How to Resize a Video for Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts

The short version

Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts all use tall, vertical video at 9:16, usually 1080 x 1920. If your footage was filmed sideways, you need to change its shape before you post. Here is how to do it well.

Step by step

1. Open the Vidzo Video Resizer and drop in your video.
2. Choose the Vertical 9:16 preset at 1080 x 1920. If your clip is short or your device is slow, 720 x 1280 also works.
3. Pick a fit mode. For most landscape videos, choose Fit with blurred background.
4. Leave quality on Balanced, or choose High if you plan to keep editing.
5. Press Resize video, keep the tab open and visible, and download the result when it finishes.

Your video is processed in your browser. It is not uploaded, so the file stays private and you can start straight away.

Picking the right fit mode

Blurred background is the friendliest choice. The whole picture stays visible in the middle of the screen and the extra space is filled by a blurred version of the video itself. It looks intentional and avoids cutting anyone out of the shot.

Crop to fill makes the subject large and removes the empty space completely. It works when the action is in the center, like a person talking to the camera. It cuts off the left and right sides of a landscape shot, so check that nothing important is lost.

Black bars are the plainest option. Use it for screen recordings or slides where every pixel of text matters.

Frame the subject for vertical

If you can, film vertical from the start. If you are converting existing footage, look for clips where the subject is centered. Wide landscapes and group shots lose the most when cropped.

Keep text and faces away from the top and bottom edges, because the apps place captions, names and buttons there. Leave a little more room at the bottom than the top.

Keep the quality high

• Start from the best original you have. Each re-encode costs a little detail.
• Do not upscale a small video to 1080 x 1920 and expect it to look sharp. Match the output to the quality of the source.
• If the file is too big to upload afterwards, use the Video Compressor instead of lowering the size too far.

Check before you post

Play the finished file once from start to finish. Look at the edges, check the audio, and confirm the opening seconds look good on a phone. For a full list of sizes, see our guide to video sizes and aspect ratios.