FPS

FPS is the Acronym for Frames Per Second

The frequency at which consecutive images (frames) are captured or displayed determines the smoothness of motion in video. This metric, known as frame rate, applies to film and video cameras, computer animation, and motion capture systems. In these contexts, frame rate may be used interchangeably with frame frequency and refresh rate, which are expressed in hertz (Hz). Additionally, in the context of computer graphics performance, frames per second (FPS) is the rate at which a system, particularly a graphics processing unit (GPU), is able to generate frames, and refresh rate is the frequency at which a display shows completed frames.

Common Frame Rates and Where They Appear

Most footage encountered in marketing work falls into one of a handful of standard rates, each with its own history and purpose.

24 FPS: Cinema. Film and cinematic brand videos.
25 FPS: PAL broadcast. European television and video.
29.97 FPS: NTSC broadcast. North American television and older camera defaults.
30 FPS: Digital video. Web video, social feeds, background loops.
60 FPS: Digital video. Sports, gameplay, screen recordings, smooth motion.
120+ FPS: High-speed capture. Slow-motion source footage.

How Frame Rate Affects File Size

More frames mean more data. At a fixed bitrate, a 60 FPS video spends half as many bits on each frame as a 30 FPS video, so doubling the frame rate either doubles the file or halves the per-frame quality. Modern codecs soften the penalty through inter-frame compression, storing only what changed between consecutive frames, but the relationship holds: frame rate is one of the three levers, alongside resolution and bitrate, that determine how heavy a video file becomes.

Frame Timing: VFR and CFR

Frame timing itself comes in two flavors, VFR and CFR, which govern whether that rate stays constant through the recording.

VFR (Variable Frame Rate): Frame rate varies throughout the recording.
CFR (Constant Frame Rate): Frame rate remains constant throughout the recording.

Why Frame Rate Matters to Marketers

Every distribution channel publishes frame rate expectations, and matching them avoids both rejected uploads and needless weight. A product page background loop at 30 FPS costs half the bandwidth of the same loop at 60 FPS with no visible difference on a slow pan, and lighter pages protect Core Web Vitals (CWV) scores. Knowing when smoothness earns its bytes, and when it does not, is one of the quiet skills of publishing video that performs.