AI Video Sizes and Lengths for TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts

The quick answer: a vertical master, then a platform check

Our practical starting point is a 9:16 video. If your source and editor support it, 1080 × 1920 pixels is a useful export target. This is a workflow recommendation, not a universal platform requirement or a claim that every KlipZi generation is 1080p.

For a single visual idea, try a 10–30 second finished edit as an initial creative test. A simple gag may need less; a demonstration may need more. There is no guaranteed best length for reach. Remove time that adds nothing, but leave enough for the viewer to understand the action.

• YouTube: understand three-minute Shorts

  The three-minute rule is a Shorts classification limit, not a recommended creative duration.

• TikTok: creator information for connected publishing

  The API exposes an account-specific maximum duration. That does not define the native app's upload ceiling.

Aspect ratio and resolution are different choices

Aspect ratio describes the shape. Resolution describes the number of pixels. Both 720 × 1280 and 1080 × 1920 are 9:16 portrait files. Changing a filename or writing '1080p' in a prompt does not change the exported dimensions.

Choose portrait in KlipZi's actual format controls when that is your target. After downloading, inspect the file's dimensions and duration. Upscaling a smaller clip does not recreate detail that was never present in the source.

Generation length is not finished-post length

KlipZi's available durations depend on the selected model and creation mode. Use the controls and displayed cost in Create as the source of truth; a prompt asking for three minutes does not unlock a three-minute generation.

If your finished post needs several beats, plan individual clips and join them in a separate editor. For example, an introduction, a visual demonstration and a payoff can be three shots rather than one overloaded prompt. Keep only the footage that helps the story.

• One visual joke: establish the situation, show the surprise, then finish.
• A product detail: give the viewer enough time to recognise what changed.
• A narrated tip: time the actual voiceover before choosing supporting shots.
• A repeated or looping action: check the ending against the opening instead of adding an unnecessary outro.

• Open KlipZi Create

  Select the available format and duration before generating.

• Troubleshoot overloaded actions and camera movement

  Simplify the shot before spending credits on another attempt.

Compose for portrait before you crop

Cropping a wide shot into a tall one can remove the second character, a hand or the visual payoff. If the destination is vertical, plan a portrait composition from the start. Keep the important action together instead of putting essential subjects at opposite edges.

Leave breathing room around faces and any text you add later. Platform buttons, captions and preview crops can cover different areas. There is no single pixel-safe zone promised here: inspect the actual post preview on each destination, including the cover or profile preview if available.

• Use the seven-part AI video prompt formula

  The framing instruction helps composition; the format control sets the actual output shape.

Export cleanly and avoid unnecessary conversions

When an editor asks for export settings, MP4 with H.264 video is a practical starting point. YouTube recommends that combination and recommends keeping the recorded frame rate. TikTok also recommends MP4 and H.264 for its Content Posting API. These are compatibility recommendations, not a guarantee that every file or publishing integration will accept them.

Keep the original download. If you edit it, export from that source rather than downloading a compressed social post and using that as the next platform's master. Check the exported audio, resolution and duration before uploading. Avoid stretching a landscape clip to fill portrait: crop, reframe or deliberately use a background layout instead.

• YouTube: recommended upload encoding settings

  General upload recommendations, including container, codec and frame rate.

• TikTok: Content Posting API media transfer guide

  These are connected-publishing requirements, not a substitute for the app's current upload rules.

Check the route you actually use to publish

A native mobile app, a website uploader and a scheduling service are different posting routes. A file accepted in one is not proof that another supports it. If a publisher rejects a video, read its reported restriction before regenerating: you may only need a shorter edit or a different export.

For Instagram, consult the current Reels guidance and the composer you use. This guide deliberately does not state a universal Instagram or TikTok maximum: account features and posting routes can differ. The table above is for planning a short vertical master, not an exhaustive upload-specification sheet.

• Instagram Help: Reel size and aspect ratios

  Check the latest destination guidance alongside your app or publisher's validation.

The one-minute pre-post checklist

• Check the file's real dimensions, orientation and duration—not just the project name.
• Watch the full clip with sound and check speech, music and any sudden cutoffs.
• Preview it without sound too: does the main idea still read? Add clear captions in your chosen editing or posting tool when needed.
• Check exact text, faces and the payoff after cropping.
• Inspect the destination preview for covered text, missing edges and the cover image.
• Check the platform's current music rights and AI-content disclosure requirements for your post.
• Keep the original master and publish only the reviewed version.

Common questions