do this even if all of your footage is 1080x1920. Upscaling will make an HD to 4K video sharper when it's played back again at a lower resolution as the pixels are recombined. Also, for whatever reason, it seems like YouTube gives 4K videos a little bit more processing or rendering power when they're uploaded and played back.

To do this, set your Frame Size in Premiere to 3840x2160 and then select Scale to Fit to proportionally upscale any smaller footage.

Frame Rate.

Since YouTube can play footage at any of the standard frame rates, the best thing to do here is to match your Sequence Settings to the Frame Rate you captured the footage in and then export it in the same.

Render at Maximum Depth & Use Maximum Render Quality.

You should enable these no matter what platform you are exporting for.

Hardware vs. Software Encoding.

Software Encoding will give you the highest quality output as it dynamically adapts to your video rather than be limited by whatever the hardware can or cannot do. It's a little bit slower than Hardware Encoding, but it's absolutely worth it to make sure you're exporting the best quality video you can.

Export Color Space.

YouTube recommends exporting in BT.709, but just know BT.709 and Rec. 709 are the same thing and will ensure the colors you see in Premiere will look the same after it's uploaded to YouTube.

Bitrate Settings.

While YouTube recommends a single encoding Bitrate, I like using VBR 2 Pass and setting the Maximum a little bit above their Target in case YouTube does any encoding or compression of their own.

So, with their guidelines and my preference of using VBR 2 Pass, here are the Bitrate settings to use:

1080p @ 24, 25, or 30 FPS.
Target Bitrate: 8 Mbps
Maximum Bitrate: 12 Mbps

1080p @ 60 FPS.
Target Bitrate: 12 Mbps
Maximum Bitrate: 15 Mbps

4K @ 24, 25, or 30 FPS.
Target Bitrate: 40 Mbps
Maximum Bitrate: 45 Mbps

4K @ 60 FPS.
Target Bitrate: 60 Mbps
Maximum Bitrate: 65 Mbps

File Size.

The daily maximum or maximum file size you can upload on YouTube is 256 GB, which is huge, so this really isn't something to worry about. I’ve also heard this goes away once YouTube decides you’re not spamming the platform with content.

Custom Thumbnail.

The perfect YouTube thumbnail is 1280x720 pixels with a file size of 2 MB or less.

1280x720 is a 16:9 image and matches the aspect ratio of your YouTube video.

And that's it. YouTube is probably the easiest platform to export for.

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What to read next.

The Best Premiere Pro Export Settings for YouTube Shorts.

Here are the Premiere Pro export settings you want to use for high-quality YouTube Shorts.

You can download the presets for these export settings at the end of the article.

Also, here are the settings for YouTube, Instagram Reels, and TikTok if you need those.

While not as sophisticated as Instagram Reels or TikTok, YouTube Shorts can lead to wild channel growth on the platform.

Premiere Pro Settings.

Format: H.264
Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate

Basic Video Settings.

Frame Size: 1080x1920
Frame Rate: 24, 25, 30 FPS
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)
Render at Maximum Depth: Yes
Use Maximum Render Quality: Yes

Encoding Settings.

Performance: Software Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.1
Export Color Space: Rec. 709

Bitrate Settings.

Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 Pass
Target Bitrate: 8 Mbps

Audio.

Audio Format: ACC
Audio Code: ACC
Sample Rate: 4800 Hz
Channels: Stereo
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Captions.

Export Options: Burn Captions Into Video

If any of these settings are grayed out, all you have to do is toggle the checkbox next to it to activate and edit them. Also, depending on your hardware, you might not be able to select some of these settings, and if that's the case, check out each section below for what to do instead.

Then lastly, there are a lot of settings in Premiere Pro, but if I didn't mention them, that means they won't affect the quality of your video.

Format.

H.264 is the current standard video encoding format associated with high-quality video and moderate compression. Eventually, though, platforms will upgrade to the newer H.265, which allows for even higher quality with less compression.

Preset.

Once you have all of these settings, you can create a YouTube Short Export Preset so you don't have to update these settings each time.

Frame Size.

YouTube Shorts are vertical videos at 1080x1920.

Frame Rate.

While most other social platforms play at 30 FPS, YouTube Shorts will natively play 24, 25, and 30 FPS.

