YouTube Videos and Image Sizes

Even if you’ve never edited a video before

The Best YouTube Video Format For 2023

When starting your YouTube journey, it’s important to not only make sure your content is top-notch but also to upload your videos in the right format to boost your chances of getting more views and audience engagement.

Hence, in this guide we’ll take you through:

– The best formats for uploading YouTube videos in 2023
– The correct dimensions for a YouTube video
– How to convert your videos to a format supported by YouTube

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What is the best YouTube video format?

MP4 is the best video format for YouTube with AAC-LC audio codec and H.264 video codec, and a standard aspect ratio of 16:9. This produces a high-quality video at a smaller file size. YouTube also recommends uploading videos in a format as close as possible to the original, especially if it’s HD or a higher resolution .

While MP4 is the recommended file format, here’s a look at other video formats compatible with YouTube. Note that these are basically a mix of codecs and/ or containers that make up a video file.

What is the best YouTube video size?

The following video resolutions and dimensions are recommended to ensure the best quality YouTube video uploads.

Resolution

Dimensions

Quality

This is the minimum YouTube video size (good for viewing on a slow internet connection).

This is best for YouTube videos that need to be embedded on websites.

This is the standard definition of YouTube video size.

This is the preferred YouTube HD video size when viewing videos on mobile data or a slow internet connection.

This is the standard HD video size and the best option for viewing.

This is 2K video quality YouTube video size.

This is 4K video quality YouTube video size.

If your video is not in the recommended 16:9 aspect ratio, YouTube may add padding for optimal viewing (see image below).

To better understand YouTube aspect ratios, check out the image below.

Other important factors to keep in mind while uploading a YouTube video:

– The maximum YouTube video file size is 128GB.
– The maximum YouTube video length is 12 hours.

Your best bet? Upload your video using the largest dimensions possible within the format you’ve chosen.

Why do you need to pay attention to your YouTube video format?

– Each file format is processed differently by YouTube and this might affect the playback of your video. Your video might not display properly, and the viewing quality may suffer.
– Certain YouTube video upload formats are such that they process a single video and produce a larger file size. This affects your video quality when shared on other social media portals.
– Keeping these points in mind, as YouTube is all about the video viewing experience, it’s essential to select the most advantageous YouTube video upload format.

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YouTube’s recommended video upload settings

Whenever you upload videos to YouTube , you have the option to select your video encoding settings. Let’s understand what this means. Historically, for a video recorded at 30 frames per second (fps or frame rate), you had 30 photos per second of footage. That’s 1,800 images per minute of video. As a result, video file sizes were massive. Uploading these digitally would take a long time and require a whole lot of space on servers.

The only sensible solution was to compress these videos, but the quality was lost through this process. Engineers then developed video encoding which provided a way to compress these files without compromising the quality . Video encoding is basically the digital method used to compress files so that they are not saved as individual images but as fluid videos. Video encoding happens automatically when we are recording videos or during the editing process, using tools called codecs and containers.

When your video is ready to be uploaded to YouTube, the video file type or format also refers to the container and codec that has been used to encode it. Let’s look at the difference between video file containers and codecs:

Video file containers: Video file containers refers to how the video, audio, and metadata content are organised. They can also be called a file extension, the most popular ones being .MP4 and .MOV. MP4 h.264 is the current industry standard for high-definition video and provides the most practical way of distributing video content.

Video file codecs: YouTube also uses file codecs or code to compress and then decompress video files. In fact, certain poor-quality codecs can result in low-quality compression and decompression. This means that though they can create small video file sizes, the video quality might also be affected.

In order to get the best results, YouTube recommends the following upload encoding settings for all videos:

Container: MP4
Audio codec: AAC-LC
Video codec: H.264
Frame rate: Content should be encoded and uploaded in the same frame rate it was recorded. Common frame rates include 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60 frames per second (other frame rates are also acceptable).

Quick Tips

Tip #1 – Since your videos are encoded while filming, shooting your YouTube videos using 1080p resolution is optimal. This offers the maximum resolution for a full HD video and keeps your file sizes smaller than when filming in the larger 4K and 2K video qualities.

Tip #2 – 720p is the minimum resolution needed for an HD video. You will thus be able to reduce the file size while still retaining a sharp video quality.

Tip #3 – Note that if you are using your mobile phone to record video, it will automatically be saved as MP4.

Tip #4 – Encoding your YouTube videos means faster upload speed and less usage of WiFi or mobile data as well as device storage space.

Tip #5 – You can also ensure your video is encoded for YouTube when editing it.

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How to convert a video to a format compatible with YouTube

If you try to upload a video to YouTube saved in an unsupported format, you will receive an ” invalid file format ” error message.

