App Store Header Video: Specs, Export and ffmpeg

What are the video specs?

Apple's requirements for the header video are short and strict. Every value below is exact or a hard range. Source: Apple App Store Connect Help, Creative assets specifications.

• Aspect ratio 21:9 at exactly 3840 × 1646 pixels.
• Frame rate 30 or 60 fps.
• Length 5 to 30 seconds.
• Container .mov, .m4v or .mp4.
• Plays muted by default; the viewer can unmute it. It loops.

How do I convert a clip to 3840 × 1646 with ffmpeg?

If you prefer the command line to our browser tool, this single command scales any input to cover a 3840 × 1646 frame, crops the centre, caps the length at 30 seconds, sets 30 fps and writes an H.264 MP4:

ffmpeg -i input.mov -t 30 -vf "scale=3840:1646:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=3840:1646" -r 30 -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -an -movflags +faststart header.mp4

Apple lists containers, not codecs, so H.264 here is a compatibility choice rather than a stated requirement. Make sure the input is at least 5 seconds long, or change -t to a value between 5 and 30.

1. scale=3840:1646:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase fills the frame without stretching, then crop=3840:1646 trims the overflow from the centre.
2. -r 30 sets 30 fps; use -r 60 for 60 fps. No other rates are accepted.
3. -pix_fmt yuv420p keeps the file playable on Apple devices; -movflags +faststart moves the index to the front of the file.
4. -an drops the audio track. The header starts muted anyway; remove -an if you want sound when viewers tap unmute.

How do I design a video that works muted?

Most visitors will see your header without sound, so the first seconds have to carry the message visually. Show the app doing its main job, keep any text large and centred, and avoid prices, discounts and URLs, which guideline 2.3.14 and Apple's design advice rule out. Make the last frame flow into the first so the loop does not jump. Source: Apple Developer News (Oct 16, 2026); summary by ppc.land.

Choose the poster frame with care: once the video is approved, the poster frame cannot be changed. Source: adapty.io, App Store Asset Library (Oct 6, 2026).

Can the header video also be my search results video?

No. The search results video is its own 3:2 asset, between 1920 × 1280 and 3840 × 2560, and for now it cannot be unmuted at all. The only file that can fill both placements is a 16:9 PNG image at 5244 × 2950. If you want motion in search too, export a second, 3:2 cut of the same footage. Source: adapty.io, App Store Asset Library (Oct 6, 2026).