So, the best thing to do here is to match your Sequence Settings to the Frame Rate you captured the footage in and then export it in the same.

Render at Maximum Depth & Use Maximum Render Quality.

Check both of these, so Premiere adds whatever extra bit of quality it can.

Hardware vs. Software Encoding.

Though it will take a bit longer to export than Hardware Encoding, Software Encoding will give you the highest quality output. Software Encoding is better because it dynamically adapts to your video rather than being limited by whatever the hardware can or cannot do.

And for exporting a one minute or less video, the time difference will be hardly noticeable, if at all.

Export Color Space.

Exporting your project in Rec. 709 helps ensure your video has consistent and accurate colors as it goes from Premiere Pro to YouTube Shorts.

Bitrate Settings.

YouTube is specific about what Bitrate it likes for the footage you're uploading.

For 1080p videos at 24, 25, or 30 FPS, they recommend a Bitrate of 8 Mbps.

So, with Software Encoding selected, we'll use VBR 1 Pass and set the Target Bitrate to 8 Mbps.

File Size.

YouTube's file size limits are large enough not to worry about them. So, you'll be fine with whatever the file size is with the settings above.

Custom Thumbnail.

Unfortunately, you can't upload a separate Thumbnail file for a YouTube Short, but you can select a frame from your video. You have to do this before you upload it, though, as you can't go back and edit it later.

Uploading Shorts with the YouTube App lets you use videos you've already made or you can create one in the app.

Uploading Shorts to YouTube.

Nothing on YouTube makes it clear you’re uploading a Short. Instead, YouTube will categorize your video as a Short if you upload a 1:1 or 9:16 vertical video that’s less than 60 seconds.

YouTube will make any square or vertical video that’s less than 60 seconds a Short.

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What to read next.

The Best Premiere Pro Export Settings for TikTok.

Here are the Premiere Pro export settings you want to use for high-quality TikToks.

Also, here are the settings for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and YouTube if you need those.

Depending on where you’re uploading from, you need to make sure your file isn’t too big when exporting TikTok’s from Premiere Pro.

Premiere Pro Settings.

Format: H.264
Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate

Basic Video Settings.

Frame Size: 1080x1920
Frame Rate: 30 or 60 FPS
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)
Render at Maximum Depth: Yes
Use Maximum Render Quality: Yes

Encoding Settings.

Performance: Software Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.1
Export Color Space: Rec. 709

Bitrate Settings.

Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 Pass
Target Bitrate: 8 Mbps

Audio.

Audio Format: ACC
Audio Code: ACC
Sample Rate: 4800 Hz
Channels: Stereo
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Captions.

Export Options: Burn Captions Into Video

If any of these settings are grayed out, all you have to do is toggle the checkbox next to it to activate and edit them. Also, depending on your hardware, you might not be able to select some of these settings, and if that's the case, check out each section below for what to do instead.

Then lastly, there are a lot of settings in Premiere Pro, but if I didn't mention them, that means they won't affect the quality of your video.

Format.

H.264 is the current standard video encoding format associated with high-quality video and moderate compression. Eventually, though, platforms will upgrade to the newer H.265, which allows for even higher quality with less compression.

Preset.

Once you have all of these settings, you can create a YouTube Short Export Preset so you don't have to update these settings each time.

Frame Size.

All videos on TikTok have a vertical aspect ratio of 9:16 and have a max size of 1080x1920.

Frame Rate.

TikTok will play videos up to 60 FPS. So, I would choose either 30 or 60 FPS and make sure my export settings matched the Frame Rate I captured the footage in and my Sequence Settings.

Render at Maximum Depth & Use Maximum Render Quality.

Make sure you check both of these.

Hardware vs. Software Encoding.

While you might hear people say Hardware Encoding is better for performance, they mean the computer's performance, not the quality of your video. So, you want to select Software Encoding.

Export Color Space.

Export your project in Rec. 709 so the colors you see in Premiere Pro look the same on TikTok.

Bitrate Settings.

For TikTok, you can use VBR 2 Pass and set the Target and Maximum Bitrate to 10 Mbps.

File Size.

While there's no lower limit, TikTok does have different maximum file size limits for different devices.

