TikTok video saving — Settings and quality

Worked example

Pick Original for editing or 540 for a light review copy; the number is the short side, so 540 means 540 × 960.

For a TikTok link the settings come down to the file option and whether you want video or sound only. The list starts with Original quality as MP4, followed by smaller steps that exist only when they are lower than the source: 1440, 1080, 1000, 900, 720, 600, 540, 480, 360 and 240. Because TikTok clips are vertical, the number refers to the short side, so 720 means 720 × 1280.

Imagine a social media assistant preparing a 45-second clip for an internal review in a messaging thread. The original at 1080 × 1920 may weigh tens of megabytes, while the 540 option (540 × 960) is a fraction of that and still readable on a phone. Each option shows an estimated size and the tool does not guarantee a particular resolution or a clean version of the video; whatever is publicly available is what you get, and picking a lower step can add a conversion before the file is ready.

If you only need the sound, for example a spoken voiceover to transcribe, use the audio route. Options are MP3 and M4A at 128, 192 or 320 kbps, Opus at 96 or 128 kbps, WAV and FLAC. MP3 at 192 kbps is preselected and gives about 1.4 MB per minute, so a 45-second clip is around 1 MB.

A frequent mistake is picking the lowest step to save space and then enlarging the clip on a big screen. A 360 × 640 copy looks soft when played full screen on a laptop, so keep the original or 1080 for anything that will be edited, and use 540 or 480 only for quick reviews.

Decide with the destination in mind: editing master, original; review thread, 540; transcription, MP3 128 or Opus 96. Compare the estimated size shown on each option with the limit of wherever the file is going before you press Prepare selected file.

Your public TikTok video URL

Available public video option

Quality is not guaranteed and the watermark is not removed or promised away; the options reflect what the public source offers.