What makes a video a Short, and a tool that turns any video into one: vertical 9:16 with a blurred background, a colour or a crop, trimmed to 3 minutes. Free, and nothing is uploaded.
Instagram Reels specs at a glance
1080 × 1920 pxSize for a full-screen Reel
9:16Aspect ratio. Instagram accepts anything from 1.91:1 to 9:16
Up to 20 minReels over 3 minutes aren’t recommended to new audiences
4:5Feed posts that fill more of the screen: 1080 × 1350
1:1Square posts: 1080 × 1080
16:9Landscape, for YouTube and screens: 1920 × 1080
Choose the shape below. The safe-zone guide is off, because it depends on where you post.
0:00
Starting…
Advertisement
How to make your Short
Drop in your video. Landscape, square and vertical all work.
Choose how to fill the frame: a blurred background, a colour, or crop to fill (what’s the difference?).
Trim it if you like, press Make video, and save a 1080 × 1920 MP4 with the sound kept.
Which fill works best for Shorts?
Crop to fill suits gameplay highlights and close-ups when the action is in the middle of the frame. For screen recordings, slides or wide scenery, the blurred background keeps everything readable.
What makes a video a Short?
YouTube treats a video as a Short when it’s square or vertical and up to 3 minutes long (YouTube Help). A landscape video, or one over 3 minutes, becomes a regular video instead. That’s why this tool makes a 9:16 video and stops you keeping more than 3 minutes.
Keep text clear of the buttons
The Shorts player puts the title and channel name along the bottom and the like, comment and share buttons down the right. YouTube doesn’t publish exact margins, so the guide in the preview is an approximation that keeps clear of the bottom and the right edge.
Thumbnails for Shorts
YouTube recommends a 9:16 thumbnail for Shorts (YouTube Help). Verified channels can upload one in YouTube Studio on a computer; otherwise you pick a frame from the video, and a frame from your 1080 × 1920 video is already the right shape.
Common problems on YouTube Shorts
It uploaded as a normal video, not a Short. A Short must be square or vertical and 3 minutes or less. Make it 9:16 here and keep 3 minutes at most; the tool stops you keeping more.
My Short is blocked worldwide. A Short longer than 1 minute with an active Content ID claim, usually for music, is blocked in every country (YouTube Help). Remove the claimed music, keep the Short to 60 seconds, or use music from the YouTube Audio Library.
Text is hidden behind the title and buttons. Keep it away from the bottom and the right edge. The safe-zone guide in the preview shows roughly where.
Questions
What size is a YouTube Short?
1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16 vertical, fills the screen. Square videos also count as Shorts.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes. Longer videos are treated as regular YouTube videos.
Will a landscape video become a Short?
No. A Short has to be square or vertical. Turn it into 9:16 here first.
Does it keep the sound?
Yes. The original sound is kept.
Can I make versions for other apps too?
Yes. Tick them under “Also make it for” and they’re made in one go. Apps that need the same video share one file.
Is it free? Is there a watermark?
Free, with no watermark and no sign-up.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The video is made in your browser, on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome and Edge on computers and Android work best. Recent Safari on iPhone and Mac works too.