Social media clips

Landscape recordings don’t work in a vertical feed.

Cropping a 16:9 recording to 9:16 by hand loses most of the screen. Shotbox rearranges the layout for the shape, so the clip is designed for the feed.

What you'll make

TikTok, Reels and Shorts

9:16 cuts with layouts that adapt to the tall frame.

LinkedIn and X posts

Square and landscape versions of the same clip.

Captioned clips

Karaoke, bold, highlight and more, timed to the word.

How Shotbox helps

Every tool for social media clips, in one app.

16:9

1:1

9:16

Exporting · 3.1× real time

Export →

Layouts made for vertical

Choose TikTok, Reels or Shorts and the layout adapts: side by side becomes a stack, camera-only fills the frame. Filmed footage can be cropped around the speaker’s face.

Nine canvas presets
Fill the canvas, or letterbox
Screen size from 0.4× to 3×

turns a week of reports into one screen

TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I'm going to show you how the new dashboard ~~actually, let me start again.~~ The new dashboard turns a week of reports into one screen.

Let's start at the top, with the revenue chart.

Captions & transcript →

Captions that stop the scroll

Bold, timed captions in seventeen styles, sized to the frame so they hold their proportions at 9:16, a whole phrase or a few words at a time.

Karaoke, bold, highlight, impact and more
Drag them anywhere
Per-word emphasis

KeepPop outCut out

Camera cut-out →

You over the frame

Cut out your background or pop out over the top of the frame. Made on your Mac.

Keep, pop out or cut out
Pop-out height applies as you drag
Soft shadow under the cut-out

Northwind

Size

Opacity

Brand kit →

Your logo on every clip

Your watermark in the corner of every frame, sized by area so any logo looks right.

Choose corner, size and opacity
Brand captions and titles
Brand backdrops

MediaAudioTitlesTransitionsLayouts

OPENER

Sam RiveraProduct lead

LOOK HERE

NEON

Studio editor →

Hooks, music and transitions

Open with a bold callout, add music from your sound library and cut between clips with any of seventeen transitions.

Twenty title designs
Sound library
Split screen for before and after

1 in 5teams record their demosSource: example.com

Northwind@northwind

Our new dashboard is live. A week of reports, one screen.

Posted on x.com

Web pages in video →

Stats and posts as cards

A big statistic card or a post card makes a strong first frame.

Statistic cards
Post cards with the source shown
Quote cards

ZOOM OVER TIME clicks

Auto zoom & cursor →

Zooms that read on a phone

On a small screen, zooms are what make the UI readable. They follow every click automatically.

Click moments
Adjustable level
Smooth cursor

Recommended setup

Start with these settings.

CanvasTikTok — 9:16, Instagram Reels — 9:16 or YouTube Shorts — 9:16

Camera layoutStacked or Camera focus

Camera backgroundPop out

Caption styleBold, Impact or Highlight

TitlesBold callout as the hook

ExportMP4 at 100%

Tips

Tips for better results.

Hook in the first second
Open with a Bold callout title over the first frame so the clip says what it is before anyone scrolls.
Fill the canvas
For screen-only clips, turn on Fill the canvas so the recording covers the frame instead of sitting on a backdrop.
Captions above the UI
Platforms put their own buttons at the bottom. Drag your captions up so they sit clear of them.
Square for LinkedIn
Use Save As, switch to LinkedIn — 1:1 and export again.
Explainer reels
Split screen › Explainer reel 9:16 gives you a light stage above your face for a headline with one highlighted word and a UI card below.
See the platform’s buttons
On a 9:16 canvas, the Safe zones button beside the player controls shades roughly where TikTok, Reels or Shorts will cover the picture. It is never exported.
Answer the comments
The Comments card, from the library’s Cards tab, piles viewers’ questions over you, one after another, before you answer them. Type one comment per line.
Alerts and a follow
From the Cards tab, Notifications stacks alerts in near the top of the frame, and Follow button turns to Following as the follower count rolls up.

How it works

Three steps, one app.

Everything runs on your Mac, and nothing is uploaded on the way.

1
Pick a vertical canvas
Side by side becomes a stack; camera-only fills the frame.
Export →
2
Cut yourself out
Pop out of the frame or stand straight on the backdrop.
Camera cut-out →
3
Add bold captions
Choose a style and drag the captions where you want them.
Captions & transcript →

An example

Three clips from one recording

Record
A five-minute walkthrough with your camera on.
Cut
Pick three moments and trim each into its own project.
Style
TikTok canvas, cut-out camera, bold captions, logo in the corner.
Export
Each clip at 9:16, plus a square version for LinkedIn.

Questions

Can I post straight to TikTok?

Shotbox exports a file sized for TikTok; post it from your phone or browser as usual.

Will captions be readable on a phone?

Captions are sized against the frame’s shorter side, so they keep their proportions at 9:16.

Can I add music?

Yes. Import music into the sound library and drag it onto an audio lane.

Features you'll use

Captions & transcriptCaptions on-device; edit by deleting textLearn more →Camera cut-outRemove the background behind youLearn more →ExportMP4, HEVC, ProRes or GIF, 16:9 to 9:16Learn more →

More in Videos you can make:Product demo videos Feature launch videos How-to tutorials Bug reports Online courses

Social clips that stop the scroll.