| This guide explains everything about video aspect ratios, including what they are, how they work, how to calculate them, and how to choose the right one for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, and websites. It also covers standard video dimensions, resolutions, common mistakes, and how to convert between aspect ratios. Use the right video aspect ratio to ensure your content looks professional everywhere it appears. |
Understanding the video aspect ratio is one of the most important fundamentals in video production. Whether you’re creating content for YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, or your own website, knowing what video aspect ratio to use, how to calculate it, and how it affects video resolutions and pixel sizes is critical for publishing content that displays correctly across devices.
In this guide, we’ll break down what is video aspect ratio, how different platforms use standard video aspect ratios, why resolutions matter, and how to adapt your video for different screens. By the end, you’ll be confident in choosing the right video dimensions for your next project.
To understand what aspect ratio is, imagine a video frame as a rectangle. The video aspect ratio is the relationship between its width and height.
For example, a 16:9 video is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. This is also called the video screen ratio. This ratio determines how a video appears on TVs, smartphones, computer screens, and websites.
Source: Freepik
The term standard video aspect ratio usually refers to the widely-used formats like 16:9 for broadband HD and 4:3 for older television formats. When you use a standard video aspect ratio, your content fills the screen naturally. If the ratio is not compatible with the viewer’s device, you may see black bars, cropping, or stretched visuals.
Some of the most widely used aspect ratios include:
Understanding the video screen ratio is essential to ensure the content appears correctly across platforms.
Different platforms use different types of aspect ratios depending on audience behavior and device orientation.
Let’s explore the major types of aspect ratios you’re likely to encounter when working with video, especially for online, mobile, and broadcast platforms. These cover the various types of aspect ratios and address the most common video aspect ratios.
Source: Freepik
The 16:9 format is the most common standard video aspect ratio used today. With a width of 16 units and a height of 9 units, the 16:9 ratio is the standard video aspect ratio for HDTV, many monitors, YouTube uploads and more.
Because it matches widescreen dimensions, it provides a visually immersive experience. It also aligns nicely with standard video size resolutions such as 1920×1080 (Full HD). Many video marketing platforms, including YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, default to this ratio in their ad specs.
For more details on preparing format-compatible YouTube creatives, see our guide on YouTube video ads.
Before widescreen became the norm, the 4:3 ratio (width to height) was standard for television displays and older video formats. Even though widescreen has taken over, this traditional video screen ratio still appears in older archived footage, CCTV, vintage recordings, and some regional content.
If you’re repurposing older clips for social media or resizing them for landscape platforms, you’ll often need to convert from 4:3 to 16:9 (covered later in this guide).
Square video dimensions (1:1) dominate formats across Facebook feeds, Instagram feeds, and certain mobile placements. Square videos take up more screen space on social feeds, leading to higher visibility.
They’re also extremely useful when planning content where the mobile phone aspect ratio varies across operating systems or devices.
This vertical format has exploded thanks to mobile-first platforms. The 9:16 frame is ideal when shooting for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or vertical LinkedIn content.
If you’re planning any format in this space, you’ll also want to check specs such as Instagram video length to ensure your creative meets platform thresholds.
Vertical videos provide full-screen impact on smartphones and deliver higher engagement on platforms optimized for mobile consumption.
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Aspect Ratio
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Common Resolutions (Width × Height)
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Best Use-Cases
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16:9
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1920 × 1080 (Full HD), 3840 × 2160 (4K)
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YouTube, LinkedIn ads, Twitter ads, websites
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4:3
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1440 × 1080, 1024 × 768
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Legacy TV, archival content
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1:1
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1080 × 1080, 2048 × 2048
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Instagram feed, Facebook feed
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9:16
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1080 × 1920, 1440 × 2560
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Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok
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If you are running platform-specific ads, you may also want to refer to:
Knowing how to calculate aspect ratios helps you convert video aspect ratio in pixels into a ratio, or vice-versa, and ensures compatibility across devices and platforms.
Here’s how it works:
Example:
Video resolution = 1920 × 1080
GCD of 1920 and 1080 = 120
Aspect ratio = (1920 ÷ 120) : (1080 ÷ 120) = 16 : 9
This calculation helps when determining video aspect ratio in pixels, especially if you’re matching your footage to standard video dimensions or resizing projects in editors. Ensuring the correct ratio prevents distortion and preserves the correct video frame ratio.
Source: Freepik
When we talk about standard video dimensions and full HD aspect ratio, we’re really discussing how resolutions map to aspect ratios and how that impacts quality.
Resolutions such as 1920 × 1080, 1280 × 720, or 3840 × 2160 relate to pixel count, not shape. The shape is determined by the aspect ratio.
