#Convert square video to rectangle how to#

We’ll show you how to easily change the aspect ratio of a video online using Animaker’s free video resizer. We’ll answer that question in this article. You will automatically use the correct aspect ratio and completely avoid the 'technical' stuff.How do you change the aspect ratio of a video? The most important thing to know? Shooting a vertical video with your phone (as intended) is the easiest way to make YouTube Shorts.

May not be as immersive as 9:16 for viewers.

Not fully utilizing the screen real estate on mobile devices.

Offers a middle ground for content that doesn’t fit well in extremely vertical formats.

Suitable for mobile viewing, though not as optimized as 9:16.

May not be as engaging for the mobile-first audience.Not optimized for mobile viewing can result in black bars on the top and bottom in portrait mode.Wide content is better for displaying landscapes or group scenes.Traditional YouTube content creators are familiar with wide content.To see all of our Shorts testing - and view what might be the skinniest video on Earth - check out the explainer below: Pros and Cons of Wider Aspect Ratios (e.g., 16:9) We created a video with a resolution of 360x1920 pixels, and while people can view it on YouTube, it didn’t make it to the Shorts shelf. Here’s another rule to follow: Don’t make a video skinnier than what you’d shoot on a smartphone.

If the video is wider than it is tall, it won't be considered a Short. That means the widest Short you can make is a square video. That's an area YouTube auto-populates, so the results are clear: Our video was not a Short. YouTube Shorts: Can They Be ‘Wider’ or 'Narrower' Than Perfect Squares?įor our next test, we attempted to make a Short wider than a square. So, we uploaded a video that was just 10 pixels wider than it was tall, and as we expected, the video didn't appear in our featured Shorts section. Pro: Square videos leave the bottom of the screen empty, and viewers can easily see your channel name, the video's title, and the subscribe button.Con: The video will have an unsightly black bar at the top and bottom of the frame.Here's the test video we used to confirm the results:Įven still, there are advantages and disadvantages to making square Shorts. A large percentage of video views came from the Shorts traffic source.Our test video (a square) made it to the Shorts shelf, which only displays Shorts.

And we know square videos can become YouTube Shorts because: We tested all of this on the vidIQ Shorts channel years ago. Vertical videos (right) fill the entire mobile screen. That extra bit of artificial 'length' is what helps the video qualify (probably) as a Short. When a Short is square (left), you'll see black bars above and below the video frame. Those videos will look like perfect squares - so, technically not vertical at all - but YouTube will categorize them as Shorts.Ĭheck out the square format versus the vertical format below. That means you can create Shorts with a 1:1 aspect ratio and dimensions of 1080x1080 pixels. Apparently, Shorts don't have to be vertical as long as they're at least square. There's a tiny caveat to YouTube's rule that Shorts need to be vertical videos. This format is optimized for the Shorts shelf and the algorithm that promotes short-form content. Platform Preference: YouTube itself recommends the 9:16 aspect ratio for Shorts. Creating in this format ensures a seamless and engaging experience. User Experience: Viewers are used to seeing the vertical aspect ratio on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other short-form videos. It offers a full-screen viewing experience without any black bars, making it ideal for mobile-first audiences. Mobile Optimization: The 9:16 aspect ratio aligns perfectly with the portrait mode feature inside most smartphones. Resolution: 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels (standard length-by-width ratio for vertical content).Aspect ratio: 9:16 (creates the vertical format).

Convert square video to rectangle