Ever watch a show from the 90s on and notice something different? The picture likely doesn’t fill your whole TV screen – that’s because wide-screen TV’s weren’t the norm in the 1990s. Aspect ratio determines the basic shape of a video based on its width and height. It’s typically written as “X:Y”, read as “width by height”. For example, today the standard TV screen is 16:9 while in the 90s, it was 5:4 which is just slightly wider than it is tall. Why does this matter for marketers and business owners? Because the aspect ratio of your videos determines the experience your audience receives. This affects whether or not your content gets seen. The best video aspect ratio depends on where it will be viewed. Here is a quick guide showing the most common video sizes and where they work best.
“Standard” 16:9 Video Aspect Ratio
16:9 is one of the most common aspect ratios you’ll see today because it is the current standard for TV screens. Since this is considered a standard size, it’s a great format to choose if your video is going to be seen on a TV, your website, email, blogs or YouTube. Typically you will see this aspect ratio as a horizontal picture, mimicking the way we view TV screens. However, if your audience is viewing this format on their phone, they will need to turn their phone horizontally in order to see the video in a full screen viewing format. This can be problematic on social platforms. If your audience is scrolling through a lot of other content, 16:9 horizontal isn’t going to catch attention.
1:1 Perfect Square Video
Perfect square videos have been popularized thanks to platforms like Instagram. Use this format if you are looking to create a “mobile-first” experience. The 1:1 square ratio also lends itself well to grid layouts, which works well for a video blog or portfolio section of your website as well as any of the social media platforms. Using this format will give your videos a more eye-catching experience on mobile, without sacrificing the desktop experience. However, a square format may not be appropriate if your primary goal is to place your videos on YouTube, TV or streaming services since square videos do not fill the entire screen. Square videos are best suited for short form video and social media.
Vertical/Mobile Aspect Ratios
Mobile is changing the way we view video. While you can turn your phone horizontally for a full-screen experience, this is not ideal when scrolling through a news feed. Vertical videos perform better on social media. They utilize more screen real restate without forcing the user to rotate their phone. In fact, vertical video is becoming so popular that camera makers like GoPro are redesigning their cameras with vertical sensors. Which vertical format is best? Think about how you will use the video. Full screen 9:16 is the preferred format for TikTok and can be taken directly from your phone without cropping. This is also ideal for stories. If you are running social ads or creating posts however, square or 4:5 vertical videos are best. These formats take up a large portion of the phone screen but still leave room for text or buttons.
Have you thought about how your video content looks across different platforms? Knowing when and where to use different video aspect ratios will improve your audience’s experience and increase engagement. You can even maximize the same content by having it cropped several different ways.
-Sara E. Jones, CEO & Co-founder, RadBot Video
ps. Do you want to build your own video marketing plan but need a little more guidance? We are offering a free guide here.