Vertical Video Guide: 9:16, 4:5, 1:1 Formats Explained

Quick answer: which format for which platform?

9:16 (1080×1920) for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Stories. 4:5 (1080×1350) for Instagram feed posts. 1:1 (1080×1080) for Instagram feed (legacy) and LinkedIn. 16:9 (1920×1080) for YouTube long-form, websites, and email.

The 4 essential video formats

Here are the 4 formats every marketer needs to know:

• 9:16 — Vertical (1080×1920 pixels). The dominant format. Used by TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook/Snapchat Stories. Full-screen on mobile. Maximum engagement format.
• 4:5 — Portrait (1080×1350 pixels). Instagram feed optimization. Takes up more screen space than square on mobile feeds without going full-screen. Best for Instagram feed video posts.
• 1:1 — Square (1080×1080 pixels). Universal format. Works on Instagram feed, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook feed. Less immersive than 9:16 but more versatile across platforms.
• 16:9 — Horizontal (1920×1080 pixels). YouTube long-form, website embeds, email, blog posts. The traditional format. Lower engagement on social but necessary for long-form content.

Platform-by-platform format guide

Each platform has specific requirements and best practices:

• TikTok: 9:16 only (1080×1920). 5-60 seconds for Shorts, up to 10 minutes for long-form. Safe zone: keep text in center 80% of screen. TikTok UI covers bottom 15% and right side.
• Instagram Reels: 9:16 (1080×1920). Up to 90 seconds. Safe zone: avoid bottom 20% (interface) and top 10% (progress bar). Instagram overlays engagement buttons on right side.
• YouTube Shorts: 9:16 (1080×1920). Up to 60 seconds. Safe zone: avoid bottom 15% (channel name) and right side (buttons). YouTube Shorts UI is less intrusive than TikTok.
• Instagram Feed (video post): 4:5 (1080×1350) recommended. 1:1 also accepted. Up to 60 seconds. 4:5 takes 78% more screen space than 1:1 on mobile feeds.
• Instagram Stories: 9:16 (1080×1920). Up to 15 seconds per story. Full-screen. Safe zone: avoid bottom 20% (swipe up link) and top 10% (story progress).
• Facebook Feed: 4:5 or 1:1 (1080×1350 or 1080×1080). 4:5 preferred for mobile. Up to 240 seconds. Facebook auto-crops 9:16 to 4:5 in feed.
• LinkedIn: 1:1 (1080×1080) recommended. 9:16 accepted but less common. Professional content performs better in square format on LinkedIn.
• YouTube (long-form): 16:9 (1920×1080). Minimum 1080p. 16:9 is mandatory — vertical video gets poor engagement on YouTube long-form.

How to set up each format in CapCut

CapCut makes it easy to set the correct aspect ratio for each platform:

1. Open CapCut and start a new project — Open CapCut and start a new project
2. Add your media (video clips, photos) — Add your media (video clips, photos)
3. Tap "Ratio" from the bottom toolbar — Tap "Ratio" from the bottom toolbar
4. Select the aspect ratio 9:16, 4:5, 1:1, 16:9, or custom
5. CapCut automatically adjusts the canvas to the selected ratio — CapCut automatically adjusts the canvas to the selected ratio
6. Tap on each clip to reposition it within the new canvas (pinch to resize, drag to reposition) — Tap on each clip to reposition it within the new canvas (pinch to resize, drag to reposition)
7. Use "Background" to fill empty space with blur, color, or patterns if needed — Use "Background" to fill empty space with blur, color, or patterns if needed

Safe zones: where not to put text

Every platform overlays UI elements on your video. Text placed in these zones gets covered. Here are the safe zones for each platform:

• TikTok safe zone: Keep text in the center 70% horizontally, center 70% vertically. Avoid: bottom 15% (caption + username), right side (buttons), top 5% (progress bar).
• Instagram Reels safe zone: Center 80% horizontally, center 70% vertically. Avoid: bottom 20% (caption + buttons), right side (engagement buttons), top 10% (progress bar).
• YouTube Shorts safe zone: Center 80% horizontally, center 75% vertically. Avoid: bottom 15% (channel name + buttons), right side (buttons).
• Instagram Feed (4:5) safe zone: Center 90% of frame. Minimal UI overlay. Keep text away from very bottom edge.
• Stories safe zone: Center 80% vertically. Avoid: bottom 20% (swipe up), top 10% (progress bar).

Repurposing: one video, multiple formats

The most efficient workflow is to film once and export in multiple formats. Here is how:

• Film in 9:16 (vertical) — this is the master format. You can crop down to 4:5 or 1:1 from 9:16, but you cannot go from 16:9 to 9:16 without losing content.
• Export 1: 9:16 (1080×1920) for TikTok, Reels, Shorts
• Export 2: 4:5 (1080×1350) for Instagram feed — crop top and bottom of the 9:16. In CapCut, change ratio to 4:5 and reposition key elements
• Export 3: 1:1 (1080×1080) for LinkedIn and Twitter — crop further. Check that no important content is lost
• Export 4: 16:9 (1920×1080) — only if you also filmed in horizontal. If not, use blur background or PiP for YouTube long-form

Resolution and quality settings

For each format, use these export settings in CapCut:

• 9:16: 1080×1920, 30fps, 10-15 Mbps. File size: 15-30MB for 30 seconds.
• 4:5: 1080×1350, 30fps, 10-15 Mbps. File size: 12-25MB for 30 seconds.
• 1:1: 1080×1080, 30fps, 10-15 Mbps. File size: 10-20MB for 30 seconds.
• 16:9: 1920×1080, 30fps or 60fps, 15-20 Mbps. File size: 30-60MB for 60 seconds.
• Always export at 1080p minimum. 720p looks dated on modern displays. 4K is overkill for social media and increases file size unnecessarily.