Videos come in all shapes and sizes. And while each video size might be different, they’re also all unique and perfect for the right situation. Today let’s take a look not only at video sizes, but also share how you can work with these different video sizes for your various needs. Need to change the size of a video? We’ll teach you.

Here are the easiest ways to resize your videos, plus 4 online resizers that’ll do the job in a pinch.

How to resize video in 5 simple steps 

Before we dive in too deep, let’s quickly go over the basic steps to resizing a video. Simply put, you’re going to need to use some sort of application or software. (Unfortunately you can’t reach into your computer screen and stretch or shrink a video file.)

Till that happens, here are the basic five steps to video resizing.

  1. Find and select your video file
  2. Open it in your app of choice
  3. Pick a new aspect ratio and size
  4. Select your compression settings (if offered)
  5. Compress and export

While that sounds straightforward enough, there are some aspects we’ll need to cover before you master resizing your videos on your own.

Why/when do you need to resize a video? Why does video file size matter? 

There’s a lot of reasons why you might need to resize a video in today’s day and age. For anyone who works in any sort of online function, whether that be with social media platforms or media networks, video sizes can be quite crucial.

A general rule of thumb is you simply want a video that is the right size for your needs. And by that I mean you don’t want to be working with file sizes that are far too large for your needs (which can eat up your bandwidth and cause delays). And you also don’t want videos too small for your needs (which can result in poor image quality which can reflect negatively on your company or brand).

Once you’ve mastered how to quickly and efficiently resize videos though, it should be a cinch to pick the right sizes for the right needs. 

For example, if you want to post a high quality video on your Vimeo page you can be sure to export at the best settings. However, if you want to share parts of the same video for your Instagram or on TikTok, you’ll be able to resize (and probably reformat) your video to something smaller which will still look great, but won’t take forever to upload.

Resizing a video by aspect ratio 

So, one quick way which you can resize a video is by changing a video’s aspect ratio. What is an aspect ratio, you ask? Simply put, aspect ratio is the correlation between the width and the height of a video. You sometimes see aspect ratios described as 16:9 or 1:1 for example.

However, in the world of sizes, changing aspect ratios can be a helpful way to resize a video while simultaneously better preparing it for a different display format. 

For example, if you were to take a 16:9 video which you might see on Vimeo or in certain social ads and turn it into a 1×1 box-style video for use on Instagram, you would most certainly be resizing the video in the process.

Changing your video’s orientation

Another way to approach resizing video comes from simply changing a video’s orientation. Whether that be from switching a video from landscape to vertical (or vice versa), this process will usually include a resizing of your video overall.

For anyone interested in changing a video’s orientation to be more in line with different social media specs, here are some helpful articles for resizing videos for Instagram or Facebook.

Cropping videos to resize them 

If you’re looking for one of the easiest ways to resize a video, you might want to consider cropping as a first option as well. There are several apps that can help you with cropping a video, including options even built-in to your smartphone if you’re using an iPhone or Android.

However, one of the best ways to crop a video is with an online app Vimeo video editor.

Compression 101 

Alright, while we’ve talked about a few methods for resizing a video by cropping or making adjustments to the orientation or aspect ratio, the real way that you’re going to want to resize a video in most situations is with compression.

So, what is compression and how does it work? The logistics behind compression is a bit complicated… suffice to say that a good compressor requires a specific algorithm to magically make a big file smaller. However, if you use the right program, the results can be outstanding.

If you’d like to read up on how to resize a video by using compression, here’s a great in-depth article that outlines everything you need to know on how to compress a video.

How to resize video when you export files  

Another helpful trick to consider when looking to resize a video is to more closely examine your export file options. For many advanced video editing apps and softwares (as well as plenty of basic video and file editors) you’ll usually be given a few options of both where and how to save a video file.

While many of us might simply choose to go with the default export options in most instances, if you actually stop and consider some of your selection you might have more sizing options available to you than you might realize.

For instance, choosing to export a video as a Quicktime file vs JPEG will make a difference. Also, many video editing softwares like Premiere Pro for example will give you options for exporting for different platforms like YouTube, Facebook or even Vimeo along with different resolution options.

You can also read more about Vimeo’s compression guidelines and recommendations for file sizes.

4 helpful online video resizers  

Now let’s explore some of the many helpful and easy-to-use video resizers currently on the market. A few of these will be higher-end video editing softwares which do require purchase or a subscription, but we’ll also provide a few free options as well.

How to resize video in Adobe Premiere 

Premiere Pro is one of the best video editing softwares in the world, and while it’s mostly used for video editing and effects, it’s also a great tool for simply resizing a video when needed. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open Premiere Pro.
  2. Import your desired video file or clip(s).
  3. Create a sequence and drop your video onto your timeline.
  4. Right-click the clip and select “Set to Frame Size”.
  5. Adjust the frame size as you’d like in the sequence settings (or in the export).

How to resize video in Final Cut Pro 

Similarly, Final Cut Pro is another popular video editing software that you can use to resize a video. With many of these NLEs, you’ll have plenty of options to transform and tinker with your video sizes, however pay attention to your export settings to choose your perfect file size.

  1. Open in Final Cut Pro
  2. Select a clip in your timeline
  3. Bring the clip up in the viewer
  4. Use the Transform effect to choose the right size
  5. Make your file size selections in the export

How to resize video with EZGIF

Moving on to some of the best free options, EZGIF is a great and simple way to resize a video without downloading any softwares or apps. By simply going to the website and navigating to the “Resize” tab you can quickly upload and resize a video clip. Here are the steps.

  1. Go to ezgif.com
  2. Navigate to the “Resize” tab
  3. Upload your video clip
  4. Select your desired height and width
  5. Click the “Save” button to export

How to resize video with VLC Media Player

Another quick and popular option for resizing videos, VLC Media Player is a free open-source option which can help convert videos in an instant. You can download VLC Media Player here, before following the steps below.

  1. Open VLC Media Player
  2. Click File tab and select your clip
  3. Select the “Convert” option and select your codec and resolution options
  4. Also review where you’d like to save your file to
  5. Click to convert your video and save it as a new file.

Those are a few free and paid options to consider, but there are always plenty of other quick resizing apps and websites available to you online. A quick Google search should give you plenty more to check out and research to find the best option for you and your needs.

FAQs

How do I manually resize a video?

You can manually resize a video by simply using any paid or free video editing app, software or website.

How do I resize a video on my phone? 

You can resize a video on your phone by using an app like Adobe Premiere Rush or any other video editing program.

How to resize a video on Android? 

You can either change the camera record settings on your Android or use any video editing app to re-export your video file as a different size.

How do I resize a video for Instagram?

Along with resizing, you can use any paid or free video editing apps to crop, edit or resize a video to post on Instagram.

The long and short of video resizing

Remember, resizing your videos doesn’t have to be scary! 

And in fact, videos are resized, compressed and transformed more often than you might think in their normal everyday use. If you’re unsure of what size a video should be, or if you need to be converting one you can always try to share or post a video in its original format first.

Only if and when you see an error message or some communication telling you that your video needs to be a different size should you follow through with resizing a video manually. 

Discover more video know-how with Vimeo Video School.