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How to Reduce Video Size for YouTube Upload

Updated 2 min readBy the TabShed team

Optimize your video file size before uploading to YouTube to reduce upload time while maintaining the quality YouTube needs.

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On this page
  1. YouTube's Upload Limits
  2. YouTube Recommended Encoding Settings
  3. Practical Upload Size Guide
  4. Should You Compress Before Uploading?

YouTube's Upload Limits

YouTube allows videos up to 256GB or 12 hours long. For most creators, upload speed is the real constraint, not file size limits. However, compressing your video before upload significantly reduces upload time and initial processing time.

  • Codec: H.264
  • Format: MP4 (recommended)
  • 1080p bitrate: 8 Mbps (standard), 12 Mbps (high frame rate)
  • 4K bitrate: 35-68 Mbps
  • Audio: AAC-LC, 384 kbps stereo

Practical Upload Size Guide

  • 10-minute 1080p video ≈ 600MB–1GB (raw) → 200–400MB compressed
  • 10-minute 4K video ≈ 3-5GB (raw) → 1-2GB compressed

Should You Compress Before Uploading?

Yes — but don't over-compress. YouTube applies its own compression regardless. Sending YouTube a reasonable 8 Mbps H.264 file will result in better final quality than uploading raw footage at 200 Mbps. Use Video Compressor to hit the sweet spot before uploading.

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