Upload a video in the wrong shape and the platform crops it or adds black bars, and it instantly looks amateur. Getting the Reels and Shorts video size right takes less than a minute once you know the numbers. This guide gives you the sizes at a glance, explains the safe zones for text, and shows how to get every format from a single screen recording.
Video sizes at a glance
| Platform | Ratio | Resolution | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 16:9 | 1920×1080 | Long tutorials |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Quick tips |
| Instagram / Facebook Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Trends, promos |
| TikTok | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Short demos |
| Instagram feed | 4:5 | 1080×1350 | Feed posts |
| Facebook feed | 4:5 or 16:9 | 1080×1350 / 1920×1080 | Page posts |
| 16:9 / 1:1 | 1920×1080 | Product demos |
These are the sizes most creators use today. Platforms do adjust their rules from time to time, so if something looks off after upload, check the platform's own help pages for the latest guidance.
Ratio vs resolution: what's the difference?
The aspect ratio is the shape of the frame: 16:9 is wide like a TV, 9:16 is tall like a phone held upright, and 4:5 is a slightly tall rectangle that fills more of the feed than a square. The ratio decides whether the platform crops your video or adds bars.
The resolution is how many pixels fill that shape. 1080×1920 and 720×1280 are both 9:16, but the first is sharper. For most social platforms, 1080 pixels on the short side is the sweet spot: sharp on phones, and not so large that uploads take forever on mobile data.
The "safe zone" for vertical video
Reels and Shorts put the caption, username and buttons at the bottom, and like, comment and share icons on the right. Anything you place there gets covered.
- Keep important text and captions in the middle of the frame.
- Leave roughly 15% clear at the top and bottom, and about 10% on the right.
- For screen recordings, make sure the button you tap isn't hidden under the platform's icons. Zooming in on it helps.
- Check one export on your own phone before posting, as the overlay differs a little between apps.
Every size from one recording
Phone screens are tall and YouTube is wide, so do you need to record twice? No. Cinematic Recorder knows where your taps and cursor were during the recording. When you pick 16:9, 9:16 or 4:5 at export, the frame reframes itself to keep the important part in shot, instead of simply cropping the middle.
Because every edit is non-destructive, your original recording stays untouched. You can export a wide YouTube version today and a vertical Short tomorrow from the same project. The full workflow is in our guide to reframing horizontal video to vertical.
Which size should you choose?
Teaching something step by step
Use 16:9 for YouTube when the tutorial is several minutes long. Viewers often watch on a laptop or TV, and the wide frame suits a calm, detailed pace.
One quick tip or result
Use 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. Keep it to one idea. Our guide to making YouTube Shorts from a screen recording walks through picking the right moment.
A post on your page or profile feed
Use 4:5. It takes up more space in the Instagram and Facebook feed than 16:9, without being cropped. Learn more in why 4:5 works for feed video. For f-commerce pages, a 4:5 product demo often fits the feed nicely.
16:9 works well for product demos. LinkedIn also shows square video; Cinematic Recorder exports 16:9, 9:16 and 4:5, and 4:5 is a good tall alternative if you want more feed space.
Before you upload: a 30-second check
- Watch the export on your phone in full screen. Is every important tap inside the frame and away from the edges?
- Read every bit of text. If you have to squint, so will your viewers. Zoom in closer or make the text bigger.
- Check the first frame. Many platforms show it while the video loads, so it should already make sense on its own.
- Pick a cover. For Reels and Shorts, choose a frame that shows the result, not a blank menu.
- Keep a steady frame rate. 30fps is fine for most tutorials; 60fps helps for games and fast scrolling.
This small habit catches most problems before your audience does, and it takes less time than re-uploading a cropped video.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Reel?
9:16 vertical, 1080×1920 pixels. The same size works for YouTube Shorts and TikTok.
Can one recording become both a YouTube video and a Reel?
Yes. Export it once at 16:9 and again at 9:16; Cinematic Recorder reframes to keep the action in shot.
What happens if I upload a 16:9 video as a Reel?
It usually appears small with large bars above and below, or gets cropped. Reframing to 9:16 before upload gives a much better result.
Is 720p good enough?
It works, but small text in screen recordings can look soft. 1080p is the safer choice for tutorials.
Once you know the sizes, posting everywhere becomes a habit rather than a headache. Learn to turn one tutorial into five Reels and see all the export formats in the app.
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