Understanding standard video size combinations helps you choose the right export settings for high quality on every device.
Platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn handle many dimensions well, but if you want optimal performance, reviewing platform guidelines such as YouTube banner size guidelines can help you get the most polished final output.
Different devices and platforms favor different aspect ratios and video dimensions for website embedding, social features and broadcast. Here are key considerations:
o Reels: 9:16
o Feed: 1:1 or 4:5
o Stories: 9:16
Understanding video dimensions for website or platform-specific usage ensures your content displays properly everywhere.
Trusted by brands across industries, at Broadcast2World, we create high-impact animated videos tailored to specific platforms, audiences, and screen formats. From education and finance to SaaS, healthcare, and enterprise brands, our video solutions are built to perform on social feeds, product pages, and large-screen presentations alike.
Our animation videos are engineered to fit any campaign goal, whether the priority is brand awareness, product explanation, or platform-specific storytelling. By optimizing visuals for both horizontal and vertical screens, we ensure consistent brand experience across YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, websites, and more.
Brands leverage our tailored video formats to spark engagement and deliver memorable viewer experiences, no matter where audiences watch.
Sponsorium partnered with Broadcast2World to communicate the value of their sponsorship management platform to a diverse, global audience. By producing the same message in both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, we helped them maximize reach across multiple channels.
16:9 Aspect Ratio (horizontal)
9:16 Aspect Ratio (vertical)
The widescreen version delivered a more detailed narrative ideal for YouTube and website viewing, while the vertical short-form format boosted mobile engagement. Together, these videos established clearer brand understanding, improved discovery on social feeds, and supported conversions through consistent yet format-specific storytelling.
Mainstreet Advisors turned to Broadcast2World to simplify how their software simplified complex investment workflows. By creating both vertical and horizontal versions of the same narrative, we ensured their content resonated equally well on desktops, mobile feeds, and professional platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube.
16:9 Aspect Ratio (horizontal)
9:16 Aspect Ratio (vertical)
The horizontal version supports in-depth messaging, perfect for presentations, explainer videos, and homepage placements, while the vertical version drives quick attention and shareability on social media. This dual-format approach helped the brand extend its presence, gain stronger recall, and deliver expertise with clarity across every screen people use today.
Source: Freepik
If you want to repurpose existing footage, you may need to use a video aspect ratio converter. Here’s how to change video aspect ratio effectively:
This process is essential when adapting older 4:3 footage, or when creating different versions for YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Selecting the ideal aspect ratio means aligning format with platform, device, and audience. Here are some guiding questions:
By matching the right aspect ratio to your project’s platform, you increase viewer engagement and ensure the content looks polished and professional.
Even professional creators sometimes stumble when handling aspect ratios and standard video size issues. Avoid these frequently overlooked errors:
Mastering the video aspect ratio is essential for creating professional-quality videos. Whether you're optimizing for YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, or a custom website embed, using the standard video aspect ratio that fits the platform ensures your content displays correctly and engages your audience. Understanding video dimensions, calculating ratios, and selecting the right format takes your video quality to the next level.
If you want to create high-performing animation videos tailored to specific platforms, explore our social media video production services.
The most widely accepted standard video aspect ratio today is 16:9. This widescreen format displays correctly on modern TVs, smartphones, laptop screens, and platforms such as YouTube or LinkedIn. It provides a balanced viewing experience and is compatible with most online ad specifications.
If you’re uploading to YouTube (and not just Shorts), the recommended ratio is 16:9. That ensures full-video playback on desktop, mobile, and smart TV apps. For more niche or mobile-first formats (for example YouTube Shorts), vertical formats like 9:16 are acceptable, but for standard uploads stick with 16:9.
For Instagram Reels, the most effective format is 9:16 (vertical orientation) because it fills the mobile screen. Instagram also supports square (1:1) or slightly cropped formats, but 9:16 is ideal if you’re optimized for mobile viewing. This ratio fills the user’s phone screen completely, increasing engagement.
To convert a 4:3 video into 16:9, create a project at a 16:9 resolution, such as 1920 × 1080. Then scale or crop your original footage to fill the new frame. Be mindful of cropping important details, or use pillarboxing to maintain the original content safely. A video aspect ratio converter can automate this process if you're working with large batches.
Aspect ratio defines the shape of your video frame — for example, 16:9 or 1:1. Resolution defines the number of pixels in that frame — for example, 1920 × 1080. Two videos can share the same aspect ratio but have completely different resolutions. Understanding both helps ensure compatibility across devices and platforms.