Android: 72 MB
iOS: 287 MB
Desktop: 500 MB

You likely won't hit the limits when uploading online or from an iPhone. But you might have to adjust the Target and Maximum Bitrate to keep the file under the Android limit.

Custom Thumbnail.

Like YouTube Shorts, you can't upload a separate Thumbnail file for TikTok. But you can select a frame from your video. You just have to remember to do this before you upload it, as you can't go back and edit it later.

TikTok Settings.

Now, on the upload screen for every TikTok you're posting, you want to click More Options and then make sure Allow High-Quality Uploads is enabled. This, obviously, is going to make sure TikTok is uploading your video with the highest quality settings it can.

Unlike Instagram, you have to enable Allow High-Quality Uploads each time you upload a new TikTok.

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What to read next.

The Best Premiere Pro Export Settings for Instagram Reels.

Here are the Premiere Pro export settings you want to use for high-quality Instagram Reels.

To save time, you can download presets of these export settings at the bottom of the page.

Also, here are the settings for YouTube, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok if you need those.

Setting up Premiere Pro to export Instagram Reels.

Premiere Pro Settings.

Format: H.264
Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate

Basic Video Settings.

Frame Size: 1080x1920
Frame Rate: 30 FPS
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)
Render at Maximum Depth: Yes
Use Maximum Render Quality: Yes

Encoding Settings.

Performance: Software Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.1
Export Color Space: Rec. 709

Bitrate Settings.

Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 2 Pass
Target Bitrate: 20 Mbps
Maximum Bitrate: 24 Mbps

Audio.

Audio Format: ACC
Audio Code: ACC
Sample Rate: 4800 Hz
Channels: Stereo
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Captions.

Export Options: Burn Captions Into Video

If any of these settings are grayed out, all you have to do is toggle the checkbox next to it to activate and edit them. Also, depending on your hardware, you might not be able to select some of these settings, and if that's the case, check out each section below for what to do instead.

Then lastly, there are a lot of settings to consider, and if I didn't mention them, that means they don't apply to the quality of your video export.

Format.

H.264 is the current standard video encoding format associated with high-quality video and moderate compression. Eventually, though, platforms will upgrade to the newer H.265, which allows for even higher quality with less compression.

Preset.

Once you have all of these settings, you can create an Export Preset so you don't have to input them every time you export a reel.

Frame Size.

Instagram shows Reels at 1080x1920 and will scale videos to fit if they're not correctly sized. So it's best just to give it what it wants.

That said, something possibly worth trying is doubling the frame size to 2160x3840 and having it downscaled to 1080x1920 when Instagram encodes it. The only thing that makes me second guess this is the increased file size, possibly causing more problems than it's worth.

Frame Rate.

While we can argue the cinematic qualities of 24 FPS all day long, the native framerate of Instagram, and really all social platforms, is 30 FPS.

That said, you probably captured your footage in 29.97 FPS. So, you want to make sure your sequence setting matches at 29.97 FPS, and then you can export at either 29.97 or 30 FPS.

They're close enough that you won't have any syncing issues for the length of a reel.

Render at Maximum Depth & Use Maximum Render Quality.

It's hard to tell the difference when these are left unchecked, but why would you ever do that? Check them and know you're getting whatever extra juice Premiere will give you.

Hardware vs. Software Encoding.

Software Encoding will take a little bit longer to render your video, but it will result in the highest quality output as it can dynamically adapt to your video. Hardware Encoding, on the other hand, is more limited in its capabilities and prone to producing artifacts.

Another benefit of Software Encoding is it also allows you to use VBR 2 Pass for your Bitrate settings if you want to.

Export Color Space.

Exporting your project in Rec. 709 helps ensure your video has consistent and accurate colors as it goes from Premiere Pro to Instagram.

Bitrate Settings.

With Software Encoding, we can use VBR 2 Pass, meaning Premiere Pro will go through the video twice. This way, we can set a Target and Maximum Bitrate.

Now, everyone has an opinion on the best bitrate setting for Instagram reels, and it's a bit of a personal preference. After testing over 100 reels to see what looked best, I found 20 Mbps to be about as high as I'd want for my Target Bitrate.

I then usually set the Maximum Bitrate about 4 Mbps higher, or 24 Mbps.

