Guide
YouTube Shorts dimensions and format
YouTube Shorts are vertical 9:16 video, ideally 1080 x 1920 pixels. A video qualifies as a Short when it is vertical or square and within the Shorts length limit.
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Codec | H.264 MP4 |
| Also applies to | TikTok and Instagram Reels use the same frame |
Turning landscape footage vertical
The hard part is not the export setting, it is that a 16:9 frame contains far more width than a 9:16 frame can show. You have three real options. Crop to the part that matters, which keeps everything full-bleed and sharp but discards the sides. Fit the whole frame and fill the empty space above and below, usually with a blurred copy of the video, which keeps the entire image at the cost of a smaller subject. Or stack two crops, typically gameplay on top and a facecam below.
Which approach to use
Crop when there is a clear subject that stays in one part of the frame, like a face in an interview or the centre of the action. Fit with a blurred background when the composition matters and losing the sides would ruin it, or when the subject moves across the whole frame. Stack when you have both gameplay and a webcam and both need to be visible, which is the standard layout for gaming clips.
Do not just squash it
Re-encoding a 16:9 video into a 9:16 container without cropping or padding stretches everyone vertically. It is instantly recognisable and it reads as careless. Whatever tool you use, make sure it crops or pads rather than distorting the aspect ratio.
Shorts Converter
Shorts Converter does exactly this: crop the region you want with an optional facecam strip, or fit the whole frame over a blurred fill, with a live 9:16 preview that matches the final render. No watermark.
Open Shorts ConverterFrequently asked
What size are YouTube Shorts?
Vertical 9:16, ideally 1080 x 1920 pixels. The same frame works for TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Can I upload a landscape video as a Short?
It will not present properly. A Short needs a vertical or square frame, so landscape footage has to be cropped or padded to 9:16 first.
How do I keep my facecam visible in a vertical clip?
Use a stacked layout: crop the gameplay or main action into one region and place the webcam crop as a strip above or below it inside the same 1080 x 1920 frame.
Will converting to vertical hurt quality?
Cropping does not, since you are keeping original pixels. Fitting with a blurred background makes the subject smaller within the frame but keeps the whole image. Stretching to fit is the only option that visibly damages the video.