Guide
Choose a vertical video aspect ratio
Aspect ratio describes the shape of a frame, not its sharpness. A 1080 × 1920 image and a 720 × 1280 image are both 9:16. Converting a landscape recording to portrait requires a composition decision as well as new export dimensions.
By LoopBatch · Checked 7 October 2026
- What you will have
- A deliberate portrait composition and export size.
- What you need
- Your source footage and the destination format.
- How long it takes
- One composition pass; each shot may need a different position.
Before you start
- Identify the subject that must remain visible in every shot.
- Choose the intended destination before changing the timeline shape.
Know the common shapes
| Shape | Example canvas | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Full portrait video |
| 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 | Portrait feed composition |
| 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 | Square composition |
| 16:9 | 1920 × 1080 | Landscape source or master |
Divide width by height to compare shapes. Higher dimensions can carry more detail, but changing the pixel count cannot restore detail missing from the original.
Choose crop, fit or a new edit
Crop to fill: enlarge the source until the portrait frame is filled, then position the subject. For a 1920 × 1080 landscape source, a full-height 9:16 crop retains only about 608 source pixels of width. Much of the left and right disappears.
Fit inside: retain the full landscape frame and leave space above and below. Use that space intentionally for a background or captions; do not assume the subject will remain large enough to read on a phone.
Re-edit: use a new portrait shot, separate views or a designed layout when both sides contain essential information. A screen recording of a wide spreadsheet may need close-ups rather than one severe crop.
Reposition every shot that needs it
A centred crop works only while the important subject stays near the centre. Review speaker changes, hand movements, labels and product demonstrations separately. Captions designed for a wide frame may need new line breaks in portrait.
YouTube adapts its player to different shapes and has its own Shorts eligibility rule. Other destinations and publishing APIs have their own checks. Confirm the destination rather than exporting one shape blindly for every channel.
The steps
Set the target canvas before editing the captions.
Choose whether each shot will fill, fit or use a new composition.
Play every transition and reposition subjects where necessary.
Export and check the actual width and height.
Check the result
- Important objects and text survive the crop throughout the shot.
- The export dimensions have the intended ratio.
- Small source detail is still readable at normal viewing size.
If something goes wrong
- If two speakers cannot fit, use alternating close-ups or a designed layout instead of forcing one centre crop.
- If the output looks soft, check whether a small source crop was enlarged substantially.
Sources and assumptions
These sources were checked on the dates shown. Product limits and planning advice are identified separately from platform requirements.
- YouTube Help: recommended upload encoding settings, read 7 October 2026
- YouTube Help: understanding three-minute Shorts, read 7 October 2026
- TikTok's Content Posting API media transfer guide, read 7 October 2026
Common questions
Does 9:16 mean 1080 × 1920?
It describes a proportion. Many resolutions share it, including 720 × 1280. Choose resolution separately from composition.
Related pages
Put the plan into practice
Build a workflow you can run again.
Describe your content, review the estimate and approve the finished post before it goes out.