Guide

YouTube Thumbnail Size: Video, Shorts and Banner Sizes

The YouTube thumbnail size is 16:9, for example 1920 by 1080, for videos, and 9:16 for Shorts. This guide covers thumbnails, the video and Shorts sizes, the channel banner size and how to design a thumbnail.

Thumbnail size for YouTube

YouTube's help page on custom thumbnails asks for a JPG or PNG at 16:9, at least 640 pixels wide. 1920 by 1080 is a safe export, and the thumbnail size for YouTube Shorts is 9:16. Your channel must be verified to use a custom thumbnail.

Thumbnail designer: making one that reads small

Any design app that exports at 16:9 works as a thumbnail designer. Check it at phone size before you export. Large words, one clear subject and good contrast survive a small screen.

YouTube banner size

The recommended YouTube banner size is 2560 by 1440 pixels, with the text and logo kept inside a centred safe area of about 1546 by 423, because phones and TVs crop it differently. YouTube's channel art help page has the current numbers.

Export size for long videos: 16:9

YouTube’s help page “Video resolution & aspect ratios” says the standard aspect ratio on a computer is 16:9, and lists sizes from 426 by 240 up to 7680 by 4320 (8K). 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) are the common exports.

2. Shorts: square or vertical, three minutes or less

YouTube’s help page “Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts” says a video with a square or vertical aspect ratio, up to three minutes long, is categorised as a Short. A vertical 9:16 export such as 1080 by 1920 is the usual choice.

3. Keep a long video out of Shorts

The same page suggests a wider ratio such as 16:9 for long-form video. A square or vertical file under three minutes will likely be treated as a Short whatever you intend.

4. Thumbnails: 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts

YouTube’s help page “Add custom thumbnails” asks for JPG or PNG, 16:9 for videos with at least 640 pixels of width, 9:16 for Shorts, and a verified account. It lists 3840 by 2160 as the resolution for videos and 2160 by 3840 for Shorts.

5. Check the file in Dripost

Attach the video and the tile shows its width, height and length. The YouTube tab turns Short on by default for a vertical video of three minutes or less, and you can switch it to Video. YouTube still makes the final call from the file.

6. No re-encoding

Dripost uploads your file exactly as exported. Quality is decided by your export and YouTube’s own processing, not by the scheduler in between.

Sources

Questions

What is the best YouTube video size?

1920 by 1080 (16:9) for a long video, or 1080 by 1920 (9:16) for a Short, both within YouTube’s published guidance.

Why did my video become a Short?

It was square or vertical and three minutes or less. Export at 16:9 to keep it a regular video.

Why wasn’t my thumbnail used?

Custom thumbnails need a channel YouTube has verified. The video still uploads, and Dripost tells you the thumbnail was skipped.

Try it on your own post.

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