Aspect Ratio YouTube

What is aspect ratio on YouTube?

Aspect ratio on YouTube is the proportion between a video's width and height, written as 16:9 or 9:16. The standard aspect ratio on a computer is 16:9, and the player automatically adapts to the size of each individual video and the viewer's device.

Why aspect ratio matters

The ratio you export decides how much of the screen your video fills. A 16:9 file fills a widescreen player; a 9:16 file fills a phone screen from edge to edge. When the two do not match — a 9:16 vertical video watched in a computer browser, for example — YouTube may add padding around the video for optimal viewing. That padding is white by default, and dark gray when Dark theme is turned on.

On mobile the player follows the file. The YouTube app for Android adapts the player to the size of the video: whether it is vertical, square or horizontal, the video fills the screen, and the vertical player gets taller for square and vertical videos and shorter for widescreen ones. Aspect ratio also sets the shape of the thumbnail YouTube expects — 16:9 for regular videos and 9:16 for Shorts.

Recommended resolutions for 16:9

For the default 16:9 aspect ratio, YouTube recommends encoding at one of these resolutions:

• 4320p (8K): 7680x4320

• 2160p (4K): 3840x2160

• 1440p (2K): 2560x1440

• 1080p (HD): 1920x1080

• 720p (HD): 1280x720

• 480p (SD): 854x480

• 360p (SD): 640x360

• 240p (SD): 426x240

In 2022 YouTube started removing support for playback at resolutions between 4K and 8K, so a 5K master may no longer play back at that size. Match the resolution with a suitable bitrate: the frame size sets the shape, the bitrate sets how much detail survives compression.

Vertical, square and Shorts

Short-form uploads are defined by the same two properties. A file up to 3 minutes long with a square or vertical aspect ratio is what YouTube accepts as a Short. 9:16 is the ratio that fills a phone screen completely, which is why most vertical work is shot and exported at 9:16.

To upload a Short from a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio, click CREATE and then Upload videos, and pick a file that meets those 2 conditions. If a video should stay a regular upload instead, export it in a wider ratio such as 16:9. For vertical work, keep text and graphics away from the edges — the SubSub guide to safe zones for vertical video shows which areas the interface can cover.