Aspect ratio is the shape of your video: the relationship between width and height. Each platform favours certain shapes, and posting the wrong one wastes screen space, adds black bars or crops important details. This guide covers the common ratios, where they work, and how to plan shoots and edits so one piece of content fits everywhere. Platforms update their specs over time, so check current guidelines before big campaigns.
The common ratios
9:16 (vertical)
Full-screen on phones. The standard for TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat. Typical resolution: 1080 by 1920.
16:9 (horizontal)
The standard for YouTube, websites, TVs and presentations. Typical resolution: 1920 by 1080 or higher.
1:1 (square)
Works in many feeds and takes more vertical space than horizontal. Typical resolution: 1080 by 1080.
4:5 (portrait)
Takes up a lot of the feed on Instagram and Facebook without being fully vertical. Typical resolution: 1080 by 1350.
Platform by platform
- TikTok: 9:16.
- Instagram Reels and Stories: 9:16. Feed posts: 4:5 or 1:1.
- YouTube: 16:9 for regular videos, 9:16 for Shorts.
- LinkedIn: 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9 in feed; vertical is increasingly supported.
- X: 16:9 or 1:1 are safe; vertical displays too.
- Facebook: 4:5 or 1:1 in feed, 9:16 for Reels and Stories.
- Ads: most platforms recommend supplying several ratios, typically 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1, and 16:9, so ads fit every placement.
Safe zones
On vertical platforms, interface elements cover parts of the screen: usernames and captions at the bottom, buttons on the right, sometimes headers at the top. Keep faces, text and key action in the central safe area. Check your edit with the platform's overlay, or a safe-zone template, before publishing. See captions for shortform for caption positioning.
Planning a shoot for multiple ratios
- Shoot at high resolution so you can crop without losing quality.
- Frame with space: keep the subject central with room around them so both vertical and horizontal crops work.
- Decide the primary format: if most views will be vertical, shoot vertical, or frame horizontally with vertical in mind.
- Avoid text in camera: add text in the edit, positioned for each ratio.
Reframing in the edit
Turning a horizontal video into vertical isn't just cropping the middle. Speakers move, two people may be in frame, and screen content may sit at the edges. Good reframing:
- Tracks the subject as they move.
- Switches between speakers in interviews and podcasts.
- Uses split screens or stacked layouts when two things matter at once.
- Rebuilds graphics and captions for the new shape.
Auto-reframe tools help, but usually need human checking. See repurposing long form into short form.
Exporting
- Export at the platform's recommended resolution for each ratio.
- Use clear file names, like "launch-9x16.mp4" and "launch-16x9.mp4".
- Avoid uploading files with another platform's watermark.
- Check each export on a phone before posting.
Common mistakes
- Posting horizontal video to vertical platforms with black bars.
- Text cut off or hidden behind interface buttons.
- Low-resolution crops that look soft.
- Ignoring ratios for ads, so some placements look broken.
The short version
Use 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 16:9 for YouTube and websites, and 4:5 or 1:1 for feeds. Shoot with room to crop, respect safe zones, reframe properly and check every export on a phone.
Choosing a primary format
If you're not sure which ratio to prioritise, look at where your audience actually watches. For most brands and creators putting effort into social, vertical 9:16 is now the main format, with horizontal reserved for YouTube long-form, websites and presentations. If you produce mostly long-form YouTube, shoot horizontal and plan vertical crops for Shorts. If social is your main channel, shoot vertical and only create horizontal versions when needed.
Graphics and text across ratios
Graphics designed for one shape rarely work in another. A lower third built for 16:9 may run off the edge in 9:16, and wide charts become unreadable when cropped. Build graphics templates for each ratio you use, with text sized for phones. Keep key text in the centre of the frame for vertical formats and away from interface areas. See motion graphics for YouTube for more on graphics.
Ratios for ads
Paid campaigns often run across many placements at once: feeds, stories, reels, in-stream and display. Supplying 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1, and 16:9 versions of each ad means every placement looks native, rather than the platform awkwardly cropping or letterboxing your creative. Plan these versions from the start of production so the shoot captures enough space around key action for all of them. See ad creative editing.
Thumbnails and covers
Don't forget cover images. Vertical videos often show a cropped cover in profile grids, so check how your cover frame looks in each platform's grid as well as full screen.
A quick way to check is to upload privately or save as a draft, then preview on a phone. What looks fine on a desktop monitor can look very different in a real feed.
Related guides
Part of our shortform editing series. See also YouTube Shorts editing and creating a style guide. See our work or get in touch.