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Aspect Ratio Options
StarZero Agents supports a wide range of aspect ratios so you can format your videos for any platform or purpose. Here's a complete list of what's available and when to use each one.
Common Aspect Ratios
Auto (Default)
Automatically determines the best aspect ratio based on the source media in your project. StarZero Agents analyzes the dimensions of all clips on your timeline and picks the most common ratio. This is the default for new projects, so you don't need to set an aspect ratio manually unless you want a specific format. Use this when you want to keep the original framing or when your clips all share the same format.
16:9 -- Landscape (Widescreen)
The standard widescreen format. This is the default for most video content on the web.
Use for: YouTube videos, website embeds, presentations, webinars, most desktop viewing.
9:16 -- Portrait (Vertical)
The vertical video format, designed for mobile-first viewing.
Use for: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Stories, Snapchat.
1:1 -- Square
A perfectly square frame. Works well across many platforms and looks good in both desktop and mobile feeds.
Use for: Instagram feed posts, Facebook feed posts, some social media ads.
4:5 -- Tall Portrait
Slightly taller than square. Optimized for mobile feeds where it takes up more screen space than a square video.
Use for: Instagram feed (recommended for maximum visibility), Facebook feed, social ads targeting mobile users.
Additional Ratios
4:3 -- Classic
The traditional TV aspect ratio before widescreen became standard.
Use for: Some social platforms, legacy content, retro-style videos.
3:4 -- Portrait Classic
The vertical version of the classic 4:3 ratio.
Use for: Some social platforms, portrait-oriented content.
5:4 -- Slightly Tall Landscape
A landscape format that's a bit taller than 4:3.
Use for: Some presentation formats, print-oriented content.
21:9 -- Ultra-Widescreen
An extra-wide cinematic format.
Use for: Cinematic content, movie-trailer style videos, dramatic wide shots.
2:1 -- Wide Landscape
A wide format that sits between 16:9 and 21:9.
Use for: Twitter/X video, web banners, some cinematic content.
2:3, 3:2, 1:2, 9:21
Additional ratios for specific needs. These are less commonly used but available when your project requires them.
- 2:3 -- Tall portrait, similar to a standard photograph in portrait orientation.
- 3:2 -- Classic photo landscape ratio.
- 1:2 -- Very tall and narrow vertical format.
- 9:21 -- Very tall vertical, the inverse of ultra-widescreen.
Quick Reference: Which Ratio for Which Platform?
| Platform | Recommended Ratio |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 16:9 |
| TikTok | 9:16 |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 |
| Instagram Stories | 9:16 |
| Instagram Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 |
| Facebook Feed | 16:9 or 1:1 |
| Twitter / X | 16:9 or 2:1 |
| 16:9 | |
| General Web | 16:9 |
Changing the Aspect Ratio in the Editor
You can change your project's aspect ratio directly from the editor without going back to chat. Open the Project & Settings panel from the editor's side panel (the settings icon on the right) and pick from the available ratio cards — Auto, 16:9, 9:16, 4:5, 1:1, or 4:3. The video preview updates immediately so you can see how your content looks in the new format.
If your chat has multiple projects, you can also switch between them from this panel.
Auto-Computed Aspect Ratio
When your project's aspect ratio is set to Auto (the default), StarZero Agents automatically computes the ratio every time you add, remove, or rearrange clips. It looks at the dimensions of all your source media — video files, images, and SVGs — and picks the most common aspect ratio. This means your project always has a sensible ratio without you needing to set one manually.
If you later set a specific aspect ratio (like 9:16 for TikTok), the auto-computation stops and your chosen ratio is used instead. Switch back to Auto any time — either from the Project & Settings panel in the editor, or by asking in chat:
"Set the aspect ratio back to auto"
Rendering in Multiple Ratios
You can render the same project in different aspect ratios without changing your edit. This makes it easy to create multiple versions for different platforms from a single project.
"Render in 16:9 for YouTube."
Then later:
"Now render the same project in 9:16 for TikTok."
When rendering in a different aspect ratio than your source, be sure to check out Focus Hints and Auto-Reframing to make sure the important parts of your video stay visible.