Video formats per platform: length, aspect ratio and subtitles
At a glance
A video format determines the aspect ratio and how footage, text and subtitles appear on a channel. This overview is intended for clients using video on websites, social channels or in presentations. It helps establish the required versions before filming. At White Label, additional aspect ratios and language versions are custom work; their cost is quoted for each assignment rather than included automatically. A production at White Label often takes two to four weeks.
One video is rarely enough. Each channel needs its own aspect ratio, length and approach to sound. This overview shows what you need per channel and how to plan it up front.
Making a video is one thing; getting it onto every channel the right way is another. A film that works perfectly on your homepage is too long, too wide and, without sound, incomprehensible on Instagram. This article lists per channel which aspect ratio, length and approach to sound work, and how to plan it up front so that all versions come from the same shoot.
The three variables
Aspect ratio. 16:9 is widescreen and the standard for websites, YouTube and presentations. 9:16 is vertical, for phones: Reels, Stories, TikTok and increasingly LinkedIn. 1:1 and 4:5 are in-between shapes for feeds where the video sits among other posts.
Length. On your website someone watches with attention and accepts two minutes. In a feed someone decides within three seconds whether to keep watching, and after thirty seconds it is usually over.
Sound. On the website and YouTube the sound is on. In feeds on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook it is off by default. A video that cannot be followed without sound does not work there.
Per channel
| Channel | Aspect ratio | Length | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website (homepage, product page) | 16:9 | 1–3 min | On | Fast loading, possibly a silent loop as background |
| YouTube | 16:9 | 1–5 min | On | Title and description for discoverability |
| LinkedIn feed | 1:1 or 4:5, also 9:16 | 15–60 sec | Off | Subtitles, first 3 seconds |
| Instagram Reels / Stories | 9:16 | 7–30 sec | Off | Frame vertically, text in the safe area |
| Instagram feed | 4:5 or 1:1 | 15–60 sec | Off | Subtitles |
| 4:5 or 1:1 | 15–60 sec | Off | Subtitles | |
| TikTok | 9:16 | 7–30 sec | Usually on | Fast, direct, native feel |
| Trade fairs and screens | 16:9 | Loop of 1–3 min | Off | No spoken text, large captions |
| Presentations and sales | 16:9 | 1–2 min | On | Available offline too |
| Job ads and job platforms | 16:9 or 9:16 | 30–90 sec | Off | Subtitles, name and role on screen |
How to plan formats in advance
The biggest misunderstanding: that you crop a widescreen film to vertical afterwards. You can, but something important usually ends up outside the frame. The better approach:
- Decide the channels in the briefing. Not “we want a video” but “we want a video for the website, three Reels and a LinkedIn version”.
- Frame for all formats during the shoot. I keep the vertical frame in mind for every shot, so faces and products stay in frame in every version. For the LOTT Gioielli campaign every key shot worked in both 16:9 and 9:16.
- Edit per format. A vertical version is not a cropped copy; it has its own rhythm and often a different order. The summer campaign for Spa Zuiver consists of three versions that each stand on their own.
- Subtitle everything that goes into a feed. Burned in for platforms that do not support separate subtitles, as an SRT file for platforms that do.
The first three seconds
In feeds the first impression is everything. No logo animation, no slow build-up: start with the strongest image or the most provocative line. The rest of the video has to keep that promise, but without a strong opening nobody gets there.
What you deliver to your channels
For each channel I deliver the right file: MP4 in the correct resolution and aspect ratio, with and without burned-in subtitles, plus a thumbnail. You do not have to convert anything yourself and the video looks as intended everywhere.
More about my commercials and online campaigns, or tell me which channels you use.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just crop a 16:9 video to vertical?
Technically yes, but something important usually falls out of frame: a face, a product, a caption. That is why I frame for the formats you need during the shoot. Then the important part stays in frame in every version.
Does every video need subtitles?
Every video that appears on social media or in a feed does, because the sound is usually off there. Subtitles also make the video accessible to people with hearing loss and help with discoverability. For your website they are recommended, not required.
Which file format do you deliver?
MP4 (H.264) as standard, in the resolution and aspect ratio per channel, and ProRes on request for further editing. Subtitles come burned in and as a separate SRT file, so platforms can display them themselves.
Examples from my work
More insights
-
Animation or live action: which fits your story?
Choose the format around what viewers need to see. An invisible process calls for something different from an employee describing their work.
-
Make a video yourself or outsource it: when should you choose each?
A short update needs a different approach from a major product launch. Compare the job the video must do, your team’s skills and available time.
-
Freelance videographer or production company: which fits your brief?
The difference is not just the camera or the price. Check who does the work, how much coordination is needed and who takes responsibility.