The standard YouTube video size is 1920 x 1080 pixels, a 16:9 frame, which YouTube calls 1080p. For 4K, export at 3840 x 2160. Those are recommendations: YouTube’s hard limits are a supported file format, 256 GB or 12 hours per file, whichever comes first, and 15 minutes until your account is verified. Vertical and square videos are accepted, and the player adapts to them.
Key Takeaways
- Size: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) is the everyday export. YouTube’s 16:9 list runs from 426 x 240 up to 7680 x 4320 (8K).
- Ratio: 16:9 is the standard on a computer. Other shapes play in a player that resizes itself, so never add black bars to the file.
- Hard limits: a supported format, 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less, and 15 minutes per video until you verify the account.
- Soft settings: MP4, H.264, the frame rate you filmed at, about 8 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. YouTube says “no bitrate limit is required”.
- Thumbnails: YouTube now recommends 3840 x 2160 for video thumbnails, at least 640 pixels wide, JPG or PNG.
What YouTube requires and what it only recommends
Most size guides mix the two. Every row below comes from YouTube’s own help pages, read on 31 October 2026, and the last column says whether YouTube treats it as a rule or a recommendation.
| Setting | What YouTube says | Rule or recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| File format | MOV, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm or HEVC (H.265) | Rule: other formats get an “invalid file format” error |
| Maximum file size | 256 GB | Rule |
| Maximum length | 12 hours; 15 minutes until the account is verified | Rule |
| Audio-only files | Cannot be uploaded as a video | Rule |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 for 1080p, 3840 x 2160 for 4K (full list below) | Recommendation |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 is standard on a computer; the player adapts to other ratios | Recommendation |
| Container | MP4, moov atom at the front, no edit lists | Recommendation |
| Video codec | H.264, progressive scan, High Profile, closed GOP, 4:2:0 | Recommendation |
| Bitrate | 8 Mbps for 1080p at 24 to 30 fps; “no bitrate limit is required” | Recommendation |
| Frame rate | The rate it was recorded at; 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 are common | Recommendation |
| Audio | AAC-LC or Opus, 48 kHz, 384 kbps for stereo | Recommendation |
The split matters when an upload fails. A file that breaks a rule will not upload. A file that ignores a recommendation still uploads, and YouTube processes whatever you sent.
What size should a YouTube video be?
Make a regular YouTube video 1920 x 1080 pixels, in a 16:9 frame. YouTube’s resolution page lists that size as 1080p (HD) and recommends encoding at the resolutions on its 16:9 list. If you film in 4K, upload at 3840 x 2160 instead, the 4K size on the same list.
Do not upscale. A 720p recording exported at 1920 x 1080 gains file size, not detail. Export at the resolution you shot, or the next size down.
Vertical video is a separate case. YouTube’s 16:9 list has no vertical sizes, and a square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes is treated as a Short. The length rules for those are in our guide to how long YouTube Shorts can be.
What are the YouTube video resolutions?
YouTube’s resolution page lists eight 16:9 sizes, and its encoding page gives a recommended bitrate for most of them. Bitrates below are for standard dynamic range (SDR) uploads; HDR uploads need somewhat more.
| Name | Pixels | Bitrate at 24 to 30 fps | Bitrate at 48 to 60 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4320p (8K) | 7680 x 4320 | 80 to 160 Mbps | 120 to 240 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K) | 3840 x 2160 | 35 to 45 Mbps | 53 to 68 Mbps |
| 1440p (2K) | 2560 x 1440 | 16 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 1080p (HD) | 1920 x 1080 | 8 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 720p (HD) | 1280 x 720 | 5 Mbps | 7.5 Mbps |
| 480p (SD) | 854 x 480 | 2.5 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 360p (SD) | 640 x 360 | 1 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| 240p (SD) | 426 x 240 | Not listed | Not listed |
Two notes from the same pages. YouTube says that to watch new 4K uploads in 4K, viewers need a browser or device that supports VP9. And since 2022 YouTube has been removing playback at resolutions between 4K and 8K, such as 5K, so export at 3840 x 2160 or 7680 x 4320 rather than a size in between.
