Yes, the video you already have can become a TV ad. It needs to be 16:9, run exactly 15 or 30 seconds, and end by telling viewers exactly what to do next.
Most small businesses already own the raw material: a product demo on the website, a customer testimonial, a tour of the shop, a handful of social clips. This guide shows you how to pick the right footage, fit it to streaming TV specs and edit it into a spot that works on a living-room screen.
Assessing Your Existing Video Content
Start with an inventory. Look in two places.
Videos you own
- Website videos and product demos
- Customer testimonials and reviews
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Event coverage and presentations
- Training or how-to videos
Videos you’ve already posted on social
Your own posts count as footage too: Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok videos, Facebook videos, YouTube uploads and LinkedIn clips. Here they’re only raw material you already own. The finished spot is made for streaming TV.
Quality assessment checklist
Not every clip survives the jump to a 55-inch screen. Check each one against these four points.
- Resolution: at least 720p, ideally 1080p. Phone footage is fine if it’s sharp.
- Audio: clear speech, little background noise, a confident voiceover or someone speaking on camera.
- Lighting: well-lit scenes and visible faces. Well-lit smartphone footage works.
- Brand fit: it shows your business the way you want to be seen and suits a family living room.
Technical Requirements for CTV Ads
TV is less forgiving than a phone feed, and the rules are short. On Omnya, a Streaming TV ad must be:
- An MP4 file. Export MP4 from your editor.
- 16:9 widescreen. Vertical and square clips need reframing first (see below).
- 1920×1080 or 1280×720. Shot in 4K? Export at 1080p.
- Exactly 15 or 30 seconds. Not 29, not 31: trim to the frame.
Creative library · Streaming TV
MP4 only | 1920×1080 or 1280×720 | 15 or 30 sec
spring-sale-30s.mp4
Wrong length or shape? Omnya flags it on upload, before it reaches a campaign.
YouTube works differently. You don’t upload a file there: you paste a link to a video that’s already on YouTube.
Converting vertical and square videos
If your best clip is vertical (9:16) or square (1:1), reframe it for TV’s 16:9 in your editor. There are three common ways.
Letterboxing (best for most)
- How
- Center the clip in a 16:9 frame and fill the sides with a blurred copy, a brand color or a simple graphic.
- Best for
- Testimonials, product demos, talking heads
Crop and reframe
- How
- Crop to 16:9, keeping the key subject in frame. Use keyframes to move the crop with the action.
- Best for
- Action shots, product showcases, wide scenes
Multi-panel layout
- How
- Put the vertical clip on one side and text, your offer or a second clip on the other.
- Best for
- Social proof compilations, feature highlights
Editing for CTV Effectiveness
The 30-second CTV ad structure
Thirty seconds has room for four beats. Treat them as a starting point, not a formula.
0–3 seconds: the hook
Open with your most striking shot, a surprising line or a question (“Still paying too much for…?”). A quick before-and-after works well.
3–12 seconds: the problem and your answer
Name the problem your customer has, then show how you solve it. That’s your value in one line.
12–25 seconds: the proof
A customer in their own words, a quick demonstration, a credential. Something that makes the promise believable.
25–30 seconds: the call to action
One specific next step: visit a web address, call, or come to your location. Show it on screen and say it out loud.
Making a 15-second version? Keep the hook and the call to action, and fold the problem, answer and proof into one strong shot.
A TV ad isn’t a new video. It’s your best 15 or 30 seconds, in the right shape, ending with one clear next step.
Essential editing enhancements
Even great footage needs a few touches to work on a TV.
- Add a voiceover. If your footage has no narration, record a clear script yourself, hire a voice actor or use a text-to-speech tool.
- Use text overlays sparingly. Big, high-contrast type and only a few words per screen, so it reads from the sofa. Keep text away from the edges of the frame.
- Brand it throughout. A small logo in a corner, your brand colors in the graphics, one consistent style. Don’t save the branding for the last frame.
- Add background music. Choose royalty-free music licensed for advertising, and keep it under the voice.
- Add a QR code to the call to action. Bottom-right corner, on screen for the last 5 to 10 seconds, large enough to scan from across the room.
Editing Tools & Resources
You don’t need a production company. Pick the tool that matches your comfort level, and check that it can export a 16:9 MP4 at 1080p.
| Level | Examples | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Simple and phone-friendly | CapCut, iMovie, Canva | Trimming, captions, blurred-background reframes |
| Desktop, more control | DaVinci Resolve, Camtasia | Precise cuts, color and audio clean-up |
| Professional | Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, After Effects | Keyframed reframing, motion graphics, polished finishing |
| Hire an editor | A freelance video editor | Handing over your footage and a brief |
Other resources
- Music: royalty-free libraries such as Epidemic Sound or Artlist.
- Stock footage: Pexels, Storyblocks or Shutterstock, to fill a gap in your own shots.
- Voiceover: freelance marketplaces for voice actors, or a text-to-speech tool.
Common Repurposing Scenarios
Scenario 1: an Instagram Reel becomes a CTV ad
You have a 60-second vertical Reel that did well with your followers. It’s your own footage, so it can become a TV spot.
- Import it into your editor (CapCut handles this well).
- Place it on a 16:9 frame with blurred sides.
- Trim to your best 30 (or 15) seconds.
- Add a text overlay with your call to action.
- Export as an MP4 at 1920×1080.
Scenario 2: a customer testimonial becomes a CTV ad
You have three- to five-minute customer interviews on your website.
- Pull out the best 20-second soundbite.
- Open with a short card that sets up the hook.
- Lay b-roll of your business over parts of the dialogue.
- Close on an end card with your call to action, at exactly 30 seconds.
Scenario 3: a product demo becomes a CTV ad
You have a detailed five-minute product demonstration on YouTube.
- Mark the moments where a key benefit is clearest.
- Cut them into a 30-second highlight reel.
- Add a voiceover that explains the benefits.
- Include your price or offer, then a strong call to action.
When your cut is ready, upload it to Omnya’s creative library, where it’s checked against the specs and can be reused across campaigns. See how creatives work.