Guide
LinkedIn and Instagram video sizes: 16:9, 9:16 or 4:5?
Last updated
Short answer: Use 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 4:5 for the LinkedIn and Instagram feed (it takes the most screen space on a phone), and 16:9 for your website and YouTube.
Which ratio fits which place?
| Place | Best ratio | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | Full-screen vertical |
| LinkedIn feed, Instagram feed | 4:5 | Tall, but not full-screen, so it fills the feed |
| Your website, YouTube, Product Hunt | 16:9 | Standard landscape |
What is the safe zone?
Apps draw buttons, captions and your profile over the top and bottom of vertical video. Keep headlines and logos away from the top and bottom edges so nothing is covered.
Do I need three separate videos?
You need three versions of the same video. Re-editing by hand is slow. Cropping a 16:9 video to vertical often cuts off the important part.
How do I make all three quickly?
CrossLoop renders a 16:9 film, then builds the 9:16 and 4:5 versions around it with large captions, so text stays readable on a phone. It also writes the LinkedIn and Instagram copy and an .srt caption file.
What does a CrossLoop film look like?
Here is the film CrossLoop made from Stripe’s website. More in the free examples.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I post the same video on LinkedIn and Instagram?
- Yes, but rewrite the text for each. LinkedIn rewards a short story; Instagram rewards a short caption and hashtags.
- Do captions matter?
- Yes. Most feed video plays without sound.