To avoid this, you will need to convert your video to a YouTube-friendly file format such as MP4. This can be done using a free online video format converter such as Online Convert . Simply drag and drop or upload your video to this converter and hit the “ Start Conversion ” button.

You can also encode your video by customising the audio and video codec, bitrate, aspect ratio, and other settings.

Wrapping Up

Now that you’ve got your basics covered, don’t forget to check out our ultimate guide to getting more views on your YouTube videos . For more quick tips and hacks on editing and creating videos, subscribe to InVideo’s YouTube Channel . And if you’re looking to create thumb-stopping YouTube videos in minutes (even if you’re not a PRO), sign up for a free account on InVideo to get started.

FAQs

Q.1 What video format should I use on YouTube?

Ans: According to YouTube, the recommended video format is MP4. To display your videos at the highest quality possible, YouTube also recommends using the h.264 video codec and a standard aspect ratio of 16:9.

Q.2 What is the maximum file size I can upload to YouTube?

Ans: The maximum YouTube video file size is 128GB.

Q.3 What width and height is a YouTube video?

Ans: YouTube videos at the recommended resolution of 1080p have a height of 1080 px and width of 1920 px for an aspect ratio of 16:9. For more accepted YouTube video dimensions, see here .

Q.4 How do I convert videos to YouTube format?

You can convert a video to a format supported by YouTube with a free online video format converter such as Online Convert . For more options, check here and here .

Q.5 How to upload a YouTube video?

Ans: Check out this extensive guide on how to upload YouTube videos.

Q.6 Why do some of my YouTube videos look blurred or fuzzy?

Ans: Videos may often appear blurry on YouTube immediately after they are uploaded. This is because YouTube displays a low-resolution version of your video while they’re still processing the HD version in the background. But your video will ultimately appear in HD once it’s ready.

Q.7 Is MPEG the same as MP4?

Ans: MPEG-4 is a video codec recognised by MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) as a standard of audio and video data compression. Over the years, it has branched out into many different parts, among which are MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-4 part 10 and MPEG-4 Part 14, and more. Despite this, in a way, the MP4 container format stands for MPEG4. However, it only applies to MPEG4 Part 14 (MP4). It’s called MP4 mainly because MPEG-4 Part 14 has .mp4 as its filename extension. This clearly shows that MPEG4 is not the same as MP4.

This post was written by Upasna and edited by Abhilash from Team InVideo

YouTube Videos and Image Sizes

You have just started your channel and you don’t know the size of the videos on YouTube. Nor the size of the images to optimize your channel with. So, what are the YouTube dimensions for your content?

Don’t worry, in this post we tell you all the sizes, measures and resolutions you need.

Size and resolution for YouTube videos

As you know, every social network uses different dimensions for its posts.

This is why, before you create a YouTube account, it’s very important that you know the correct sizes of videos and images to capture the attention and attract the interest of visitors.

Encourage them to push play on your videos.

Resolutions and proportions for videos

YouTube uses a 16:9 aspect ratio player when videos are played on desktops. If you upload a video that isn’t 16:9, it will end up having black bars on the sides to avoid the video being distorted or cropped.

This social platform allows the following resolutions to maximize the quality of videos:

This is the format with the max resolution and quality at present:

▶️ 4320p (8K) – 7680×4320

▶️ 2160p (4K) – 3840 x 2160 pixels

Another format with a lower resolution:

▶️ 1440p (2K) – 2560 x 1440 pixels

Max resolution used for High Definition:

▶️ 1080p (HD) – 1920 x 1080 pixels

▶️ 720p (HD) – 1280 x 720 pixels

▶️ 480p – 854 x 480 pixels

Traditional website resolution. It’s normally used to embed YouTube videos into a website:

▶️ 360p – 640 x 360 pixels

▶️ 240p – 426 x 240 pixels

▶️ 144p – 256 x 144 pixels

How to adjust the quality of YouTube videos manually

When you access YouTube from your desktop or mobile devices, the quality of the video will adjust automatically to the screen resolution of the device used and the broadband internet speed. However, you can also do it manually by clicking on settings.

If you are on a desktop, tap on the Settings icon at the bottom-right corner of the video screen. Click on quality and choose the resolution.

What’s the optimal size for YouTube images?

Videos are the most important content on YouTube. But, what happens with images?

Choosing the right image for your channel cover photo and the thumbnail will help you get more views. So, don’t forget to adjust and optimize your images on YouTube.

Sizes for channel cover photo

The recommended size to upload your cover image on YouTube is 2560 x 1440 pixels.

You know that the design of your channel is displayed differently depending on the device (desktop, mobile, TV …). Therefore, it’s crucial that you use the right sizes so the image is always shown properly.

When you upload an image for your cover, you must know the safe area and how it is displayed on different devices.

