OpenMock BlogVideo specs by platform
YouTube Shorts app demo: specs, length limits and format
Shorts specs — 9:16 at 1080×1920, up to 3 minutes, MP4 — and how to make a 3D device demo that also works as the first seconds of a longer YouTube video.
Shorts are the vertical front door to YouTube, and YouTube is the one platform where the same viewer might also watch your 10-minute walkthrough. That makes the Short a trailer: one feature, one device, one camera move, and a reason to open the long video. It is also the platform with the most forgiving compression, so your 3D render arrives looking like your export.
YouTube Shorts video specs (September 2026)
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (1080 × 1920); 1:1 is also treated as a Short |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 recommended; higher is accepted and downscaled |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes; product demos perform at 15–35 seconds |
| Format | MP4 (H.264/AAC) or MOV; HEVC accepted |
| Frame rate | 30 or 60 fps |
| Safe zone | Keep content clear of the bottom ~20% (title, channel, buttons) and right edge |
Shorts show your title and channel over the bottom of the frame and a button column on the right; the device should sit in the middle 60% with any headline in the upper third — the same layout that works on Reels and TikTok, so one export can serve all three.
The export settings that fit YouTube Shorts
Export 1080 × 1920 at 60 fps if your recording scrolls or animates (Shorts preserves 60 fps well), otherwise 30 fps. A 20–30 second structure: 2 s hook text, 15 s device with the recording, 3 s outro pointing to the full video. Motion blur low or medium — YouTube's compression tolerates medium blur better than the other platforms.
A YouTube Shorts demo that people actually watch
- Open with the device already animating — a slow orbit that settles straight-on by second two
- Use the same project for the Short and the long video's intro: export 9:16 and 16:9 from one scene
- Text shot with a question the long video answers
- Depth of field and screen glow survive YouTube's encode — this is the platform to use them
- End on a logo shot with a one-line pointer to the channel
Making it in OpenMock
- Open OpenMock in a desktop browser and set the canvas ratio to 9:16 in the top bar.
- Pick a device (or the frameless screen) and drop your screenshot or screen recording onto it.
- Keyframe a 6-second settle-in orbit, hold for the recording, then fade to a logo shot; export 9:16, then switch the canvas to 16:9 and export again for the long video's intro.
- Add a text shot for the hook and a logo shot at the end if you want a branded close; both are shots on the same timeline.
- Export video with the 9:16 — 1080×1920 (1080p) preset — or 9:16 — 2160×3840 (4K) with Pro if the screen recording has fine text. Free exports are 720p/30 fps with a watermark; Pro gives you the full-resolution, watermark-free file.
FAQ
What aspect ratio should a YouTube Shorts product video be?
9:16 at 1080 × 1920 (or 2160 × 3840 with Pro for 4K). Square 1:1 also counts as a Short but leaves black bars.
How long should a YouTube Shorts app demo be?
Fifteen to thirty-five seconds for a demo Short. Shorts can run up to three minutes, but a demo that trails into the long-form video keeps people on your channel.
Can I use the same OpenMock project for a Short and a regular YouTube video?
Yes. Change the canvas ratio in the top bar from 9:16 to 16:9, adjust the camera framing, and export again — the shots, media, timeline and effects carry over.
Specs checked against YouTube Help's current Shorts requirements on September 4, 2026. Platforms change limits without notice — re-check before a big launch.