That said, for shorter videos, around 15-20 seconds, I have been able to bump the Target and Maximum up while making sure the overall file size doesn't get too big. And I've also dropped them down to 8-14 Mbps for longer videos from 60-90 seconds.

File Size.

While File Size isn't a setting itself, I'm paying attention to it the whole time. The trick is getting the highest quality output with the lowest possible file size. And, of all the settings that affect quality, it really comes down to Bitrate determining the File Size.

And, while Instagram doesn't say their Maximum File Size, I aim to keep mine under 150 MBs. Which sometimes means deviating from the Bitrate recommendations above.

Cover Photo.

Whether you export a screenshot or create a graphic for your Reel Cover Photo, I like to export and upload mine at the same size as the video, 1080x1920. This way, the image will likely appear sharper if it's reduced and shown at a smaller size.

Instagram Reel Cover Photo’s are only ever shown in the Grid or Discover page.

That's it for export settings, but before you upload, you still need to do one thing to publish the best quality reels on Instagram.

Instagram Settings.

You only need to do this once, but make sure you go into your Instagram Settings and Privacy, then to Media Quality, and turn on Upload at Highest Quality.

You only have to turn on Upload at Highest Quality inside Instagram once for it to apply to all photo and video uploads.

Instagram Encoding.

Now, the last thing you want to hear, but the last thing you need to know is even after you export your video from Premiere with these exact settings, Instagram still might not show your reel at its highest quality.

This is because Instagram encodes your video file when it's uploaded and then serves different versions depending on a variety of unknown factors. These could be how popular a reel is, what country it's playing in, or how old a video is.

While there's no definitive answer to this, obviously, reels getting more views will be shown in a higher quality than those that don't. The only evidence I have is if you look at a reel posted a while ago, it will likely have a lower quality than one posted today.

What this really means is that while you can follow all of these steps for exporting and uploading high-quality reels, you still need to create content people want to interact with if you want your content to be seen at its highest quality.

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What to read next.

The Best Lightroom Export Settings for Instagram.

Here are the Lightroom CC export settings you want to use for sharp, high-quality images on Instagram.

And then, here are the settings for Instagram Reels if you’re also creating videos in Premiere Pro.

The Lightroom CC Export Panel with the best settings for Instagram.

Lightroom Settings.

Image Type: JPG or PNG
Crop: 4x5
Dimensions: Custom
Short Side: 2,160 Pixels
Quality: 100%
Output Sharpening: Screen
Amount: High
Color Space: sRGB

Now, if you're interested, let's go through these, and I'll explain why these are the settings to use.

You'll also see a couple of other settings in the panel, like Metadata and File Name, but those don't affect image quality, so I'm not going into them here.

File type.

It doesn't really matter if you use JPG or PNG, but the general recommendation is to use JPGs for photos and PNGs for graphic or vector-based art. And since we're talking about images from Lightroom, it's best to use JPGs.

Crop.

The reason to post 4x5 images is because they take up the most real estate in the Instagram Feed.

Smaller image ratios like 1x1 and certainly 4x3 or 16x9 get scrolled past more quickly, and the point, of course, is to have people spend as much time with your content as possible, which they'll have to with a taller image.

Sizing.

The maximum width of any image on Instagram is 1080 pixels wide.

So, why am I suggesting exporting from Lightroom at 2160 pixes?

Well, because it's exactly double 1080, and when the larger image is scaled down, those pixels are combined to create an even sharper image.

Quality.

No matter what, every image is run through Instagram's compression algorithm as it's published, so we might as well give it the highest, 100% quality to work with.

Output Sharpening.

A lot of what's perceived as "high quality" on Instagram is really how sharp an image appears.

Typically, the Standard amount of sharpening is fine, but since your image is also going through Instagram's compression algorithm, which will knock it down somewhat, adding a little more with the High setting will help retain that extra bit of detail.

Color Space.

sRGB is the standard color space for screen displays. Knowing that, you'll want to export your image from Lightroom in sRGB so the colors remain consistent as they go from Lightroom to Instagram.

Instagram Settings.

Lastly, in Instagram, go to Settings and Privacy > Media Quality and turn on Upload at Highest Quality so Instagram isn't throttling your image quality any more than it needs to.

