Use case
TikTok ad maker: upload a phone video, get a finished ad
Cutroom is a TikTok ad maker for videos of you talking. You upload one phone video and get back a 9:16 ad with captions, b-roll and a headline.
In short
- Cutroom turns one phone video of you talking into a finished 9:16 TikTok ad with captions, b-roll and a headline.
- TikTok recommends vertical 9:16 ads, and it accepts In-Feed ads of up to 10 minutes and 500 MB.
- TikTok's own advice is to show a real person, keep the style unpolished and say what you offer in the first 3 seconds.
- A 30-second ad costs 110 credits, so Lite at $19.99 a month covers about 11 ads.
- Your first video is free, with no card. It carries a Cutroom mark until you move to a paid plan.
- TikTok's recommended ad shape
- 9:16
- Where TikTok says your offer belongs
- First 3 s
- Different ads per ad group, as TikTok suggests
- 3–5
What you upload and what you get
You film one video on your phone. Cutroom does the editing and gives you a finished ad file.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom writes out every word, adds captions timed to your voice and puts b-roll on the words that matter. On Punch and Native it also shortens the long pauses.
- A short headline sits at the top for the first seconds. Cutroom drafts it, and you can rewrite it.
- You get a 9:16 MP4 with the captions in the picture, ready to upload in TikTok Ads Manager.
- The edit comes back in about a minute, and one project makes one ad.
One frame of a finished TikTok ad
A headline over the opening, a clip on a card while you stay on screen, and captions on every word.
TikTok ad specs
These are TikTok's own numbers for In-Feed ads, from its ads help centre, read on 21 September 2026.
TikTok In-Feed ad specs, next to what Cutroom exports
Source: TikTok Ads Help, video ads specifications.
| Spec | TikTok In-Feed ads | Cutroom export |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 also accepted | 9:16 only |
| Smallest vertical size | 540 x 960 pixels | Full-size vertical video |
| Length | Up to 10 minutes | As long as your video, up to 3 minutes |
| File | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB | MP4 |
| Safe zone | Depends on the shape and the length of your ad text | Move the captions up or down to keep them clear |
Spec: Shape
- TikTok In-Feed ads
- 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 also accepted
- Cutroom export
- 9:16 only
Spec: Smallest vertical size
- TikTok In-Feed ads
- 540 x 960 pixels
- Cutroom export
- Full-size vertical video
Spec: Length
- TikTok In-Feed ads
- Up to 10 minutes
- Cutroom export
- As long as your video, up to 3 minutes
Spec: File
- TikTok In-Feed ads
- .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB
- Cutroom export
- MP4
Spec: Safe zone
- TikTok In-Feed ads
- Depends on the shape and the length of your ad text
- Cutroom export
- Move the captions up or down to keep them clear
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
What makes a TikTok ad work
TikTok publishes its own advice for performance ads. Here it is in plain words.
- Show a real person. TikTok suggests creators, employees or customers on screen to catch attention.
- Keep the style simple. TikTok says a DIY look that is not overly polished fits in with what people already watch.
- Say what you offer in the first 3 seconds, and get to your strongest line within the first 6 seconds.
- Use sound, film upright in 9:16 and shoot at 720p or better. TikTok calls these the basics.
- Keep your text inside TikTok's safe zone, so the buttons and ad text do not cover it.
How to make a TikTok ad with Cutroom
You change the video by changing its words. There is no timeline to learn.
- To fix a misheard word, you correct it in the transcript and the caption follows.
- To add a clip, you highlight a phrase and the clip plays over exactly those words.
- To show your own product, you upload a clip of it once. It stays in your library for every ad after that.
- You stay on screen most of the time, because b-roll covers at most 52 percent of the video, even on the fastest styles.
- You pick one of 40 caption styles, then move the captions up or down to clear TikTok's buttons.
From a phone video to TikTok Ads Manager
Film
One video of you talking, up to 3 minutes
Upload
Cutroom writes out every word and makes the first edit
Change the words
Fix a word, put a clip on a phrase, pick a caption style
Export
A 9:16 MP4 for TikTok Ads Manager
How many TikTok ads to make
TikTok suggests 3 to 5 different ads in each ad group, and 3 to 5 ad groups in a campaign.
- Most ads do not become winners. Motion's analysis of 550,000+ Meta ads found that only 5 to 8% do.
- One video can give you several ads. Film a few different opening lines, then make one ad from each.
- Each ad is its own project and costs 110 credits, so twelve 30-second ads cost 1,320 credits.
- That fits in one month of Basic, which is $39.99 for 2,500 credits.
- When an ad gets tired, TikTok advises adding the new one to the same ad group instead of starting a new group.
What it costs
A 30-second ad costs 110 credits: 100 for the edit and 10 for the export. Exporting costs 20 credits per minute of video.
Cutroom plans and 30-second ads per month
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card | Your first video, made within 7 days | 1, with a Cutroom mark |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11, no mark |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22, plus avatars and generated music |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 |
| Top-up | $39.99 once | 2,500 | About 22 more |
Plan: Free
- Price
- $0, no card
- Credits
- Your first video, made within 7 days
- 30-second ads
- 1, with a Cutroom mark
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second ads
- About 11, no mark
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22, plus avatars and generated music
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second ads
- About 45
Plan: Top-up
- Price
- $39.99 once
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22 more
What Cutroom does not do
Cutroom is built for ads where a person talks to the camera. For other kinds of TikTok ad, another tool fits better.
- Cutroom only exports 9:16. For a square or 16:9 version, use an editor such as CapCut, which is free to start.
- Cutroom has no timeline, so you cannot place effects frame by frame. CapCut gives you a full timeline.
- Cutroom edits one video of up to 3 minutes into one ad. It does not cut many clips out of a long video.
- Somebody has to talk on camera. If nobody will, the avatar add-on makes a presenter from a photo and a voice-over, for 350 credits a minute on Basic and up.
Questions people ask
- How do I make a TikTok ad?
- Film a short vertical video of a person talking about your offer, add captions, and upload it in TikTok Ads Manager. With Cutroom, you upload the phone video and get the edited 9:16 ad back in about a minute.
- What size should a TikTok ad be?
- Vertical 9:16, at least 540 x 960 pixels. TikTok also accepts 16:9 and 1:1 In-Feed ads, up to 10 minutes and 500 MB. Cutroom exports a 9:16 MP4.
- How much does a TikTok ad cost to make with Cutroom?
- 110 credits for a 30-second ad: 100 for the edit and 10 for the export. Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 ads. Basic is $39.99 for 2,500 credits, about 22.
- Can I make a TikTok ad for free?
- Yes. Your first Cutroom video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark, and Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
- Do I need editing skills?
- No. There is no timeline. You edit on the words of your video: fix a misheard word, or highlight a phrase to put a clip on it.
- Can Cutroom make a square or 16:9 TikTok ad?
- No. Every export is a 9:16 MP4, which is the shape TikTok recommends. For square or 16:9, use an editor such as CapCut.
Film one video about your offer and get a finished TikTok ad back. Your first video is free.