Every video you upload for use in the Turn It Blue Ads platform will need to meet three key ad specifications: file dimensions, file size, and file type. Your ad files must meet these three specific parameters in order to work properly in available inventory. A brief explainer for each can be found below.

  • File Dimensions - Your video ads operate on a ratio of width to height—and of course, video length. This ensures that your video fits properly in the space provided by ad inventory.Please note, the Turn It Blue Ads platform can not accept square or vertical videos. 
  • File Size - the file size refers to the amount of data in any given file. Digital files are measured in bits (very, very, very small pieces of data) and bytes (very small pieces of data). Files that are too large won't load appropriately and will negatively impact your ad results.

    If you're using a PC, navigate to the Windows File Explorer and locate your file. Right click the file and select "Properties," then locate the file size in the pop-up window.  If you're using a Mac, navigate to the file in your Finder window, then right-click the file name and click "Get Info" to view the file size.

    As a handy guide for digital size conversions, 60,000,000 bytes = 60,000 kilobytes (KB) = 60 megabytes (MB) = 0.06 gigabytes (GB). Therefore, the largest file size usable in the platform is 100 MB or 0.1 GB. If your size is measured in whole gigabytes (GB), it is far too large, and you'll need to size the file down.

    There are many free file compressors that you can find online, such as freeconvert.com, which allows you to set your target file size so you know you get the correct size file.
  • File Type - the type of file is simply the way the data is saved and stored. Different file types work in different ways, so it's important that your file is saved in the appropriate file type for it to work appropriately. If your file type is incorrect, there are plenty of free options to change your file type quickly and easily.

    All videos should be provided in .mp4 format. If your video is in a different format than .mp4, you can take advantage of free online video converters like cloudconvert.com to help you change your video file into the appropriate format.
Note: If a political ad, please ensure your 'Paid for by' disclaimer is clearly visible and meets your campaign's particular reporting requirements.

Disclaimers must be visible at least for the final 4-secs of any video ad, although local election laws may have additional, stricter requirements.

Please note there are different video specifications required depending on if you are launching Programmatic Video (aka Pre-Roll or Mid-Roll) or Connected TV (CTV). Let's get into it: 

Programmatic Digital Video File Specifications


  • All videos must be in 16:9 ratio (no square videos or vertical videos).
  • For Programmatic Digital Video placements there are FOUR standard ad lengths that your creative must fall within:

    :06-sec
    :15-sec (preferred length)
    :30-sec 
    :60-sec (very limited inventory)
  • All videos must be uploaded in .mp4 format
  • All videos must be under 100MB max file size per creative unit.
PRO TIP: :06-sec and :15-sec units have substantially more non-skippable inventory available across programmatic digital video placements. We highly recommend having at least one :15-sec creative in your programmatic media mix.

Connected TV (CTV) Video File Specifications


  • All CTV videos must be in 16:9 aspect ratio (no square videos or vertical videos).
  • All CTV videos should be provided in .mp4 format.
  • All CTV videos must be at least 50MB in size, and also under 250MB max file size
  • All CTV videos must also meet these stricter technical requirements:

    Video Specs:
    Dimensions (px): 1280x720 (minimum) // 1920x1080 (maximum)
    Bit Rate: 15-30 mbps
    Bit Depth: 8 or 16
    Codec: H.264 or Apple ProRes 422 HQ
    Frame Rate: 23.98 or 25 or 29.97

    Audio Specs:
    2-Channel Stereo
    192-256 kbps Bit Rate
    PCM or AAC Format (If PCM: 16 or 24 Bit Depth)
    Peak Volume: <= -1dBTP
    Average Audio Volume: -21 to -25 LUFS (-23 LUFS is ideal)
  • All CTV videos must adhere exactly to one of two standard ad lengths
    :15-sec
    :30-sec
PRO TIP: :30-sec units are preferred for CTV/OTT placements.
PRO TIP #2: We strongly recommend running your CTV video file through a free validation service such as Ad Valify to confirm your video meets all above specifications. 

Having trouble uploading your video creative files? Let our Creative Team handle it for you!

  • Consider one of our custom video production packages to consult with our award-winning creative team for a custom video unique to your campaign.
  • Purchase one of our fully customizable video templates in the Turn It Blue Ads Creative Shop.
  • Purchase a Video Upload Support Package and leave it to the experts to troubleshoot your existing video to meet specs and run across all platforms seamlessly.
Check out our Creative Shop when logged in to your Turn It Blue Ads account, or send us an email at creativeshop@turnitbluedigital.com to talk with one of our Creative Concierges!