The Beginner's Guide to Video Framerates (FPS)

If you've ever looked at your smartphone camera settings or tried to export a video, you've likely seen the letters "fps" (frames per second). But what exactly does framerate mean, and how does it impact the look and feel of your video?

What is Framerate?

A video is just a rapid sequence of still images (frames) played back so quickly that our brains perceive them as continuous motion. The framerate, measured in fps, tells you how many of these still images are displayed every second.

Common Framerates Explained

• 24 fps: The Hollywood standard. This framerate is used in almost all movies and television shows. It provides a "cinematic" look with a natural amount of motion blur.
• 30 fps: The standard for live TV, news broadcasts, and most early digital video. It looks slightly smoother and more "real" than 24 fps. It is very common on YouTube and social media.
• 60 fps (and higher): Used for sports, video games, and capturing fast-moving action. It looks incredibly smooth and hyper-realistic. It's also the framerate you must shoot in if you plan to slow your footage down in post-production (slow motion).

Changing Video Speed and Framerate

Sometimes you receive a video that's too long, or you want to create a cool time-lapse effect. Using a tool like our Video Speed Changer, you can artificially speed up or slow down a clip.

When you speed up a 30fps video by 2x, you are essentially dropping half the frames to play it twice as fast. When you slow it down by half, the software has to either stretch out the existing frames or intelligently blend them. Understanding your base framerate helps you make better decisions when editing and compressing video for the web.