YouTube Shorts Dimensions | Tips & Recommendations

Why are YouTube Shorts dimensions important?

Like Instagram Reels and TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts offer users easy access to fast-paced short-form content. Most often, YouTube Shorts are for mobile viewing. This means that videos are required to accommodate the dimensions of an average mobile screen. 

Choosing the right dimensions for your YouTube Shorts videos is essential in ensuring your videos look appealing to your viewers. This also ensures your videos upload with ease, and you won’t have weird glitches or see half your video cut out because it’s the wrong dimension. 

YouTube Shorts requirements and recommendations

When creating short-form videos for YouTube, there are several special requirements and considerations you’ll need to keep in mind. 

Working within recommended guidelines can help you ensure you get the best possible value out of the content you produce. 

YouTube Shorts requirements

All you need to create great YouTube Shorts is a smartphone with access to the YouTube app. You can even use YouTube’s own built-in camera tools. You'll also need a YouTube channel or account if you want to share your videos on the platform. 

Unfortunately, YouTube Shorts aren’t available to all users just yet. If you want to create and share YouTube Shorts videos, you’ll need at least 1,000 YouTube subscribers before you can get started.

YouTube Shorts dimensions

YouTube Shorts have strict dimensions requirements that help to optimize your content to deliver the best viewing experience for your audience. 

The standard aspect ratio for YouTube Shorts is 9:16. This is the same aspect ratio that applies when creating short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or Facebook Reels. 

Your YouTube Shorts should have a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. This standard ensures optimal video quality while avoiding excessive file sizes that could overload the Shorts viewing platform. 

Several other layout considerations can be helpful to consider as you create your content. Ideally, place the focal point of your video at the center of the frame and position closed captions away from the edges of the screen so that they don’t get lost under other elements. 

Vertical clips vs. square video

YouTube may permit 1:1 square videos as YouTube Shorts. However, these videos are not optimized for the platform and may achieve poorer performance. 

Generally, it’s best to create vertical YouTube Shorts with a 9:16 aspect ratio. 

If you’re creating square-frame video content, Shorts might not be the right space for you. Instead, you might prefer to share these videos on Facebook or on YouTube as a regular video.

YouTube video size recommendations

Dimensions aren’t the only thing you need to be aware of when creating YouTube Shorts videos. Video size considerations are important too.

Currently, YouTube Shorts must be at least 15 seconds long and can be up to 60 seconds. A longer video could comprise just one clip or several 15-second clips spliced together. YouTube Shorts should not exceed a file size of 10MB.

YouTube Shorts thumbnail recommendations

When you create a YouTube video, you’ll also need to select a thumbnail! 

The best thumbnails catch your audience’s attention and hint at what’s engaging about your videos. A compelling thumbnail should be clear and professional and remain true to the content you produce. 

For YouTube Shorts, you can select a thumbnail from the frames that appear in your video after uploading. Alternatively, you can create and upload your own thumbnail.Like the video itself, a YouTube Shorts thumbnail should achieve an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. 

Creating professional YouTube Shorts with Riverside

If you want to create more professional YouTube Shorts videos, Riverside can help! 

Using Riverside, you can access studio-quality recording and editing tools that help you achieve the best possible results for your video content. 

Riverside lets you capture up to 4K video resolution and 48kHz sound quality without worrying about your internet connection. In our text-based editor, you can automatically select a Short-compatible 9:16 aspect ratio and trim your content as easily as deleting text in your recording transcript. Our editor also includes tools for customizing your background, removing background noise, and helps you edit your video content effectively, even if you’re a complete beginner. 

Though, the real game changer with Riverside is that you can turn one long recording into multiple shareable shorts, just with one click. Our Magic Clips tool uses AI to identify key moments in your recordings and creates short clips which you can edit and adjust as you like.  This means you can turn your lengthy video recordings into a goldmine for YouTube Shorts content!

Follow these simple steps to start Riverside production for YouTube Shorts videos.

Step 1: Log in to your Riverside account, and navigate to the Studio dashboard.

Step 2: Select +Create new to set up a new studio. Select your input sources and Join Studio. 

Step 3: Invite any relevant guests, and use the Record button to capture content. 

Step 4: When your call is complete, Stop recording, and select View recordings on the right side of your screen.

Step 5: Click ‘Generate Clips’ from the Magic Clips pop up and let Ai do the rest. This automatically turns key moments of your long-form recording into short shareable clips. (It's also possible to create and trim your own shorts. Simple click 'Go to Editor')

Step 6: When your clips are ready, you can hover over them to click ‘Edit’ and adjust them as you like in the editor. Here you'll have the option to choose different aspect ratios. Our vertical 9:16 layout is perfect for YouTube Shorts.

Step 7: Launch your YouTube account and follow the relevant instructions to upload your content as YouTube Shorts.

FAQs on YouTube Shorts

Still have questions about YouTube Shorts? Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions. 

How do you create YouTube Shorts on the YouTube platform? 

Creating YouTube Shorts is easy using the YouTube smartphone app!

Step 1: Sign in to the YouTube app on your smartphone device. 

Step 2: If you are adapting an already live YouTube video, select ‘Create’ under the published video, then ‘Edit into a Short’. This will launch the clip in the Shorts creation tool. 

Step 3: To record a clip, hold ‘Capture’, or tap to start recording and tap again to stop recording. 

Step 4: To make your clip longer than 15 seconds, click the 15s button in the top-right corner of your screen and adjust to 60s. 

Step 5: Use the Undo and Redo buttons to control recording. When you finish, click Done to preview your video.

Step 6: Tap the Next button to add details. On the following screen, add a title up to 100 characters, and adjust video privacy and other sharing settings, including selecting an audience.

Step 7: Select Upload Short to publish your video. 

Read more: How to Make YouTube Shorts: 101 Guide to Becoming an Expert

How do you upload a prerecorded video to YouTube Shorts?

If you’ve used a high-quality video creation tool like Riverside to capture your content, you’ll need to upload a prerecorded video instead of recording using the YouTube platform. Follow these steps. 

Step 1: Launch YouTube on a desktop device, and sign in to the YouTube Studio. 

Step 2: At the top right of your screen, select Create, followed by Upload videos. 

Step 3: From your device, select a short video file up to 60 seconds. You may include #Shorts in the title or description to help the algorithm categorize your content.

Step 4: Check all sharing settings before publishing your YouTube Shorts video.

How do viewers find YouTube Shorts?

New algorithm updates make it easy for viewers to find and watch your YouTube Shorts! Viewers can find these videos in the YouTube Shorts player as a scrolling stream of feed content. Some users might also find Shorts on the YouTube homepage or in their search results, as well as via subscription notifications. 

Can you earn money from YouTube Shorts?

It is now possible to earn money as a YouTube Shorts creator! When you gain 1,000 YouTube subscribers and 10 million valid public Shorts views in a 90-day period, you’ll become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, which can help you generate an income based on your content. 

Ready to get started with short-form video creation? Try Riverside today, and produce better-quality video content.