YouTube Shorts Dimensions | The ULTIMATE Guide [2024]

You need to pay very close attention to YouTube’s dimension requirements before publishing your YT Shorts.

Ignore the dimension requirements, and you’ll find your client videos cropped or adjusted in the most unflattering, undesirable manner.

That’s bad, of course, because when your videos are displayed poorly, you’ll get fewer views, engagements, and shares.

TL;DR: If you want your clients’ videos to rake in engagements and views, you must use the correct YouTube Shorts dimensions.

This ultimate guide covers everything you need to know about nailing your clients’ YouTube Shorts dimensions.

Let’s jump right in.

What you will learn

• Why you need the right YouTube Shorts dimensions 
• YouTube Shorts dimensions standards
• How to adjust the YouTube Shorts dimensions
• Common mistakes about YouTube Shorts dimensions
• Use Vista Social for easy YouTube Shorts publishing 
• YouTube Shorts Dimensions FAQs
• Get the YouTube Shorts dimensions right

Why you need the right YouTube Shorts dimensions 

Getting the right YouTube Shorts dimensions for your clients’ content includes the following perks.

• Maximized space. YouTube Shorts dimension requirements are meant to let you utilize the entire screen. This way, your client’s content has all the space it needs to turn heads and boost views. 

• Optimal experience for viewers. Using the right YouTube Shorts dimensions ensures your clients’ videos look great on smartphones and mobile devices. The perfect Shorts dimensions allow your client’s content to fit mobile screens perfectly without those big black areas and awkwardly cropped angles. 

• Nail that professional look. The correct Shorts dimensions give your clients’ videos a more professional look and feel. It can add credibility to your clients’ YouTube channels and brands. 

• Ensure top-quality videos. The right Shorts dimensions keep your client’s video quality intact. You won’t have shrunk or stretched videos that can make the content look distorted. 

• Stick to YouTube’s rules. YouTube provides specific guidelines to ensure your client’s content is compatible with the platform. Using the required guidelines ensures your clients’ videos follow these guidelines and avoid potential content takedowns or YouTube Shorts monetization issues.  

• Drive audience engagement. Content that looks great and fits the screen just right will likely engage audiences. It can entice your clients’ viewers to watch to the end and even share, like, and comment on the video.

• Get some algorithm recognition. Online entrepreneur and accomplished book publisher Wendy Piersall nailed this when she said…

“Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.”

The same applies to YouTube’s algorithm—it favors content that engages viewers.

If your clients’ Shorts fit the screen just right and are visually appealing and engaging, the algorithm will likely recommend the content to more viewers.

Must read: How the YouTube Shorts Algorithm Works [2023]: w/ Tips & FAQs

YouTube Shorts dimensions standards

Below are the YouTube Shorts dimensions you should know to help your clients create engaging and compliant videos.

YouTube Shorts dimensions and resolution

While the standard YouTube video size requires a 16:9 ratio, Shorts must have a 9:16 aspect ratio with a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

The YouTube Shorts aspect ratio and resolution ensure your clients’ videos display in their best quality on mobile devices (where Shorts are commonly viewed).

Use a vertical format (in full screen) to create YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Shorts duration

YouTube Shorts can be a continuous video up to 60 seconds long.

You can also create a combination of 15-second video clips, which allow you to be more creative with your clients’ YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Shorts file size

The YouTube Shorts file size can be up to 128 GB or 12 hours.

YouTube Shorts supported video file formats

YouTube Shorts supports the following formats:

• .MOV
• .MPEG4, 
• MP4 
• .AVI 
• .WMV 
• .MPEGPS 
• .FLV 
• 3GPP
• WebM

YouTube Shorts recommended resolutions for landscape

YouTube recommends the following display resolutions for landscape Shorts videos:

• 240×426 (240p) 
• 360×640 (360p)
• 480×854 (480p)
• 720×1280 (720p)
• 1080×1920 (1080p)
• 1440×2560 (1440p)
• 2160×3840 (2160p)

YouTube Shorts audio requirements

YouTube lets you use audio from the platform’s Shorts music library or other sound clips from other videos as long as you follow the rules and policies on copyright.