You only need to enable Upload at Highest Quality once for Instagram to always use this setting.

That’s it. Simple, straightforward settings you should use to ensure every image you export from Lightroom and upload to Instagram is as high quality as it can be.

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What to read next.

6 Timeless Books You Should Read Every Year.

No matter how thoughtful I am in my planning, the difference between my expectations and what actually happens each year always changes, but the lessons, strategies, and tactics in these books never do.

These books contain the fundamentals that work no matter what, which is why you and I should read them every year.

Even though it shouldn’t matter and we really should start doing anything we want to do as soon as we can, going from one year to the next feels like a significant moment in time. Enough to make us reflect on what worked and what didn’t and plan ahead for what we want to do less of and, of course, what we want to do more of.

So, reminding ourselves of these timeless strategies and frameworks as we head into a new year helps make sure we don’t get caught making the same mistakes or chasing the latest trends only to be left with nothing to show for it by this same time next year.

With that, here are the six books you should read to be more productive, make and manage your money, be interesting, and build better relationships this year.

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Atomic Habits is the foundational book for anything you’ll ever do and is the first book I reread every year.

Rather than focus on tactics for getting things done, Atomic Habits gives us the tools to shift our mindset and get out of our own way. The point I always remember is, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Meaning whatever we want to do, it’s not about how ambitious the goals we set are. Instead, it’s about creating the right environment and showing up every day. It’s about consistently being 1% better instead of trying to force something to happen in short bursts of extraordinary effort.

2. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.

Like Atomic Habits, The Psychology of Money isn’t about how to make more money today.

Instead, it, too, is about how to manage and make better decisions with your money for life. It explores the ways we are irrational with money and outlines how simple strategies are better for the majority of people more often than not.

The reason to read this book each year is to remind yourself of the easy-to-make mistakes that will cost you if you’re not careful to avoid them.

3. Just Keep Buying by Nick Maggiulli.

The third book on the list and the second book about money to read every year is Just Keep Buying.

While the title somewhat gives away the strategy, the psychology and historical data used to prove it are well worth reviewing to reconfirm you’re doing the right thing no matter what’s happening day-to-day.

And, because there’s a little overlap with The Psychology of Money, you’ll know you have a fundamental money strategy that stands the test of time.

Also, while you don’t have to read it every year, if you’re just getting started on your money journey or don’t know where to start, I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi has everything you need to know. Start there, then read these two books, and you’ll know more than almost anyone.

4. Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks.

No one likes to tell a story and have it fall flat, realize no one is listening to you, and get frustrated wondering why no one takes you seriously.

Well, that was me until I read Storyworthy.

So, instead of thinking you’re not interesting or no one cares about you. Realize storytelling is how we communicate, and the best storytellers are the ones who get the most opportunities.

What Storyworthy taught me was that storytelling isn’t hard. Instead, it’s quite simple, and there are tactics and easy-to-remember strategies to use that can make anything, or anyone, interesting.

5. Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss.

If Storyworthy is about getting people to like you, Never Split The Difference is about how to have tough conversations with people who might not (yet).

Never Split The Difference taught me everything is a negotiation, which doesn’t mean one person gets what they want and the other doesn’t. Instead, it’s about both people getting what they want and finding the path to make that possible.

And, really, it comes down to asking the right questions. Written by a former FBI international hostage negotiator, Never Split The Difference not only tells you but also shows you what, how, when, and why these strategies work.

6. Influence by Robert Cialdini.

A lot of what we’ve read so far is about how we should think or what we need to do.

Now, Influence is about how others think and how we can use that to our advantage to get them to do what we want them to.

Having read a number of other psychology, persuasion, and copywriting books, the one thing I noticed in all of them was they all made references back to Influence. So, rather than get bits and pieces from other books, you’re getting it right from the source with this.

Why Six?

At first, I thought I should pick 12 books to reread every year.

With 12, I wouldn’t have to decide what to read ever again. But I had trouble coming up with 12 as some I thought about including were too relevant for today to be considered timeless.

And then I realized six is perfect.

Six books give you and me half a year’s worth of foundational lessons, strategies, and tactics to stay grounded, and the other half to explore something new.

This way, we’re always looking ahead while also being sure of who we are and knowing we’re making the right decisions.

Happy New Year!

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