Resizing videos is an important skill for anyone creating video content. Whether you need to adapt your videos for different social media platforms or reduce file sizes for easier sharing, knowing how to properly resize videos can save you time and effort. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about resizing videos professionally.
Table of Contents
Why Videos Need Resizing
There are a few key reasons why you may need to resize your videos:
- Fitting platform requirements – Every social media platform has ideal video dimensions. Resizing ensures your videos display properly.
- Instagram feed video: 1080×1080 pixels
- Instagram stories: 1080×1920 pixels
- YouTube: 1280×720 or 1920×1080 pixels
- Facebook: 1280×720 pixels
- Reducing file sizes – Lower resolution videos have smaller file sizes, making them easier to share online. This is especially useful for email attachments or uploads with limited bandwidth.
- Maintaining quality – If a video is too small, it will look blurry or pixelated when viewed full screen. Resizing to an optimal size preserves video quality.
Best Practices for Resizing Videos
Follow these tips for professional results:
- Maintain aspect ratio – Scale the video size but preserve its original width-to-height ratio to avoid distortion.
- Use even dimensions – Choose dimensions divisible by 8 or 16 like 1280×720 or 1920×1080. This optimizes encoding.
- Don’t just shrink – If upsizing a small video, use interpolation techniques to minimize pixelation.
- Adjust bitrate – Higher resolutions need higher bitrates (amount of data per second) to maintain quality.
- Focus on delivery – Optimize files for their viewing method, like higher resolution for full screen.
- Check results – View the encoded video at full size to ensure satisfactory visual quality.
Resizing Workflow
Follow these steps when resizing your videos:
1. Choose Target Dimensions
Determine where you will be uploading the video and use the recommended dimensions. Refer to a resolution chart if needed.
2. Open Video in Editing Software
Import your video file into video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. This allows precise resizing beyond just file conversion.
3. Set New Dimensions
Adjust the frame size settings to your desired dimensions. Use the resolution height and width fields or select a preset like 720p.
4. Preserve Aspect Ratio
If the new dimensions cause distortion with uneven stretching, click the padlock icon next to the fields to lock aspect ratio. Then adjust dimensions until the video looks correct.
5. Adjust Additional Settings
If needed, change other settings like bitrate, frame rate, interpolation method, and encoding profile based on your video content and delivery requirements.
6. Export New Video
Render out your resized video to create your final desired file. The editing software will process the adjustments and encode the new size.
7. Check Video Quality
Play back your new video file to verify satisfactory visual quality at both normal and full screen sizes. Re-encode if the video has issues like pixelation or artifacts.
Following these best practices for resizing videos will ensure you always have optimized video files ready for uploading across all your social channels and websites.