What happens to vertical or square videos on YouTube?
Vertical and square videos upload and play normally. YouTube’s help page says the standard ratio on a computer is 16:9, and “if your video has a different aspect ratio, the player will automatically change to the ideal size to match your video and the viewer’s device.” For a 9:16 video in a desktop browser, YouTube adds padding around it, white by default and dark gray in Dark theme.
The padding is YouTube’s job, not yours. The same page asks you to “avoid adding padding or black bars directly to your video”, because bars baked into the file stop the player from resizing to fit the screen. A vertical clip padded to 16:9 in an editor shows the bars on every device, including the phones it would have filled.
So export the video in its real shape. If a vertical video should stay in the main player rather than the Shorts feed, keep it longer than 3 minutes or reframe it to 16:9; YouTube’s Shorts help says a 16:9 frame keeps a video long-form. For the vertical frame itself, from the 9:16 export to the Shorts thumbnail, see our guide to YouTube Shorts size.
What is the maximum YouTube video file size and length?
The maximum file size is 256 GB, and the maximum length is 12 hours. YouTube’s upload help page puts it this way: “The maximum file size you can upload is 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.” YouTube also notes that some old videos run longer than 12 hours because the limits changed in the past.
The tighter limit for new channels is 15 minutes. “By default, you can upload videos that are up to 15 minutes long. Verified accounts can upload videos longer than 15 minutes.” To verify, go to youtube.com/verify on a computer and enter the code YouTube sends by text message or automated voice call. A video that was too long before you verified has to be uploaded again afterwards. For files over 20 GB, YouTube asks you to use an up-to-date browser.
Which limit you hit first depends on the bitrate. At YouTube’s recommended bitrates, the 12-hour limit binds for 1080p and for 4K at 30 fps; 4K at 60 fps and 8K reach 256 GB first. Our estimates, using the recommended video bitrate plus 384 kbps stereo audio, and counting 1 GB as 1,000 MB:
| Export | Size per minute | Hours until 256 GB |
|---|---|---|
| 720p, 30 fps | about 40 MB | about 106 hours |
| 1080p, 30 fps | about 63 MB | about 68 hours |
| 1080p, 60 fps | about 93 MB | about 46 hours |
| 4K, 30 fps | about 265 to 340 MB | about 12.5 to 16 hours |
| 4K, 60 fps | about 400 to 513 MB | about 8 to 11 hours |
| 8K, 30 fps | about 603 to 1,203 MB | about 3.5 to 7 hours |
Your editor’s export bitrate sets the real size, so check it on the export screen. If a file is over 256 GB, YouTube suggests compressing it with the H.264 codec before uploading.
What export settings should you use for YouTube?
Export as MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, at the resolution and frame rate you filmed. That matches YouTube’s recommended encoding settings. YouTube accepts many other formats, from MOV and WebM to ProRes, but MP4 with H.264 is the combination its encoding page describes in detail. A checklist for your export screen:
- Container: MP4, with the moov atom at the front of the file (often labelled “Fast Start”).
- Codec: H.264, progressive scan, High Profile. HEVC (H.265) files are accepted too.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080, or 3840 x 2160 for 4K.
- Frame rate: the rate you recorded at. Deinterlace interlaced footage first: YouTube’s example turns 1080i60 into 1080p30.
- Bitrate: variable, around the figure in the resolution table. YouTube sets no upper limit.
- Audio: AAC-LC or Opus, 48 kHz, 384 kbps stereo or 128 kbps mono.
- Colour: BT.709 for standard video. YouTube converts colour spaces it does not support to BT.709.
The encoding page now opens with a note that “these features are only available to partners who use YouTube Studio Content Manager”. The settings on it are still the most detailed export guidance YouTube publishes, and they line up with its resolution page, which is for every channel.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
YouTube recommends a custom video thumbnail of 3840 x 2160 pixels, a 16:9 image at least 640 pixels wide, saved as JPG or PNG. For Shorts it is 2160 x 3840, a 9:16 image at least 640 pixels tall. Uploads from a computer can be up to 50 MB; from a phone, video thumbnails are capped at 2 MB.
