The Rise of Vertical Video

In today’s hyper-connected, mobile-first world, vertical, or portrait, video has emerged as a game-changer. What once was a niche format for social media has now become a core strategy for content creators, broadcasters, and OTT platforms. The numbers speak for themselves:?

??75% of video consumption now happens on mobile devices, and vertical formats are dominating platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even live sports streams

??94% of smartphone users hold their devices vertically when watching videos

??Only 13% of smartphone users turn their smartphone horizontally to watch videos

??Mobile users are up to 9x more likely to watch a vertical video through ad completion than horizontal videos

But here’s the kicker—not all video encoding solutions are ready to handle the demands of vertical video at scale.

Three Key Trends Driving Vertical Video Encoding in 2025

1?? The Mobile-First Audience is King

Viewers expect seamless, high-quality vertical video experiences tailored to their smartphones. The challenge? Maintaining?studio-grade quality?while optimizing for mobile bandwidth. Encoders that can deliver?crystal-clear vertical video with efficient compression will lead the pack.

2?? Content Beyond Social Media

Vertical video is no longer confined to TikTok dances or Instagram stories.?News outlets,?sports broadcasters, and even?e-commerce platforms?are embracing vertical to engage audiences in new ways. Real-time vertical encoding for live events is becoming a must-have for many organizations. In addition, features like TikTok’s Spotlight are enabling premium content owners and studios to drive audience engagement with their content before a broader release.??

3?? Monetization Through Personalization

Vertical video allows for?hyper-personalized storytelling. Brands are creating content that speaks directly to users, resulting in higher engagement and ad revenues. But to make this scalable, companies need?fast, low-latency encoding workflows?that can handle diverse formats on the fly.

The Future includes Vertical—and Professional

At Media Excel, we’re empowering content creators and broadcasters to meet this challenge with?professional-grade vertical video encoding solutions:

??Low latency?for real-time streaming.

??HEVC, AV1 and VVC with AI enabled optimization for future-proof efficiency.

??Optimized workflows?for social and mobile platforms, including highlight detection in landscape format video and automated conversion to vertical format

Vertical video isn’t just a trend—it’s a mobile driven imperative in how we consume and create content. If you’re ready to lead the charge, let’s talk.

What’s your take on vertical video? How is your organization adapting to this shift? Let’s start a conversation!