What types of product video do software teams make?
| Type | Job | Length | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch video | Announce the product and make people try it | 30–90 s | Launch video guide |
| Explainer | What it is and why it matters | 60–90 s | Explainer video guide |
| Demo | How it works, step by step | 2–5 min | Product demo video |
| Feature announcement | One new capability, shown working | 15–60 s | |
| Teaser | Build anticipation before launch | 10–40 s | Product teaser video |
| Customer story | Proof from someone who uses it | 1–3 min |
Types follow Loom's taxonomy for software product videos (Atlassian/Loom). Loom recommends keeping product videos to two minutes or less.
How long should a product video be?
- Short is finished more often. Across 943,000+ business videos in 2024, about 65% of viewers finished videos under a minute; for videos over 20 minutes it was about 20% (Vidyard).
- Product videos under a minute average 50% engagement in Wistia's platform data, which it doesn't define further (Wistia).
- Launch videos among Product Hunt's daily top three in Sept–Oct 2026 had a median of 78 seconds (our study).
Real software examples sit in that range: Linear's "Introducing Linear Releases" runs 30 seconds and "Introducing Linear Mobile" 54 seconds, while its "Intro to Linear" walkthrough is 4 minutes.
What are the video specs for each platform?
| Platform | Aspect ratio | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 16:9 standard; vertical and square accepted | Up to 15 min (unverified accounts); 12 h max | MP4, H.264; 1080p at 8 Mbps |
| YouTube Shorts | Vertical | Up to 3 min | Max 1080p |
| LinkedIn (video ads) | 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 | 3 s to 30 min; 15–30 s recommended | MP4, up to 500 MB, under 30 fps; captions as SRT |
| X (video ads) | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16, 4:5 and more | Up to 2:20; 15 s or less recommended | MP4/MOV, up to 1 GB; captions strongly recommended |
| Instagram Reels (ads) | 9:16, 1440×2560 | Up to 15 min | Keep the top 14% and bottom 35% clear of key content |
| TikTok (ads) | 9:16 recommended | Up to 10 min | Up to 500 MB |
| Product Hunt | Any (YouTube embed) | No limit set | YouTube link only, full URL, not private |
From each platform's own help or ad-spec page, checked November 2, 2026. Where a platform only publishes ad specs, those are shown.
Selling on marketplaces too? Shopify product media accepts MP4, MOV or WebM up to 10 minutes and 1 GB (Shopify); Amazon suggests 30 to 90 seconds for product videos (Amazon). Check Seller Central for Amazon's current upload limits; third-party guides disagree.
What should a software product video show?
- The problem first. The first three seconds decide whether anyone keeps watching. Open on a moment the viewer recognises.
- The real product. Your interface doing one job at a time, simplified so only the moment that matters is on screen.
- Words on screen. Feeds autoplay muted; every key line needs to be readable.
- One ending. Product name, URL and one action, held long enough to read.
How do you make a product video for software?
| Route | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Screen recording (Loom, Screen Studio) | Demos and tutorials | Free to ~$30/month, plus your editing |
| Studio or freelancer | High-budget brand films | Mostly $2,400–$5,000 per minute at studios that publish prices (details) |
| nod | Launch videos, explainers and feature films from your product page | $49 per video |