Recommended resolution & aspect ratios
✅ Computer
YouTube uses different video aspect ratios based on the platform and video format.
YouTube on desktop uses a 16:9 aspect ratio player. The player automatically adds black bars to videos so that they are displayed correctly without cropping or stretching.
Recommended resolution & aspect ratios
To fit the player perfectly, encode at these resolutions:
- 2160p: 3840x2160
- 1440p: 2560x1440
- 1080p: 1920x1080
- 720p: 1280x720
- 480p: 854x480
- 360p: 640x360
- 240p: 426x240
You can adjust the fit of your video in the YouTube player after uploading your video using formatting tags.
How your video will display
If you upload a file that isn't 16:9, it will display pillar boxed (black bars on each side of the video) or letter boxed (black bars at the top and bottom).
Some examples:
- The player will automatically add pillarboxing to 4:3 videos.
- If the player is re-sized, there may be letterboxing. For example, 16:9 videos are letterboxed when the embedded player is sized 4:3.
- Anamorphic videos will be letterboxed in both 16:9 and 4:3 players. The player can only do this if the native aspect ratio of the video is maintained - i.e. don't add black bars to the video itself.
Note: If you add letterboxing to a video before uploading it, the widescreen player will add vertical bars, resulting in black bars all around the video and a bad viewing experience.
Video display example images
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| If you upload a 16:9 video at its original aspect ratio (1280x720 recommended) | The video will fill the YouTube widescreen 16:9 player. | |
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| If you upload a 4:3 video at its original aspect ratio (640x480 recommended) | The video will display in the widescreen player at the correct size and ratio with pillarbox bars. | |
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| If you add letterbox bars to the top and bottom before uploading so that the video fits a 4:3 player | The YouTube player will add pillarbox bars so the 4:3 video fits widescreen. Bars will surround the video. | |
✅ Android
YouTube uses different video aspect ratios based on the platform and video format.
The YouTube app for Android mobile automatically adapts the player to the size of the video. Whether it’s vertical, square, or horizontal, the video will fill the screen. The vertical (portrait) video player matches the aspect ratio of the content - getting taller for square and vertical videos, and shorter for widescreen videos.
How vertical videos are displayed
Vertical videos will now display in the video player without black bars on the sides. See example:
A viewer can tap the square button on the bottom right of the video to enter into vertical full screen to view the entire video.
✅ iPhone & iPad
YouTube uses different video aspect ratios based on the platform and video format.
The YouTube app for iOS automatically adapts the player to the size of the video. Whether it’s vertical, square, or horizontal, the video will fill the screen. The vertical (portrait) video player matches the aspect ratio of the content - getting taller for square and vertical videos, and shorter for widescreen videos.
How vertical videos are displayed
Vertical videos will now display in the video player without black bars on the sides. See example:
A viewer can tap the square button on the bottom right of the video to enter into vertical full screen to view the entire video.
* Nguồn: Youtube