Posting a horizontal video on TikTok is technically possible — but the algorithm shows it to fewer people, it looks wrong on mobile, and viewers swipe away faster. Format is not a minor detail. It is a distribution decision.
| Platform | Ratio | Resolution | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Vertical |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Vertical |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Vertical |
| Snapchat | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Vertical |
| Instagram Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080 × 1080 | Square / Portrait |
| 16:9 or 1:1 | 1920 × 1080 | Landscape / Square | |
| YouTube (regular) | 16:9 | 1920 × 1080 | Landscape |
| Twitter / X | 16:9 or 1:1 | 1280 × 720 | Landscape / Square |
TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts together account for over 150 billion daily views. All three are built entirely around 9:16 vertical video. Any content intended for these platforms must be vertical or it will be letterboxed, shown with large black bars on each side, and deprioritized by the algorithm.
Square video works across every platform without letterboxing. It takes up more screen space than landscape in social feeds, which increases the likelihood of someone stopping to watch. When you need one format for everything and cannot produce platform-specific versions, 1:1 is the answer.
Standard landscape format for YouTube, LinkedIn and any context where viewers are watching on a computer or TV. Still the dominant format for long-form content, presentations and professional video production.
"Film vertically if your primary platforms are TikTok, Reels or Shorts. Converting landscape to vertical after the fact always loses quality — you are cropping out 44% of the frame."
Coupez.video generates clips in 9:16 by default. The format switcher exports any clip in 1:1 or 16:9 instantly — no re-rendering from scratch. One recording session, all formats covered.
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