Platform sizes
YouTube Video Size & Aspect Ratio
YouTube still wants landscape 16:9 for long-form and 9:16 for Shorts. Upload higher than the encode target; YouTube transcodes down.
YouTube calculator
Width or height + a ratio. The other side fills in.
Ratio presets
Platform sizes
Pixel preview
16:9
YouTube pixel sizes
| Use | Ratio | Width | Height | Pixels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p video | 16:9 | 1920 | 1080 | 1920×1080 Default landscape master |
| 1440p video | 16:9 | 2560 | 1440 | 2560×1440 |
| 4K video | 16:9 | 3840 | 2160 | 3840×2160 |
| 720p video | 16:9 | 1280 | 720 | 1280×720 Minimum recommended HD |
| Shorts | 9:16 | 1080 | 1920 | 1080×1920 Full-bleed vertical |
| Thumbnail | 16:9 | 1280 | 720 | 1280×720 Under 2 MB, JPG/PNG |
Export notes
Keep the action inside a 16:9 safe area even if you shoot open gate. YouTube will letterbox other ratios.
Shorts accept 16:9, but the For You shelf is 9:16. Recrop if vertical watch time matters.
Thumbnails are 16:9. Faces and type should survive a 50% downscale on mobile.