How to Calculate Video File Size
Video file size (in MB) = (Bitrate in Mbps × Duration in seconds) ÷ 8
For example: a 5-minute video at 8 Mbps = (8 × 300) ÷ 8 = 300 MB
Typical Bitrates by Resolution
- 480p: 1-2 Mbps → ~45-90 MB/10 min
- 720p: 2.5-5 Mbps → ~112-225 MB/10 min
- 1080p: 5-10 Mbps → ~225-450 MB/10 min
- 4K: 25-80 Mbps → ~1.1-3.6 GB/10 min
Uncompressed vs Compressed
Raw uncompressed 4K video is hundreds of times larger than compressed — a single frame of 4K at 8-bit depth is about 24MB uncompressed. Modern codecs like H.264 reduce this to under 1MB equivalent per second of video.
When to Compress
- File is too large to email (>25MB)
- Upload is taking too long
- Platform has a file size limit
- Storage is running low
Use Video Compressor to reduce video to your target file size.