ClipAtelier

9:16 converter

Convert horizontal video to 9:16 without losing the subject

Turning a 16:9 video into 9:16 is a crop, not a resize: only about a third of the original width fits in a vertical frame. The question is which third. ClipAtelier answers it frame by frame by following the person speaking or the main action.

Paste a YouTube link or upload a file on a paid plan, and every clip comes back reframed to 9:16 with captions placed inside the safe zone.

Try it 3 days for $1See examples
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Vertical Short example frame from a long interviewCaptioned 9:16 clip example from a podcastAI-reframed talking-head Short example

How it works

  1. 01

    Paste a link

    Drop a YouTube URL into the studio, or upload an MP4, MOV or MKV file on a paid plan. Nothing to install.

  2. 02

    AI finds and cuts

    We transcribe the video, pick the strongest moments, reframe them to 9:16 and burn in word-timed captions.

  3. 03

    Review and post

    Preview every clip, choose a title, then download the MP4 or publish and schedule straight to YouTube Shorts and TikTok.

What you get

  • Speaker tracking

    The vertical window follows the face on screen instead of a fixed centre crop.

  • No black bars

    The frame is filled edge to edge, the way Shorts and Reels expect.

  • No stretching

    Aspect is preserved; faces never get squashed.

  • Captions in the safe zone

    Text sits above the app buttons on every platform.

  • Split-screen option

    Put gameplay or B-roll under the speaker to fill a talking-head frame.

  • Keep 16:9 if you want

    Export the original framing for YouTube or LinkedIn.

Three ways to go from 16:9 to 9:16

Letterbox: fit the whole frame with bars above and below — quick, but small and easy to scroll past. Fixed centre crop: fills the screen, but cuts off anyone not in the middle. Smart reframe: a crop that moves with the subject — the only one that works for interviews and podcasts with more than one person.

ClipAtelier uses smart reframing on every clip, and lets you add a split-screen background when the source has a lot of empty space.

Output specs

Clips render as 720×1280 MP4 (H.264) with no watermark, which fills the screen on YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels. See the full Shorts size guide for safe zones and specs per platform.

Example clip frames

  • Vertical Short example frame from a long interview
  • Captioned 9:16 clip example from a podcast
  • AI-reframed talking-head Short example

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I convert a whole video to 9:16?

    ClipAtelier is built for clips. For a full series, use equal split to cut the video into back-to-back parts that are each reframed.

  • Which file types can I upload?

    MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM on paid plans. YouTube videos work from the link.

  • What if two people are talking?

    The crop moves to whoever is on screen and speaking, so both stay visible over the clip.

  • Is it free?

    You can create a free account with no card and look around the studio. Creating clips is on a paid plan, and you can try it for 3 days for $1. Exports have no watermark.

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