One video, three shapes
The same footage can be delivered in wide, tall or square form. Each shape has strengths, and the right choice depends on where people will watch.
16:9 landscape
Best for: YouTube videos, websites, presentations, tutorials and anything watched on a computer or TV.
16:9 matches most screens, so it fills the display without bars. It gives you room for wide scenes, screen recordings and several people in frame. On a phone held upright, though, it shrinks to a thin strip.
9:16 vertical
Best for: YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Stories.
Vertical video fills a phone held upright, which is how most short-form video is watched. It feels immediate and personal, and it is excellent for faces and single subjects. It is awkward on desktop, and wide scenes lose a lot when they are squeezed into it.
1:1 square
Best for: feed posts that need to look the same everywhere.
Square video sits comfortably in feeds and works on both phones and computers. It is a flexible middle ground, though it uses less of the phone screen than 4:5 or 9:16 and less of a desktop screen than 16:9.
And 4:5 portrait
Portrait 4:5 at 1080 x 1350 is a popular option for Instagram and Facebook feeds because it takes up more vertical space than a square without going fully vertical.
How to choose
- Posting one video everywhere? Shoot with the subject centered, export in 9:16, and make 16:9 and 1:1 versions with a blurred background.
- Making a tutorial or a long video? Use 16:9.
- Posting to a feed where you do not know how people will watch? Try 4:5 or 1:1.
- Short, personal, face-to-camera clips? Go vertical.
Converting between shapes
You can change a video from one shape to another with the Vidzo Video Resizer. Pick a preset, choose a blurred background, black bars or crop, and download the new version. See our guide to video sizes and aspect ratios for the full list of recommended sizes.
Try it yourself
Resize, compress or clean up your video right in the browser. Nothing is uploaded.