• TV display: When you access YouTube from a TV, the image uploaded will be displayed in full, that is, it will cover the background of your channel with 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution.
• Desktop display: The area of the image will be 2560 x 423 pixels. Although depending on the browser you use or desktop, it can vary slightly.
• Tabletdisplay: The visible area will be 1855 x 423 pixels.

Channel icon

Your YouTube profile photo or channel icon must be:

TIP FOR YOUR CHANNEL ICON

If it is a personal channel, it’s better to use a facial picture. If it’s a channel for a brand, use the logo instead.

Dimensions for thumbnail images

The ideal size for a thumbnail image should be:

Tip for thumbnails

Thumbnails are very important to attract attention. Look at how popular YouTubers use them. Large text and striking image.

YouTube banner dimensions

We need to know the necessary resolution to create a banner. YouTube recommends a 2120 x 1192 pixels banner.

YouTube Shorts dimensions

To ensure the best quality content for your Youtube Shorts, you need to know the right dimensions. It is a format designed for vertical videos that are easy to consume on mobile devices.

YouTube recommends a maximum of 2160p: 2160×3840, and a minimum of 720p: 720×1280. Remember that the ideal size dimensions for smartphones is 1080X1090 pixels.

Do you want to increase your YouTube impact and push forward your digital strategy?

And that’s all for today!

Now that you know all the dimensions for YouTube, you can unleash your creativity to get started on your new YouTube channel.

The Best Resolution For YouTube: A Complete Guide

Youtube is the second largest search engine and the most popular video platform globally. Every other business knows that you can use YouTube to reach more people.

But sometimes, it is hard to keep up with Youtube.

Like the ever-changing algorithm of Instagram, Youtube also has its own set of rules that we must follow. Video quality and size should always be top-notch.

If you are wondering what the best resolution for Youtube is, we will end your search right now. 1080p has been Youtube’s standard video solution for a while now.

The high resolution means videos take up more of your hard drive and look better. So if you’re planning on uploading videos, here is what you need to know about the best resolution for Youtube.

Why is it important to use recommended Youtube video size?

In the world of digital media, there are a lot of different players in the game. Each platform has its way of doing things, and it’s up to you whether or not you want to adapt to them.

But following the recommended guidelines is often helpful. It is essential to use recommended Youtube video size because-

• Video quality: Did you know that each video format is processed differently by Youtube? You should use the recommended video format so your viewers can watch high-quality videos when you upload videos.

• Specific Tailored videos for social media: Every social media platform has a recommended video size and aspect ratio. Following the recommended size for Youtube will help your viewers see the Youtube video correctly. Optimize your videos for Youtube platform viewing.

• More views and reach: If you want to get more views on your videos, you need to pay attention to the Youtube video resolution. Using the correct Youtube video size can help you maximize views.

The correct YouTube video size

When you are watching a video on Youtube, you get the option to change the quality of the video. The highest quality can be 4K and 1080p. Choosing the highest resolution gives you the best quality videos.

There are four aspects to look into while choosing the correct Youtube video size –

• Resolution
• Aspect ratio
• Format
• Video image size

Resolution

Resolution is the video quality and determines how detailed your video will be. A higher resolution means a clearer picture. In other words, it’s the number of pixels contained in an image, expressed as the number across and then down.

For example, a resolution of 640 x 480 means there are 640 pixels from left to right across the image and 480 pixels from top to bottom. The more pixels there are, the sharper your picture (at least in theory).

The most common resolutions for Youtube videos are 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080p.

YouTube accepts a wide range of resolutions, from 240p (426 x 240) to 2160p (3840 x 2160), known as 4K resolution.

Aspect ratio

Aspect Ratio refers to the proportional relationship between the width and height. A wide variety of aspect ratios exist, but the most commonly used aspect ratio in Youtube is 16:9.

This format is standard for HDTVs, and you’ll want to use it if you want your video to play full screen on YouTube. Standard Definition (SD) videos use an aspect ratio of either 4:3 or 3:2, but these formats will produce black bars on widescreen monitors and devices.

Format

The format is where it gets tricky as there are many video formats out there. We suggest using MP4 as it is widely accepted by all devices and browsers worldwide.

When using audio and video codecs, you must also pay attention as some may be incompatible with some devices or software.

The most commonly used audio and video codecs are MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2 & VC-1 for Video codecs and AAC, Vorbis & MP3 for audio codecs.

Video image size

Video image size refers to the Youtube video thumbnail and banner size. The most used Youtube banner size is 2560 x 1440p, with an aspect ratio of 16:9, while the recommended thumbnail resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels.

YouTube Frame Rate

What is Youtube Frame Rate?

The frame rate of a video refers to how many times an image appears onscreen per second. It’s measured in frames per second (fps). A higher frame rate provides a smoother, more detailed picture. A lower frame rate will create a shabbier appearance.

How does it affect video quality?