YouTube supports the following audio file formats:

• PCM audio in WAV container
• MP3 audio in MP3/WAV container
• FLAC audio
• AAC audio in MOV container

Read YouTube’s audio file guidelines to learn more. 

Additional considerations

Besides the video dimensions, consider the following components to help drive engagement and more views for your clients’ YouTube Shorts.

• Title. You can include up to 100 characters in your client’s YouTube Shorts title. But remember that viewers will only see the first 40 characters on the YouTube app.

Your best bet is to keep your client’s Shorts title well, short—with important keywords at the beginning of the title.

This way, viewers get a good idea of your clients’ content, enticing them to tap and watch the video.

• Description. Add detailed descriptions to your clients’ Shorts videos, such as the content’s nature, theme, or genre. 

The descriptions let viewers know if your client’s video is relevant to them or if it’s something they can enjoy.

Descriptions can also boost the video’s discoverability, helping it reach and engage more viewers.

• Hashtags. Include relevant hashtags in your clients’ YouTube Shorts, such as #shorts in the titles, to improve their visibility and discoverability. Also, add hashtags relevant to the video’s genre or theme. Doing so can prompt the algorithm to show your client’s content to viewers interested in similar videos.

• YouTube Shorts Thumbnail size. Like your client’s YouTube Shorts video, the thumbnail should have a 9:16 aspect ratio and a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

How to adjust the YouTube Shorts dimensions

The best way to adjust your client’s video dimensions for YouTube Shorts is to use a video editing tool.

For instance, Canva’s free video editing tool makes editing and creating YouTube Shorts videos quick and easy with these steps:

Step 1: Open Canva online.

Go to Canva and enter “YouTube Shorts” in the search bar.

You can choose a blank layout or a ready-to-use, customizable Shorts template for your clients’ videos.

Step 2: Upload the video

Upload the video clips you want to include in your client’s Shorts.

Then, drag and drop the clips on the timeline.

You can also find high-quality and royalty-free stock videos in Canva’s media library.

Step 3: Customize and edit the video

Customize the Shorts video by cutting, trimming, or lengthening each frame’s duration.

You can do this by dragging the timeline’s slider.

You can also slow down or speed up moments your clients want to highlight.

Add more customizations using the editing tools.

You can apply fancy transitions between frames, add some pizzazz by animating elements, and include background tracks from the music library or upload your clients’ sound clips.

Sprinkle more texts, such as subtitles and captions, and apply filters to make your clients’ Shorts pop.

Remember to keep the entire video within 60 seconds or less.

Step 4: Save and share the video

Once you’re done, download the video as a high-resolution MP4 file.

The video will have the right YouTube Shorts format and dimensions since you used a template.

After downloading, you can upload and share the video on YouTube Shorts.

You can also share the video directly to other social media platforms and apps, such as when you want to share a YouTube video on Instagram Story.

Common mistakes about YouTube Shorts dimensions

Steer clear of these common mistakes to ensure you get your clients’ YouTube Shorts dimensions right.

• Not using the right resolution. YouTube supports various video resolutions, but if you use the wrong one, your clients’ videos will get the low-resolution treatment. It’s like viewers are watching your clients’ videos through pixelated glasses. So keep your clients’ videos sharp and use the right resolution for YouTube Shorts for that top viewing experience.

• Keeping the file size too large. Uploading massive video files means longer wait times and potential playback issues, especially for viewers with slower internet connections.

• Missing out on handy Shorts features. YouTube Shorts has built-in features, including the most popular filters, text, and music. Don’t miss out on the fun, and use the Shorts features to create compelling content and engage audiences.

• Failing to follow guidelines. Shorts fall under the YouTube Community Guidelines. Keep your clients’ content in check and stick to the rules to avoid getting your clients’ videos and channels in trouble.

• Forgetting to attribute and ask permission when using other creator’s assets. Using copyrighted material, from music to other video clips, can land your clients’ videos and YouTube accounts in hot water. Be copyright savvy and get the green light before using other creators’ content in your clients’ Shorts.  

