Clip Specs Every Campaign Expects
Getting the format wrong does not usually fail loudly. It fails as suppressed reach and rejected submissions you never connect back to a wrong export setting.
Almost every clipping campaign expects vertical 9:16 at 1080x1920, burned-in captions, and a length that fits the destination platform's sweet spot rather than its maximum. Safe zones matter as much as ratio, because platform UI covers the top and bottom of the frame and captions placed there get hidden behind buttons. Export once per destination rather than uploading one file everywhere.
The numbers that matter
9:16
Default ratio
1080x1920. The expected format across short-form destinations.
Burned-in
Caption format
Word-level and always visible, because most short-form viewing starts muted.
Keep text centre-frame
Safe zone rule
Platform UI covers roughly the top and bottom of the frame across apps.
Sweet spot, not maximum
Length principle
Cut when the payoff lands. Filling the maximum length costs completion rate.
Rate reference
Observed market ranges, not guaranteed rates. Individual campaigns set their own terms and can change them at any time.
| Source | Typical rate | Paid on | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16, 1080x1920 | Vertical | Burned-in captions expected. Keep text clear of top and bottom UI. |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16, 1080x1920 | Vertical | Title text matters more here than on other short-form surfaces. |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16, 1080x1920 | Vertical | Heaviest UI overlay. Caption placement discipline matters most here. |
| X / Twitter | 9:16 or 1:1 | Vertical or square | Square performs acceptably in timeline. Check the campaign's stated preference. |
| 1:1 or 9:16 | Square or vertical | Square is the safer default for feed consumption. |
The playbook
Export per destination, never once for all
A single file uploaded to several platforms is both a spec compromise and the clearest duplicate signal available. Re-export with the correct ratio and its own trim and captions per destination, which fixes both problems in one step.
Tip: Name exports with their destination so a cross-posted file becomes impossible by accident.
Respect the safe zones, not just the ratio
Correct 9:16 with captions under the platform's action buttons is still a broken clip, because the punchline word is covered at exactly the moment it lands. Keep captions and any critical visual information in the middle band of the frame across every destination.
Tip: Preview a finished clip in the actual app before you commit a whole batch to a caption position.
Cut to the payoff, not to the limit
Length maximums are not targets. Completion rate drives distribution on short-form, so a clip that ends right after the payoff outperforms the same clip padded toward the platform's ceiling. Shorter also means more clips per source.
Tip: When in doubt, cut two seconds earlier. It is almost never the wrong call.
Burn captions in, always
Most short-form viewing begins muted, so captions carry the opening. Platform auto-captions are inconsistent, positioned unpredictably, and often absent when a campaign reviews the clip. Burned-in word-level captions are both a performance decision and a compliance one.
Tip: Check the transcript for names and jargon before rendering a batch. One wrong word repeats across every clip.
Keep the speaker centred
Cropping a horizontal source to vertical without tracking leaves speakers drifting out of frame, which reads as low effort and hurts retention. Face-tracked reframing keeps the subject centred through movement and speaker changes, which is the visible difference between a clip and a crop.
Tip: Multi-speaker sources are where untracked crops fail worst. Check those clips before publishing.
How this goes wrong
Captions hidden behind UI
Correct ratio with wrong caption placement hides the payoff word behind platform buttons, and it happens across an entire batch before anyone notices.
One file, many platforms
Cross-posting an identical export is a duplicate signal to platforms and campaigns, and it compromises spec on every destination but one.
Padding to the length limit
Filling the maximum runtime lowers completion rate, which lowers distribution, which lowers the views the whole campaign pays on.
Features
Multi-Format Export
Vertical 9:16, square 1:1 and horizontal 16:9 so each destination gets a file built for it
Safe-Zone Captions
Word-level burned-in captions positioned clear of platform UI overlays
Face-Tracked Cropping
Speaker tracking keeps the subject centred through movement and speaker changes
Per-Destination Variants
Separate renders per platform, which fixes spec and duplicate risk in the same step
Frequently Asked Questions
Where these figures come from
- Reflects publicly documented platform format guidance and common campaign requirements as of August 2026.
- Platform specs change. Always confirm against the campaign rules page and the platform's current documentation.
Correct Specs on Every Render
Vertical, square and horizontal exports with safe-zone word-level captions and face-tracked framing, produced per destination in a single pass.