Calculate precise crop and pad dimensions for creator videos, social clips and subtitle exports in 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5.
The video is cropped to fill the screen without black bars. Outer edges are removed.
FFmpeg command:
An aspect ratio describes the proportional relationship between the width and height of a video. 1920 x 1080 is 16:9, while 1080 x 1920 is the vertical 9:16 format for Shorts, Reels and TikTok.
Each platform uses different video formats, UI overlays and crop zones. This table helps you choose the right aspect ratio before burning subtitles into a video or publishing a clip.
| Platform | Aspect ratio | Typical export size | Typical use | Subtitle note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 16:9 | 1920 x 1080 | standard videos, tutorials, webinars | lower third is usually safe; avoid covering important graphics |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | vertical Shorts and mobile clips | keep subtitles above the lower UI and away from the right-side button column |
| TikTok | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | fast vertical creator videos | keep subtitles above the lower UI and away from the right-side button column |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | short vertical clips | keep subtitles above the lower UI and away from the right-side button column |
| Instagram Feed | 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 | portrait posts in the Instagram feed | leave space at the top and bottom because feed displays can vary |
| Instagram Square | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | square social previews and carousels | keep subtitles centered and avoid the bottom edge |
| 16:9 / 1:1 / 4:5 | 1920 x 1080 / 1080 x 1080 / 1080 x 1350 | business clips, webinars and feed videos | use larger subtitles because many viewers watch with sound off |
A technically correct 9:16 video can still be hard to read if subtitles sit behind like buttons, usernames, captions or progress bars. Keep important subtitles in the central safe area and avoid the lowest part of vertical videos.
Tip: Enable the safe-zone preview in the calculator before burning subtitles into the video. That makes it easier to see where text is likely to remain safe on Shorts, TikTok and Reels.
FFmpeg is the standard tool for technical video processing. The calculator automatically creates a suitable crop, pad and scale command so you do not have to calculate the target resolution by hand.
After choosing the right aspect ratio, you can burn subtitles directly into the video so captions stay reliably visible on YouTube, Shorts, TikTok, Reels and LinkedIn.
Burn subtitles into videoEnter the width and height of your original video in pixels, for example 1920 x 1080 or 1080 x 1920.
Choose a target ratio such as 9:16 for Shorts, TikTok and Reels, 16:9 for YouTube or 4:5 for feed posts.
Choose crop or pad, check the subtitle safe area and copy the automatically generated FFmpeg command.
Crop fills the target aspect ratio by removing outer edges. Pad preserves the whole image and adds bars if the source video does not match the target ratio.
The standard format is 9:16, usually 1080 x 1920 pixels. This vertical format fills the smartphone screen.
FFmpeg uses video filters such as crop, pad and scale. The calculator automatically combines the right pixel values so you can use them directly in the terminal.
Yes, the video aspect ratio calculator is free, runs in the browser and does not require registration.
Use 9:16 for vertical subtitle videos. Use 16:9 for regular YouTube videos. For feed posts, 1:1 or 4:5 often work better.
The subtitle safe area is the part of the frame where subtitles remain readable and are not covered by platform UI such as buttons, captions or progress bars.
Yes. After choosing the right aspect ratio, use the burn-subtitles workflow to create an MP4 with permanent subtitles.