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Aspect Ratio
Dedicated Interface: YouTube Shorts Studio
YouTube Official•9:16

YouTube Shorts Aspect Ratio & Video Specs

YouTube Shorts require a vertical aspect ratio of 9:16 (1080 × 1920 pixels) or 1:1 (square, 1080 × 1080 pixels) with a duration of up to 3 minutes (180 seconds). The 9:16 format offers the highest viewer retention on mobile apps.

Target Aspect Ratio
9:16
Standard Resolution
1080 × 1920
Orientation
portrait
Decimal Equivalent
0.5625
Dedicated Live Interface

YouTube Shorts Studio & Scaling Calculator

Pre-loaded with 1080 × 1920 (9:16portrait). Adjust width or height to calculate proportional dimensions.

CalculatorCrop Media
px
px
Calculated RatioLandscape
16:9
Decimal: 1.7778
Standard Format:16:9 (Widescreen Full HD / 4K)
Greatest Common Divisor (GCD):120
Developer Outputs (CSS • HTML)Show Code
aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
aspect-video
width="1920" height="1080"
Fluid Container CSS
Live Visual Preview•16:9
16:91920 × 1080Full HD
W: 1920H: 1080
Proportional Visual Canvas

The preview rectangle automatically scales proportionally to simulate true physical and screen viewport orientations, preventing distortion before you export.

Common 9:16 Resolutions & Formats

Exact pixel dimensions matching the 9:16 ratio across varying quality tiers.

Standard / TierDimensions (W × H)QualityPrimary Use Case
Recommended 1080p1080 × 1920 px1080pOptimal for mobile viewing and YouTube processing
4K Vertical Master2160 × 3840 px2160p 4KSupported on YouTube and unlocks VP9/AV1 codecs for premium sharpness

Safe Zone & UI Margins

Desktop viewers will see Shorts letterboxed in a centered vertical window; mobile viewers experience full edge-to-edge playback.

Top Margin Clearance:120px (Search, camera, and menu dots)
Bottom Margin Clearance:280px (Channel icon, subscribe button, title, audio remix badge)
Right Rail Clearance:130px (Thumbs up, thumbs down, comment counter, share, sound button)
Left Margin Clearance:40px (Left boundary)

Recommended Video & Audio Codecs

Export settings to minimize server-side recompression artifacts and preserve crisp details.

Video Codec:H.264, VP9, or AV1
Target Bitrate:15 - 25 Mbps
Frame Rate:24, 25, 30, or 60 fps
Color Space:Rec. 709 / sRGB
Container File:MP4 container with Stereo AAC-LC audio

Why YouTube Shorts Supports 4K (Unlike TikTok)

Unlike Instagram and TikTok which downscale everything to 1080p, YouTube natively supports 4K vertical video (2160 × 3840 px) for Shorts. Uploading in 4K triggers YouTube's high-efficiency VP9 or AV1 compression tier, giving your video crisper text and cleaner details on high-end displays.

Frequently Asked Questions about 9:16

Can a YouTube Short be horizontal (16:9)?

No. YouTube will only categorize videos as Shorts if they are strictly vertical (9:16) or square (1:1), and under the maximum allowed duration limit.

Need to calculate or inspect other aspect ratios?

Visit our universal aspect ratio calculator hub for drag-and-drop media inspection, multi-line batch processing, reverse resolution matching, and instant CSS export.

Go to Main Aspect Ratio Calculator →