Many size guides still give 1280 x 720 and 2 MB. YouTube’s page does not say older sizes are rejected, but its current advice is to make the thumbnail “as large as possible”, because it doubles as the preview image in the embedded player.
Two conditions apply. Custom thumbnails need a verified account, the same check as long uploads. And YouTube replaces a 16:9 custom thumbnail on a vertical video with an auto-generated 4:5 one on the home, explore and subscription pages, so on those pages viewers see YouTube’s frame instead of yours.
How does PostNext handle YouTube uploads?
PostNext sends one video per YouTube post. Before scheduling, it checks that the post holds exactly one video and no images, a title and an answer to whether the video is made for kids. PostNext uploads the file as you exported it, without resizing or re-encoding it, so set the size and bitrate in your editor first.
A single file can be up to 500 MB. At YouTube’s recommended bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps, that is about 8 minutes of video, so export longer videos at a lower bitrate or upload them in YouTube Studio. Storage on the pricing page is 10 GB on Premium, 50 GB on Business and 10 GB per user on Teams, read on 31 October 2026. YouTube in PostNext is open to a limited set of accounts while Google reviews the app, and for now every video goes up to YouTube as private: you change its visibility in YouTube Studio.
The YouTube scheduler puts the video on the same calendar as your other channels. PostNext checks the title against a 100-character limit, explained in our guide to the YouTube title character limit, and the free YouTube caption generator drafts a title and description to edit. To publish at a set time without a third-party tool, see our guide to scheduling YouTube Shorts, which uses Studio’s own Schedule option.
The same file rarely suits every platform. Instagram Reels work best as a vertical 9:16 export, covered in our guide to Instagram Reel size, and TikTok’s limits are in our guide to TikTok video length.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best video size for YouTube?
1920 x 1080 pixels at 16:9, which YouTube lists as 1080p. If you film in 4K, upload at 3840 x 2160. Export at the resolution you recorded rather than upscaling a smaller video.
Is a YouTube video 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720?
Both are on YouTube’s list of recommended 16:9 resolutions. 1920 x 1080 is 1080p and 1280 x 720 is 720p. Upload the larger one if your footage was recorded at that size or above.
What is the maximum file size for a YouTube video?
256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less, according to YouTube’s upload help page. Until the account is verified, each video is also limited to 15 minutes.
What aspect ratio does YouTube use?
16:9 is the standard on a computer. Vertical and square videos are accepted, and the player resizes itself to match. A square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes is treated as a Short.
Should I add black bars to a vertical video for YouTube?
No. YouTube asks creators to avoid adding padding or black bars to the file, because they stop the player from resizing to the video and the device. YouTube adds its own padding where it is needed.
How do I upload YouTube videos longer than 15 minutes?
Verify your account at youtube.com/verify on a computer with a code sent by text or voice call. After that you can upload videos of up to 12 hours. A video that was too long before you verified must be uploaded again.
Related reading
- How Long Can YouTube Shorts Be? The 3-Minute Rule
- How to Schedule YouTube Shorts in Studio and the App
- YouTube Shorts Size: Dimensions and Aspect Ratio
- Instagram Reel Size: Dimensions and Safe Zones
- How Long Can TikTok Videos Be? 3 to 10 Minutes
Sources
- YouTube Help, Video resolution & aspect ratios: the 16:9 resolution list, the adaptive player and padding (October 2026)
- YouTube Help, YouTube recommended upload encoding settings: container, codec, frame rate, bitrates, audio and colour (October 2026)
- YouTube Help, Upload videos longer than 15 minutes: the 15-minute default, verification and the 256 GB or 12-hour limit (October 2026)
- YouTube Help, Supported YouTube file formats (October 2026)
- YouTube Help, Add custom thumbnails on YouTube: thumbnail size, formats and file limits (October 2026)
- YouTube Help, Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts: when a vertical or square video is a Short (October 2026)
- PostNext, postnext.io/youtube-scheduler and postnext.io/pricing (October 2026)
