YouTube Video Specs & Calculations

Updated

YouTube's own recommended upload settings, SDR and HDR bitrates up to 8K, Live encoder settings and Shorts rules, plus the storage and upload-time math for your export.

YouTube Technical Specifications

As of October 2026, from YouTube's recommended upload encoding settings, HDR upload, upload limits, Shorts, thumbnail and Live encoder help pages.

Recommended Upload Encoding Settings

Container

MP4

Moov atom at the front of the file (Fast Start), and no edit lists

Video Codec

H.264

Progressive (no interlacing), High Profile, 2 consecutive B-frames, closed GOP of half the frame rate, CABAC, variable bitrate, 4:2:0

Frame Rate

As recorded

Common rates are 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps; others are accepted. Deinterlace first, e.g. 1080i60 to 1080p30

Audio

AAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio

48 kHz. Mono 128 kbps, stereo 384 kbps, 5.1 512 kbps; Eclipsa Audio 128 kbps per channel. The loudness standards guide covers how loud to mix

Color (SDR)

BT.709

Untagged files are treated as BT.709; full range is converted to limited range

SDR Upload Bitrates

4320p (8K)

80-160 Mbps

24-30 fps; 120-240 Mbps at 48-60 fps

2160p (4K)

35-45 Mbps

24-30 fps; 53-68 Mbps at 48-60 fps

1440p (2K)

16 Mbps

24-30 fps; 24 Mbps at 48-60 fps

1080p (Full HD)

8 Mbps

24-30 fps; 12 Mbps at 48-60 fps

720p (HD)

5 Mbps

24-30 fps; 7.5 Mbps at 48-60 fps

480p and 360p

2.5 and 1 Mbps

24-30 fps; 4 and 1.5 Mbps at 48-60 fps

HDR Upload Bitrates

4320p (8K) HDR

100-200 Mbps

24-30 fps; 150-300 Mbps at 48-60 fps

2160p (4K) HDR

44-56 Mbps

24-30 fps; 66-85 Mbps at 48-60 fps

1440p HDR

20 Mbps

24-30 fps; 30 Mbps at 48-60 fps

1080p HDR

10 Mbps

24-30 fps; 15 Mbps at 48-60 fps

720p HDR

6.5 Mbps

24-30 fps; 9.5 Mbps at 48-60 fps. 480p and 360p HDR are not supported

HDR File Requirements

Transfer Function

PQ or HLG

Rec. 2100, with Rec. 2020 primaries and non-constant luminance matrix, tagged in the file

Bit Depth

10 or 12 bit

At 720p, 1080p, 1440p or 2160p; UHD widths work better than DCI widths

Codecs

VP9 Profile 2, AV1, HEVC

ProRes, DNxHR HQX and 10-bit H.264 also work, at much higher bitrates. MOV, MP4 and MKV tested

PQ Metadata

ST 2086, MaxCLL, MaxFALL

If the mastering metadata or MaxCLL/MaxFALL is missing, YouTube assumes a Sony BVM-X300 display. HDR10+ is optional

Upload Limits and Shorts

Maximum Upload

256 GB or 12 hours

Whichever comes first. Videos over 15 minutes need a verified account

Shorts Length

Up to 3 minutes

Square or vertical uploads since October 15, 2024; 9:16 (1080×1920) fills the screen

Shorts and Claims

Over 1 min

A Short longer than one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked worldwide

Shorts Thumbnail

2160×3840

9:16, at least 640 px high; set from YouTube Studio on a computer

Live Encoder Settings

2160p (4K) 60 / 30

50 / 42 Mbps

H.264. AV1 or HEVC: 35 / 30 Mbps

1440p 60 / 30

34 / 21 Mbps

H.264. AV1 or HEVC: 24 / 15 Mbps

1080p 60 / 30

17 / 14 Mbps

H.264. AV1 or HEVC: 12 / 10 Mbps

720p 60 or 30

8 Mbps

H.264. AV1 or HEVC: 6 Mbps

Encoder

RTMPS, CBR

Keyframe every 2 s (never over 4 s), up to 60 fps. Audio AAC or MP3, stereo 128 kbps at 44.1 kHz; 5.1 AAC 384 kbps at 48 kHz. HDR live: 10-bit HEVC

YouTube Creator Calculations

YouTube Storage Requirements Calculator

How big an export at YouTube's recommended bitrate will be; the free bitrate calculator works it out in your browser

Formula:

Storage (GB) = (Bitrate in Mbps × Duration in minutes × 60) ÷ 8000

Examples:

10-minute 1080p video at 8 Mbps

Calculation: (8 × 10 × 60) ÷ 8000 = 0.6 GB

Result: 600 MB per video

20-minute 4K video at 40 Mbps

Calculation: (40 × 20 × 60) ÷ 8000 = 6 GB

Result: 6 GB per video

Pro Tips:

  • Camera originals dwarf the export: UHD ProRes 422 HQ at 24p runs 707 Mbps, about 16 to 20 times YouTube's 4K SDR target
  • YouTube sets no bitrate limit, so a higher-bitrate master uploads fine; it just takes longer
  • Plan the project drive around the camera originals and intermediates, not the upload file

YouTube Upload Time Calculator

How long the upload takes at your connection speed; the free upload time calculator does the sum in your browser

Formula:

Upload Time (s) = (File Size in MB × 8) ÷ Upload Speed in Mbps

Examples:

1 GB file with 100 Mbps upload

Calculation: (1000 × 8) ÷ 100 = 80 seconds

Result: 1 minute 20 seconds

5 GB file with 50 Mbps upload

Calculation: (5000 × 8) ÷ 50 = 800 seconds

Result: 13 minutes 20 seconds

Pro Tips:

  • File sizes are in megabytes and connection speeds in megabits, hence the × 8
  • Real throughput is usually below the speed your ISP quotes, so treat the result as a best case
  • Processing time comes on top of the upload time

YouTube Thumbnail Aspect Ratio

Check a custom thumbnail against YouTube's size rules; the free aspect ratio calculator finds the 16:9 or 9:16 frame for any resolution

Formula:

Width ÷ Height = 1.778 (16:9) for videos, 0.5625 (9:16) for Shorts

Examples:

Recommended YouTube thumbnail

Calculation: 3840 ÷ 2160 = 1.778 = 16:9

Result: 16:9, at least 640 px wide

Recommended Shorts thumbnail

Calculation: 2160 ÷ 3840 = 0.5625 = 9:16

Result: 9:16, at least 640 px high

Pro Tips:

  • Custom thumbnails need a verified account
  • Maximum file size: 2 MB from the mobile app, 50 MB on desktop
  • JPG or PNG