• Zooming too much. Getting in those zoom shots can give your clients’ Shorts some creative flair, but overdoing it can ruin a great video. Ease off on the zooming and keep it to a minimum, or it could distract viewers from seeing what your clients’ videos want to highlight.

• Turning the description box into an emoji party. Emojis are fun, but don’t flood your clients’ Shorts descriptions with too many. Limit the emojis from one to three to keep it classy.

• Getting too creative. Creative aspects help your clients’ Shorts videos pop and draw attention. However, there is such a thing as “too creative” that the content fails to get the point across and confuses viewers. For example, adding too many transitions in a 15-second video can be a bit of an overkill.

Use Vista Social for easy YouTube Shorts publishing 

As a busy social media manager, publishing your multiple clients’ YouTube Shorts should be seamless.

Enter Vista Social, a modern social media management solution that simplifies and streamlines managing, organizing, and publishing YouTube Shorts and other social media content.

The platform makes it easy to turn your clients’ YouTube channel ideas and Shorts dream content into reality.

The best part? You can schedule your clients’ YouTube Shorts to auto-publish on optimal dates and times.

Upload your client’s 60-second (or less) video to Vista Social, open their linked profile, and add the video details.

Then, customize your client’s post by adding captions and selecting the video settings.

Once done, you can save the post as a draft, publish it instantly, add it to a scheduled post queue for a specific day, or select a posting schedule.

Vista Social’s optimization algorithms can automatically schedule your content to publish at times proven to drive audience engagement.

This way, you’ll know the best time to post on YouTube Shorts without wasting too much time and effort.

You’ll see all the drafts, previously published content, existing YouTube videos, and scheduled posts in a centralized content calendar for easy tracking and management.

Vista Social’s YouTube management tools for business include other cool features that help you:

• Manage conversations and build relationships with your clients’ viewers and other creators through a social inbox. The tool lets you keep track of user comments and messages, including your clients’ YouTube comment history, if they get replies from a central social inbox.

• Benchmark your clients’ YouTube performances through analytics features. You can get organic and paid insights from your clients’ YouTube channels to analyze engagement, track content performance, and measure follower growth.

• Instantly generate engaging posts and captions for your clients’ videos with the AI assistant, saving you time and effort. It can speed up turning YouTube Shorts ideas into reality.

• Generate approval workflows to guide content submission, review, and approval processes. It helps you maintain oversight, protecting your clients’ brand standards while simplifying collaboration.

Author and speaker Dave Willis once said…

“Don’t use social media to impress people; use it to impact people.”

Vista Social can be your ticket to help your clients achieve this. 

YouTube Shorts Dimensions FAQs

Read up on the top questions people ask about YouTube Shorts dimensions below. 

Are the 9:16 and 16:9 aspect ratios the same?

No.

The 9:16 aspect ratio is best for vertical videos that you commonly see when watching on mobile phones.

The 9:16 aspect ratio (also ideal for Short form video platforms like Instagram and TikTok) is a perfect 90-degree flip of the 16:9 video.

Can you convert video aspect ratios from one to another?

Yes, using video editors and converters with features that let you change the aspect ratio.

However, some parts of your YouTube video can be cut off when changing between aspect ratios.

Can you create square videos as YouTube Shorts?

Yes.

Technically, you can create YouTube Shorts with a 1:1 aspect ratio and 1080 x 1080 dimensions, making them square.

However, square videos look smaller, especially on the YouTube mobile app.

So you’re better off sticking to the recommended YouTube Shorts format and dimensions for best-quality videos.

Get the YouTube Shorts dimensions right

Knowing the right YouTube Shorts dimensions and sticking to them ensures your clients’ videos display correctly.

It gives viewers a better viewing experience, giving your clients’ videos more views and engagement–or even getting you more channel subscriptions.

Use Vista Social to manage your clients’ YT accounts and publish YouTube Shorts more efficiently.

Sign up for a Vista Social account to better understand why the SMM platform is a game-changer.