Vertical for Every Platform: A Delivery Checklist for TikTok, Reels, Shorts and Stories
One wide master, several platforms. A practical checklist for delivering 9:16, 4:5 and 16:9 versions without redoing the edit each time.
Quick answer: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Stories all play full-screen 9:16 video, typically delivered at 1080 x 1920. Instagram feed posts also accept 4:5, and YouTube's main player is 16:9. Edit once in wide format, then reframe a version for each shape.
The aspect ratio decides what the viewer sees. The checklist below helps you get every version right from one master.
The common shapes
9:16 vertical: TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Stories, Snapchat. Full screen on a phone.
4:5 portrait: Instagram and Facebook feed posts. Taller than square, shorter than full vertical.
1:1 square: still useful for some feeds and ads.
16:9 widescreen: YouTube, websites, TV and presentations.
Platform specs change, so confirm current requirements in each platform's help pages before a big campaign. Our guide to choosing the right aspect ratio explains when each shape works best.
A delivery checklist
1. Lock the wide edit first. Story, timing and audio should be final before you reframe.
2. Reframe each version on its own. A 4:5 crop and a 9:16 crop need different framing decisions. Do not just stretch one into the other.
3. Check safe zones. Keep faces and text away from the areas covered by usernames, captions and buttons.
4. Re-time text and graphics. Titles placed for 16:9 often fall outside a vertical frame.
5. Watch every version on a phone. The only real test is the device your audience uses.
6. Name files clearly. Include the platform and ratio in the file name so nothing gets posted in the wrong place.
One master, many frames
Cropper helps you produce vertical and square versions of a wide edit by guiding the frame yourself, on mobile or inside Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
Explore the Cropper plugins for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve · Cropper on the App Store · Cropper on Google Play