The quality of the YouTube video depends on the format and the frame rate of the video. It’s important to know that not all videos are suitable for all devices. Suppose you want to get a better quality video. In that case, it’s better to upload high-quality original files only as this will help preserve details and improve compression efficiency when generating your final videos.

What is The Best Frame Rate for YouTube?

The best frame rate for YouTube is 60fps. Frame rates higher than 30fps are best suited to fast action videos of water skiing, skateboarding, trick shots, etc.

YouTube Frame Rate vs. Video Quality

Frame rate determines the quality of your video. It also affects how much data your video consumes because a higher frame rate equates to using more data.

Using a higher frame rate is one way to prevent motion blur in fast-paced scenes where you need to capture as many frames per second as possible.

YouTube video aspect ratio

What is YouTube video Aspect Ratio?

As mentioned before, the Aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and height of an image or screen. It is expressed in width: height format.

For example, if you have an image that is 800×600 pixels, its aspect ratio will be 4:3 (800/4 = 200 and 600/3 = 200).

If you have a computer monitor or television that has 1920X1080 pixels, then its aspect ratio will be 16:9 (1920/16 = 120 and 1080/9 = 120).

How does it affect YouTube video quality?

Aspect ratios affect the dimensions of your video on different screens. For example, a portrait video can look fine on a mobile phone but may appear stretched on a computer or tablet screen.

4:3 aspect ratio leaves black spaces in the video and doesn’t cover the full screen.

What is the best aspect ratio for youtube videos?

The most used aspect ratio for YouTube videos is 16:9. The majority of monitors are 16:9, which means that people are more accustomed to this format than others.

How to Change the YouTube Video Size?

Configuration

You can change how you view a Youtube video. Youtube offers three types of configuration to view the videos – Mini player, Theatre mode, and full screen.

The mini player will give you a tiny view box at the bottom of the screen. In comparison, the theatre mode will play along with the total breadth of your screen.

The full-screen option offers you the total experience where the video fills the whole screen.

Theatre mode option

Quality

To choose the quality of a Youtube video, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.

• Click on the video you want to watch
• Click the gear icon(Settings) on the right side at the bottom of the video.

• Choose “Quality”
• Click on the quality at which you want to view the video. You can choose your desired quality like 1080p, 720p, 360p, 240p, etc.

And you are done!

Choose a resolution

The video resolution depends on the quality your internet connection provides. If you have high-quality broadband, you can watch HD(High-definition) videos.

If you have a slow or poor internet connection, you can watch low-quality videos.

YouTube selects the appropriate resolution for your device and internet connection most of the time. However, there are times when you may want to change the size of a YouTube video to suit your needs.

Youtube Video Size: Best Practices

Keep these tips in mind when selecting your YouTube video resolution:

• Use the highest solution possible, preferably 1080p.

• Use 720p if you are still experimenting or need more storage space.

• Always use the same resolution for all your videos.

• There is no need to use 4K resolution because it takes an age to buffer and watch. By encoding your footage at 1280×720 (720p), the files will be smaller, meaning faster uploading times and quicker buffering.

• If your original video has audio, we strongly recommend that you encode your original video using AAC audio at 128kbps or higher.

FAQs: Best Resolution for YouTube

What Size Is 1080p video?

1080p, also known as Full HD or FHD (full high definition), is a typical display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It’s one of the most popular resolutions for HDTVs and monitors since it offers excellent pixel density, high definition, and excellent image quality.

What Is the Best Frame Rate For a YouTube Video?

Most people upload 25 or 30 fps videos on YouTube. This frame rate is ideal for capturing most sporting events and fast-action movies; however, it isn’t suitable for high-speed cameras creating slow-motion effects.

You need to use a higher frame rate such as 60 fps and 100 fps or higher for those high-speed cameras.

What Is the Best Size For a YouTube Video?

The optimal resolution for your YouTube videos is 1920 x 1080 pixels, referred to as Full HD or 1080p.

How Do I Reduce the Size of a Video for YouTube?

The best way to reduce the size of your video file is to change its resolution. Smaller files are easier to upload, stream, and share with others. Several free online tools can help you compress the video. You can use Movie Maker to resize the video and make it smaller.

What Is the Best YouTube Video Format?

The best YouTube video format is MP4 with H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec. It is the most compatible video format for YouTube. YouTube requires that the dimensions of your video fit within a frame size of 426 x 240 to 1280 x 760 pixels.

Conclusion: Best Resolution for YouTube

There’s no one-size-fits-all resolution for YouTube, though you should note that 1440p is currently the highest supported resolution on YouTube.

But if you’re interested in getting the most out of your videos, you’ll want to stick to 1920 x 1080. We hope that this article helped you become more aware of choosing your best resolution for Youtube. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what resolution is best for you.