How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Have you ever opened a video, only to be struck by the black bars ruining the important aspects of the video? Whether you're filming with a professional camera for social media content or just your smartphone, Premiere Pro has got you. Using the right aspect ratio while editing your videos will ensure they look good on any chosen platform you are using, whether that's on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or even a widescreen TV.

With Adobe Premiere Pro, it is easier than you think. First, you will need to learn and master the settings to make sure your video is framed perfectly for your intended audience.

We have done the heavy lifting for you and come up with a step-by-step on how to change your aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, from your sequence settings to when you export, and as a result, you will always deliver polished and platform-ready videos every time.

Part 1: How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Ever made an edit and then realized the video isn't meant for your desired platform? Don't worry. Let's fix that. Changing the aspect ratio of your footage in Premiere Pro may be intimidating at first,  but once you learn the process, you're good to go. Let's run through it together, so your videos can look great on any screen.

First things first, let's make sure you have everything in place so that adjusting the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro will be seamless:

• Adobe Premiere Pro - Make sure to download to your computer, and it's up to date.
• Your footage or sequence to edit - To see the changes for yourself in real time.
• Basic familiarity with the Premiere Pro workspace - The basic knowledge of the workspace will help you follow the outlined steps without getting confused.

Bonus: Your Ideal Camera for Aspect Ratio Editing - OBSBOT Tail 2

Step 1: Create or open your project in Adobe Premiere Pro

The first step is opening Adobe Premiere Pro. When the Home screen appears:

• Select New Project to start from scratch, or Open Project to continue working on a project that is already in progress.
• Name your project and designate a location to save it, which will make it easy for you to find it later.

Now that we have a project, let's ring in some media:

• Either go to File > Import, or simply drag and drop your files right to the Project panel. Both work just fine.

Take a minute or two to organize your media with folders (bins) for footage, audio, and graphics. I would recommend doing this now because it will save you time later when changing aspect ratios. Seriously, a little organization now can go a long way in this editing process

Step 2: Adjust sequence settings to change aspect ratio

The second step is to click the Sequence menu at the top and select Sequence Settings.

• In case the Frame Size fields are locked, don't panic, simply switch the editing mode to custom, and you will be good to go.
• Some of the common dimensions are:
  • Cinematic widescreen: 1920x816
  • Square video: 1080x1080
  • Vertical video: 1080x1920
• Click OK once you have input the dimensions you want.

Changing your video's width and height at this stage guarantees your timeline is set up to the intended expectations, so that you cannot get into black bars or cropping problems later on.

Step 3: Adjust and edit your video content to fit the new aspect ratio

Now that your sequence settings are well configured, let's ensure all your clips are nicely fitted into your new aspect ratio.

• Go back to your Timeline. Right-click on each clip and Set to Frame Size. This automatically scales your footage up or down to fit your sequence, saving you time and effort.
• Want to have additional control? Say no more. Select a clip and go straight to the Effect Controls Panel. Under "Motion", you will see:
  • Scale: Use this feature to scale your video while keeping the resolution, so it doesn't stretch or distort anything, and your footage still looks crisp.
  • Position: It controls the placement of your clip and keeps your critical elements centered in the frame.
• Now, take a quick look at your video for any cropped issues, cut-off text, or black bars. If something looks a little off, just adjust the Scale or Position until your subject fits nicely.

If the subject seems a little off-center or in the wrong position, Position control takes the hero crown for the day and keeps your focal subject at the center of the frame, regardless of the video proportions.

Step 4: Export video with the new aspect ratio

When you are done adjusting your clips and everything looks great in the timeline, it's time to set them free.

• First, go to File > Export > Media (or click Ctrl/Cmd + M), and you will see Export Settings appear.
• Next, choose your format for your video. If you want an MP4 file, we recommend H.264 because it works great on every platform.
• Make sure you check the Output Dimensions and that they match the proportions you set earlier. If not, you might end up with an ugly black bar or random cropping.
• When you are ready, simply click Export and let Premiere do its thing.
• Once you export your video, play it back in a media player or target platform and make sure everything looks just right; no black bars, cropped areas, or poorly aligned text.

Always confirm the recommended aspect ratio and resolution of the platform on which you will publish your video, to make the video appear polished and correctly framed, regardless of how it's viewed.

Part 2: Tips for Changing Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Changing the aspect ratio is not only about resizing your video. It's making sure that the end product will look professional and crisp on every platform, whether that's on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. The following tips may help you achieve the best outcome:

• Maintain video quality - Video quality is something you wouldn't want to compromise, so here's a tip: Do not overscale your footage more than 100% to avoid pixelation. Always work with a high-resolution video to guarantee a good output, even after changing the aspect ratio.
• Dodge the black bars - Something you'll want to keep in mind is that black bars show up when the video dimensions don't match the sequence settings. To fix this, of course, without distorting the subject, simply adjust the Scale and Position Effect Controls panel.
• Utilize Scale and position well - Scaling allows adjusting the size of the image to the new frame, and positioning moves it to draw attention to the most significant sections. It is best to adjust gradually so as not to eliminate crucial aspects of your content.
• Matching aspect ratio to social media platforms - Finally, every social media platform has its aspect ratios of preference. Below is a reference table to help you get the right frame sizes for your social media platforms.

Note: These are general recommendations for each platform. Platforms may change preferred dimensions over time, so always verify the guidelines prior to exporting your videos.

Part 3: FAQs About How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Not sure where to start? These quick answers will help answer all the questions you might have regarding how to change the video ratio in Premiere Pro.

1. How to change scale in Premiere Pro?

To do this, select the clip on your timeline, go under Effect Controls, and adjust the Scale slider, and this will allow you to get your video to fit the new aspect ratio you are trying to create.

2. How to change the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 4:3 in Premiere Pro?

First, go to Sequence > Sequence Settings, and change the Frame Size to 1440x1080 (4:3). After the changes, you have to adjust your clips in the scale and position controls to ensure every element stays in frame.

3. How to change the aspect ratio of the adjustment layer in Premiere Pro?

Once the adjustment layer to your sequence is in place, first go to the effects control, then adjust scale and position to make the adjustment layer match the dimensions of your sequence, and the result? consistency in the project.

4. How to resize the canvas in Premiere Pro?

Premiere Pro lacks the conventional canvas. However, by adjusting the sequence settings (Sequence > Sequence Settings), and voila, you will have ultimately resized your workspace for your project.

5. How to resize the workspace in Premiere Pro?

You can modify your workspace on the fly by simply dragging panels or alternatively going to Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout. This is useful, especially if you use a lot of different aspect ratios.

Conclusion

To wrap up, now you know how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro without sacrificing quality or dealing with any black bars, and you've gotten to this point from setting up your sequence to exporting your final video.

With a few tweaks of the frame size, scaling, and positioning some clips, and matching your final export to your target platform, you can make sure your content looks professional across platforms, whether it's displayed on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.

For a truly seamless process, start with high-quality, well-framed footage, something the OBSBOT Tail 2 does with ease. If you combine quality footage with the editing processes here, you will be producing professionally crisp and ready-to-upload videos with every project.