How to make a video collage for YouTube Shorts
Shorts rewards videos that hold attention to the end — and a grid where several clips move at once gives viewers a reason to rewatch. YouTube has no built-in collage tool, so you assemble the video in a collage app and upload the finished file as a Short.
Step by step
Assemble the collage first
In Video Grid Collage (free on the App Store), import 2–9 clips from your Photo Library.
Set the canvas to 9:16
Shorts are vertical. Exporting at exactly 9:16 means no cropping and no black bars on upload.
Keep it under 60 seconds
Trim every clip on the timeline so the whole collage fits the Shorts length and gets to the point immediately.
Design for small screens
Two to four frames read well on a phone; nine tiny tiles are for quick montage moments. Round corners and clear spacing help each clip stay legible.
Add a hook with text layers
A short title in the top half of the frame — clear of YouTube's UI at the bottom — tells viewers what they're comparing or watching.
Export and upload
Render in high quality and upload in the YouTube app as a Short. Title and sound get added there.
What performs on Shorts
- Comparisons and before/after grids loop well — end the collage where it started.
- Shorts viewers decide fast: make every frame move in the first second.
- Reuse the same project: export 9:16 for Shorts and 16:9 if the clip also goes into a regular video.
- Avoid text near the very bottom — the Shorts UI (title, channel, buttons) covers it.
Try it yourself — free
Video Grid Collage · 4.8 on the App Store · combine up to 9 videos in one frame