YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels & TikTok Videos
Cliptude's 9:16 format lets you create vertical short-form videos purpose-built for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok — all from the same AI-powered pipeline that generates your long-form content. Captions are automatically burned in with your chosen style, making your videos scroll-stopping out of the box.
What is the 9:16 format?
9:16 is the vertical aspect ratio used by every major short-form platform. Videos are rendered at 1080 × 1920 px — the native resolution for phone screens — so they display edge-to-edge without letterboxing or cropping. Cliptude assembles the full video, mixes the soundtrack, then automatically transcribes the voiceover and burns captions directly into the video before delivery.
How to create a short-form video
Choose 9:16 aspect ratio
On the video creation page, select 9:16 (Vertical) as your aspect ratio before submitting your prompt.
Pick a thumbnail
After your script is generated, choose the thumbnail frame that best represents your video — this doubles as the cover image when you upload to any platform.
Choose a caption style
Select from 21 built-in caption styles — from bold karaoke highlights to clean minimal text. Captions are transcribed word-for-word from your voiceover and burned directly into the video.
Wait for rendering
Cliptude assembles the video at 1080 × 1920, mixes the audio, runs transcription, and burns in captions. You'll receive an email with a download link when it's ready.
Download & upload
Download the finished MP4 and upload it directly to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok. No editing or reformatting needed.
Automatic captions
Captions are non-negotiable on short-form platforms — the vast majority of viewers watch without sound. Cliptude handles this automatically:
- • Your voiceover is transcribed using OpenAI Whisper for accurate word-level timing.
- • Words are highlighted as they are spoken (karaoke style) or displayed as clean subtitle blocks — depending on the style you pick.
- • Captions are burned into the video, so they show up on every platform regardless of whether the viewer has subtitles enabled.
- • You choose the style — 21 options including bold white, green highlight, neon, minimal, and more.
Platform upload tips
YouTube Shorts
- • Videos under 60 seconds are automatically treated as Shorts when uploaded in 9:16.
- • Add #Shorts to your title or description to ensure YouTube surfaces it in the Shorts feed.
- • YouTube will use the first frame as the thumbnail — if you want a specific frame, set it after uploading in YouTube Studio.
- • Keep the video between 15–60 seconds for best algorithmic distribution.
Instagram Reels
- • Reels support up to 90 seconds. For maximum reach, aim for 15–30 seconds.
- • Upload through the Instagram app or Meta Business Suite — select Reels (not Story) when posting.
- • Write a caption with relevant hashtags to increase discoverability in the Reels tab.
- • Instagram applies its own audio track setting — your burned-in captions will still be visible regardless of audio settings.
TikTok
- • TikTok supports videos up to 10 minutes, but the sweet spot for views is 15–60 seconds.
- • Upload directly through the TikTok app or TikTok Studio on desktop.
- • Since your captions are burned in, you don't need TikTok's auto-caption feature — but you can still add it as a fallback if you want.
- • Add trending sounds or music in TikTok after uploading to boost reach — your burned-in captions will remain visible regardless.
Tips for better short-form videos
Script length
Target a script that reads in 30–60 seconds at a natural speaking pace. Short-form algorithms reward videos that are watched to completion — a tighter script improves retention rate.
Hook in the first 3 seconds
Use a strong opening line in your prompt. All three platforms use the first few seconds to decide whether to push the video further. A question, surprising fact, or bold statement works well.
Caption style choice
Bold, high-contrast styles like Karaoke, White Pop, or Neon tend to perform best on mobile — they're readable even on small screens at a glance.
Consistent posting
All three platforms reward consistency. Use Cliptude to batch-generate multiple videos on related topics and schedule them across the week.
Quick format reference
| Platform | Format | Aspect ratio | Recommended length | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Shorts | 9:16 | 15 – 60 s | 1080 × 1920 |
| Reels | 9:16 | 15 – 30 s | 1080 × 1920 | |
| Feed post | 4:5 or 1:1 | up to 60 min | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) / 1080 × 1080 (1:1) | |
| Reels / Stories | 9:16 | up to 90 s | 1080 × 1920 | |
| Feed post | 1:1 or 4:5 | up to 240 min | 1080 × 1080 (1:1) / 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | |
| TikTok | All videos | 9:16 (primary) | 15 – 60 s | 1080 × 1920 |
TikTok also accepts 1:1 and 16:9; Instagram and Facebook feed posts accept 1:1 or 4:5 — use 4:5 to occupy maximum vertical space in the scroll.
Ready to create your first Short?
Select 9:16 on the video creation page and go from prompt to captioned short in minutes.
Create a video