--- title: "What Is a Vertical Series? Definition and Examples | RentAnOTT" description: "A vertical series is episodic content shot in portrait for phones, usually in short episodes. See how it differs from a microdrama and how it is released." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vertical-series" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vertical-series.md" category: "Content formats" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is a vertical series? A vertical series is a series of episodes filmed in portrait orientation for viewing on a phone held upright. Episodes are usually short, from one to ten minutes, and released in a swipeable feed. ## What defines a vertical series - Portrait framing, normally 9:16 - Episodes designed for a phone: close framing, readable captions, a fast opening - A continuing story or format across many episodes - Navigation by swipe, with the next episode starting automatically ## Vertical series vs microdrama A microdrama is one kind of vertical series: scripted fiction in very short episodes with a cliffhanger at the end of each. Vertical series is the wider category. It also covers documentary, comedy, cooking, fitness, education and reality formats, and episodes that run several minutes. ## Releasing a vertical series - All at once: suits a pay-per-episode model, where momentum matters - Daily or weekly: suits a subscription, giving a reason to return - Free opening episodes, then a lock - Clips on social platforms that link to the full series in your own app ## What the platform has to handle Long series of short episodes stress different parts of a platform than films do: catalog structures with a hundred episodes in a season, instant start and preloading of the next episode, per-episode locks and prices, and analytics showing the exact episode where viewers stop. ## Vertical series on RentAnOTT Vertical video and reels are included on every RentAnOTT plan alongside series with seasons and episodes. Coins and virtual purchases for per-episode unlocks are a $119/month add-on. [See pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [Microdrama](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/microdrama) — A microdrama is a serialized fiction story told in very short episodes, typically one to three minutes each, filmed vertically for viewing on a phone. A series often runs to dozens of episodes, each ending on a hook that leads into the next. - [Vertical video](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vertical-video) — Vertical video is video framed in portrait orientation, taller than it is wide, most often at a 9:16 aspect ratio. It fills the screen of a phone held upright, so the viewer does not need to rotate the device. - [Short-form video](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/short-form-video) — Short-form video is video that lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, usually vertical and watched in a continuous, swipeable feed on a phone. It covers clips, reels and the episodes of microdramas. - [Episode unlock](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/episode-unlock) — Episode unlock is a pay-per-episode model in which the first episodes of a series are free and each later episode is unlocked individually, usually with in-app coins, by watching an ad or with a pass. - [Coins and virtual currency](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/virtual-currency) — Coins, or virtual currency, are units of in-app credit that viewers buy in packs with real money and then spend inside a streaming app, most often to unlock individual episodes of a short-form series. - [Reels](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/reels) — Reels are short vertical videos, typically 15 to 90 seconds long, presented in a full-screen feed that the viewer swipes through one after another. The format was popularized by social apps and is now built into many streaming apps. - [Completion rate](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/completion-rate) — Completion rate is the percentage of plays of a video that reach the end, or a defined point near it. It shows whether a title holds the people who start it. ## Further reading - [Microdrama and short-form streaming platforms](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/microdrama-short-form-streaming-platforms) - [Short video applications compared](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/best-short-video-application) - [OTT app builder](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/ott-app-builder) ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is an episode of a vertical series? Anything from under a minute to about ten minutes. Scripted drama sits at the short end; non-fiction formats often run longer. ### Can a horizontal series be re-cut as vertical? It can be cropped, but the framing was composed for a wide screen and rarely works well. Series intended for phones are best shot vertically. ### Can a service carry vertical and horizontal series together? Yes, provided the catalog and player support both orientations, so each title plays the way it was made. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt