To deliver 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1 from one DaVinci Resolve edit, you build a separate timeline per aspect ratio (each with its own resolution and per-shot reframing), add each as a render job, and Render All. Resolve has no one-click "export all ratios" button. Recutly sets up and names every ratio version; you reframe creatively in Resolve.
Why one timeline can't render every ratio
There's a trap here that catches editors constantly. If you queue several render jobs from the same timeline in the Deliver page and batch render, Resolve renders the current state of that timeline for every job, not the state each looked like when you queued it. Larry Jordan put it plainly: "Resolve always looks to the current version." Unlike Final Cut Pro, Resolve doesn't snapshot a temp copy per job.
So changing the timeline resolution, queuing a job, changing it again, and queuing another won't give you a 9:16 file and a 1:1 file. It gives you two copies of whatever the timeline is right now.
The reliable answer is one timeline per ratio. Each timeline carries its own resolution and its own reframing, and each goes into the queue as a separate job.
The real resolutions for each aspect ratio
Set these as the Timeline Resolution on each ratio's timeline before you reframe and queue.
| Aspect ratio | Use case | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 | YouTube, landscape | 1920x1080 (or 3840x2160 for 4K) |
| 9:16 | Reels, Shorts, TikTok | 1080x1920 |
| 1:1 | Square feed posts | 1080x1080 |
Reframing is creative work, not a resize
Dropping a 16:9 edit into a 9:16 canvas isn't a clean shrink. Your subject sits in the wrong third, heads get cropped, two-shots fall apart. Reframing is per-shot creative repositioning, and you do it three ways in Resolve:
- Change Timeline Resolution + Transform. Set the new canvas, then reposition and scale each shot with the Transform controls.
- Adjustment Clip. Lay one over a section and reposition non-destructively, so you can tweak without touching the source clips.
- Smart Reframe. Auto subject-tracking that follows the action for you. This is DaVinci Resolve Studio (paid) only; free Resolve doesn't have it.
This is the honest part: no tool, Recutly included, magically knows where to crop every shot. The space for "AI auto-crop my whole video" is owned by tools like OpusClip. Recutly is a delivery tool for a finished cut, not a content generator. The repositioning decisions stay yours, in Resolve.
The manual method, step by step
- Lock your master edit in the source ratio (usually 16:9). Don't re-cut after this, because every ratio inherits these cut points.
- Duplicate the timeline for the first new ratio (or copy all clips into a fresh blank timeline). If your edit uses compound or nested clips, copy clips into a fresh timeline rather than a plain duplicate. A duplicate references the same compound clip, so editing it in one version can change it in the others.
- Set the Timeline Resolution to the target (1080x1920 for 9:16, 1080x1080 for 1:1).
- Reframe each shot using Transform, an Adjustment Clip, or Smart Reframe (Studio).
- Repeat steps 2–4 for every remaining ratio so each ratio is its own self-contained timeline.
- Add each timeline to the render queue as its own job. Name outputs in the Deliver page File settings; Custom Name supports %metadata variables and User Presets.
- Render All. Multiple timelines batch-queue cleanly in one session because each job points at its own timeline.
It works. It's also O(N) hand-work that scales badly: three ratios × three cut lengths × two endcards is eighteen timelines to build, reframe, name, and not mix up.
Where Recutly fits
Recutly handles the matrix and the foolproofing, not the creative reframing. You export your finished edit as an FCP7 XML timeline and upload the timeline; your footage never leaves your machine. Recutly crosses your endings (endcards/outros) × cut durations × aspect ratios into every delivery version, pairs the right ending with the right cut so you don't ship the wrong outro on the wrong vertical, and names each file to your convention.
What it outputs is DaVinci Resolve timeline files (FCP7 XML), not rendered video. You re-import the XMLs into Resolve, relink your media, and render with your own settings. A few honest notes on the roundtrip:
- The XML reliably carries cut points, clip references, and timing, but not effects, transitions, speed ramps, Fusion titles, or graphics. Those are stripped on import.
- The XML frame rate must match your project timeline frame rate exactly, or import fails or clips play the wrong section.
- Media relinks by filename where paths match; if they don't, you relink manually (Conform Options / Relink Selected Clips).
So Recutly turns "build, name, and pair eighteen versions by hand" into one batch, then hands you ratio-correct timelines to reframe and render. You still do the per-shot reposition in Resolve. Recutly just stops the repetitive setup and the naming mistakes.
It runs in free DaVinci Resolve because it deals in timeline files, not video. Pricing is Free for up to 5 versions per export, Pro at $19/mo for unlimited, and Studio at $39/mo. See /pricing and /studio for the full breakdown.
FAQ
Can DaVinci Resolve export 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 in one click?
No. Resolve has no built-in button that batch-exports every aspect ratio from a single timeline. You make a separate timeline per ratio (each with its own resolution and reframing), add each as a render job, and Render All. The render queue renders the current state of one timeline for every job, so separate timelines are required.
What resolutions should I use for each aspect ratio?
Use 1920x1080 (or 3840x2160 for 4K) for 16:9, 1080x1920 for 9:16 vertical, and 1080x1080 for 1:1 square. Set these as the Timeline Resolution on each ratio's timeline before you reframe shots and add the timeline to the render queue.
Does Recutly auto-reframe my shots with AI subject tracking?
No. Recutly does not do AI subject-tracking reframe. It crosses your cut durations and endings with each aspect ratio, sets up the ratio versions, and names every file to your convention. The actual creative repositioning per shot stays in Resolve, using Transform, an Adjustment Clip, or Smart Reframe on paid Studio.
Why do my queued render jobs all come out the same?
Resolve renders the current state of the timeline for every queued job, not the state when each was queued. As Larry Jordan notes, Resolve always looks to the current version. The fix is one timeline per variation, each added to the queue as its own job, then Render All.
Is Smart Reframe free in DaVinci Resolve?
No. Smart Reframe, the auto subject-tracking reframe feature, is DaVinci Resolve Studio (paid) only. In free Resolve you reframe each shot manually with Transform or a non-destructive Adjustment Clip on the ratio timeline. Recutly works with free Resolve since it outputs timeline files, not rendered video.
