Aspect ratio versus resolution
Aspect ratio is the shape of the frame: width divided by height. Resolution is how many pixels fill that shape. A 1920x1080 frame and a 3840x2160 frame are both 16:9; the second simply has four times as many pixels.
The four shapes creators use most have standard pixel sizes at 1080 pixels on the short side. 16:9 is 1920x1080. 9:16 flips it to 1080x1920. 1:1 is 1080x1080. 4:5 is 1080x1350, which is 1080 x 5 / 4. Larger versions keep the same shape: Meta lists 1440x2560 for Instagram Reels ads (9:16) and 1440x1800 for Facebook Feed (4:5). [5][7]
YouTube lists its standard 16:9 sizes from 426x240 up to 7680x4320, with 1920x1080 as 1080p HD. [2] Exporting at one of these exact sizes avoids the platform scaling your file to an odd size.
Which platforms use which ratio
YouTube treats 16:9 as standard on computers, resizes its player to the video, and may add padding around vertical video in a desktop browser. It asks you not to add black bars yourself because they interfere with that resizing. [2] Shape also decides format: square or vertical videos up to three minutes long are classified as Shorts, and a wider ratio such as 16:9 keeps a video out of Shorts. [1]
Meta publishes separate specs per placement. Its ads guide lists 9:16 at 1440x2560 for Instagram Reels, 9:16 at 1080x1920 for Instagram Feed (awareness), and 4:5 at 1440x1800 for Facebook Feed. [5][6][7] These are ad specs, but they are the most precise public statement of what each surface is built to show.
TikTok ad specs recommend vertical 9:16 with a minimum of 540x960, and also accept 16:9 (minimum 960x540) and 1:1 (minimum 640x640). [4] LinkedIn accepts anything from 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 at 256x144 up to 4096x2304. [8]
| Surface | Ratio | Size or limit | Source note |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube long-form | 16:9 | 1920x1080 at 1080p | Standard on computers [2] |
| YouTube Shorts | Square or vertical | Up to 3 minutes | Ratio decides Shorts classification [1] |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1440x2560 | Meta ad spec [5] |
| Instagram Feed | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | Meta ad spec, awareness objective [6] |
| Facebook Feed | 4:5 | 1440x1800 | Meta ad spec [7] |
| TikTok | 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 accepted | Min 540x960 vertical | TikTok ad spec [4] |
| 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 | 256x144 to 4096x2304 | LinkedIn Help [8] |
How reframing crops a horizontal shot
Reframing a 16:9 shot for a narrower ratio keeps the full height and cuts the sides. From a 1920x1080 source, a 9:16 crop is 1080 x 9 / 16 = about 608 pixels wide, roughly 32% of the original width. A 1:1 crop is 1080 pixels wide (56%), and a 4:5 crop is 864 pixels wide (45%).
The crop then has to be scaled up to the delivery size. A 608x1080 slice stretched to 1080x1920 is enlarged about 1.78 times, which softens detail and text. Shoot at 3840x2160 and the same 9:16 crop is about 1215x2160, which already exceeds 1080x1920, so nothing is enlarged.
Editors make this easier but not free. FlexClip, for example, exports in 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 and 21:9 at up to 4K. [3] Changing the project ratio does not move your subject into the new frame; you still need to reposition each shot.
| From 1920x1080 to | Crop width kept | Share of width | Scale to delivery size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:16 (1080x1920) | About 608 px | About 32% | About 1.78x enlargement |
| 4:5 (1080x1350) | 864 px | 45% | 1.25x enlargement |
| 1:1 (1080x1080) | 1080 px | 56% | None |
| From 3840x2160 to 9:16 | About 1215 px | About 32% | None; downscale to 1080x1920 |
Planning shots that survive several crops
If one recording will become a 16:9 video and a 9:16 clip, compose for the narrowest crop. Keep the speaker face, hands and anything they point at inside the centre third of a 16:9 frame; that is the region a 9:16 crop keeps.
Vertical platforms also cover parts of the frame with their own interface. Meta asks that Reels ads leave 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% at each side free of text, logos or key elements. [5] TikTok says its safe zone depends on aspect ratio, caption length and other formats, and publishes downloadable safe-zone files. [4] Put titles and captions in the upper-middle part of a vertical frame.
Screen recordings are the hardest case because UI text is small and spread across the width. For tutorials that will be cut into vertical clips, zoom the recording or the app window before recording, or record a separate vertical take of the key moment.
Checklist before you export each version
Run this per destination. A 30-second test export per ratio costs less than a re-upload.
- List every destination and its ratio before you shoot.
- Shoot at 4K if you will crop 16:9 to 9:16 and want to avoid upscaling.
- Keep subjects and key action in the centre third of a 16:9 frame.
- Set the project to the delivery ratio and exact pixel size, for example 1080x1920.
- Reposition every shot after changing ratio; do not trust a default centre crop.
- Keep text out of Reels safe-zone margins: 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides. [5]
- Do not add black bars for YouTube; its player adapts to the ratio. [2]
- Remember that a square or vertical upload up to three minutes becomes a YouTube Short. [1]
Questions before you decide
What size is a 9:16 video?
The standard size is 1080x1920 pixels; Meta lists 1440x2560 for Instagram Reels ads. Both are the same 9:16 shape. TikTok ad specs set a minimum of 540x960 for vertical video.
Will a vertical video on YouTube become a Short?
YouTube classifies videos with a square or vertical aspect ratio that run up to three minutes as Shorts, for uploads on or after 15 October 2024 on standard channels. To keep a video out of Shorts, use a wider ratio such as 16:9.
Should I add black bars to make a vertical video 16:9 for YouTube?
No. YouTube says its player resizes to the video aspect ratio and the viewer device, and that adding padding or black bars yourself interferes with that resizing.
How much of my 16:9 shot is left when I crop to 9:16?
About 32% of the width. From 1920x1080 the 9:16 slice is about 608 pixels wide, which must be enlarged about 1.78 times to reach 1080x1920. Shooting at 4K gives a slice about 1215 pixels wide, so no enlargement is needed.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Video resolution and aspect ratios Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- FlexClip Help: What is FlexClip? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- TikTok Ads Manager Help: Video ads specifications Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video specs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Feed video specs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Feed video specs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- LinkedIn Help: Video sharing troubleshooting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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