Why video size matters
A video that is the wrong shape for a platform gets cropped, shrunk or surrounded by bars. Viewers scroll past it, and the part of the picture you cared about may be hidden. Choosing the right size before you post is one of the quickest ways to make your video look professional.
Two numbers describe a video's shape. The resolution is its width and height in pixels, such as 1920 x 1080. The aspect ratio is the relationship between width and height, such as 16:9. Most platforms care more about the ratio than the exact pixel count.
The common aspect ratios
- 16:9 is the wide, landscape shape of TVs, laptops and standard YouTube videos. Typical sizes are 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and 1280 x 720 (HD).
- 9:16 is the tall, vertical shape of phone screens. It is used for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Stories, usually at 1080 x 1920.
- 1:1 is a square. At 1080 x 1080 it looks the same in every feed.
- 4:5 is a slightly tall portrait shape. At 1080 x 1350 it fills more of a phone feed than a square does.
Recommended sizes by platform
These are widely used recommendations. Platforms update their guidance, so confirm the current rules in each platform's help pages before an important upload.
- YouTube standard videos: 16:9, ideally 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok: 9:16 at 1080 x 1920.
- Instagram and Facebook feed posts: 4:5 at 1080 x 1350 or 1:1 at 1080 x 1080.
- Stories on most apps: 9:16 at 1080 x 1920, keeping text away from the top and bottom edges where buttons and captions appear.
- Websites and presentations: 16:9 is the safest choice.
What happens if the shape does not match
When you upload a landscape video to a vertical format, the platform usually shrinks it into the middle of the screen with empty space above and below. When you upload a vertical video to a landscape player, you get empty bars on the sides. Neither looks polished, and both waste space.
You have three ways to fix it. Fit with a blurred background keeps the whole picture and fills the gaps with a soft blur of the same video. Fit with black bars keeps everything and is best for screen recordings and text. Crop to fill zooms in so the frame is full, at the cost of losing the edges.
Safe zones
Keep important text and faces away from the edges. Apps place usernames, captions and buttons over the top, bottom and right side of vertical videos. A good habit is to leave a comfortable margin on all sides, and extra room at the bottom.
How to change the size of your video
You do not need editing software. The free Vidzo Video Resizer lets you choose a preset, pick a fit mode and download the new file, all inside your browser. If the file is also too large to upload, run it through the Video Compressor afterwards.
Still unsure which shape to choose? Read our comparison of 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1.
Try it yourself
Resize, compress or clean up your video right in the browser. Nothing is uploaded.