Best format to upload videos to YouTube: MP4, H.264 and resolution
What is the best format for uploading videos to YouTube? The one YouTube itself recommends in its encoding settings: an MP4 file with H.264 video and AAC audio at 48 kHz, at the same frame rate it was recorded at. YouTube's standard aspect ratio on computers is 16:9, which means 1920×1080 if you upload in 1080p or 3840×2160 if you upload in 4K.
The settings YouTube recommends
YouTube's help has a page with the recommended upload encoding settings. In summary:
| Parameter | What YouTube recommends |
|---|---|
| Container | MP4, with no edit lists and with the moov atom at the front of the file (fast start). |
| Video codec | H.264, progressive scan (no interlacing), High Profile, two consecutive B-frames, closed GOP of half the frame rate, CABAC and variable bitrate. |
| Chroma subsampling | 4:2:0. |
| Audio codec | AAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio. |
| Audio channels | Stereo, stereo with 5.1 or stereo with Eclipsa Audio. |
| Sample rate | 48 kHz. |
| Colour space (SDR) | BT.709. |
Something being recommended does not mean it is the only thing accepted. If you get an invalid file format error when uploading, the help suggests using one of these: .MOV, .MPEG-1, .MPEG-2, .MPEG4, .MP4, .MPG, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm and HEVC (H.265). What you cannot upload is a standalone audio file to create a video: you have to convert it into a video first, for example by adding an image to it.
Resolution: 1080p, 4K and the rest
For the default 16:9 aspect ratio, YouTube gives these resolutions:
| Name | Resolution |
|---|---|
| 4320p (8K) | 7680x4320 |
| 2160p (4K) | 3840x2160 |
| 1440p (2K) | 2560x1440 |
| 1080p (HD) | 1920x1080 |
| 720p (HD) | 1280x720 |
| 480p (SD) | 854x480 |
| 360p (SD) | 640x360 |
| 240p (SD) | 426x240 |
Three things worth knowing before you choose:
- YouTube re-encodes what you upload. The video will be converted to the highest resolution available so that it plays well on different devices and networks.
- More quality, more waiting. Higher-quality formats, such as 4K or HD, may take longer to process, and the time also depends on length, format and traffic.
- 4K has its conditions. To watch new videos in 4K you need a browser or device that supports VP9, and if you plan to launch the video as a premiere, premieres do not support resolutions above 1080p.
For most narrated videos with images, 1080p is a reasonable starting point. If your source material is 4K and your computer exports it without trouble, upload it in 4K; if not, do not complicate the process.
Aspect ratio: horizontal, vertical and Shorts
YouTube's standard aspect ratio on computers is 16:9. If your video has a different one, the player resizes automatically to fit the viewer's device; with a vertical video in a desktop browser, for example, YouTube may add padding around it.
This gives rise to the help's most repeated advice: do not add margins or black bars to your videos, because they would conflict with the way YouTube adjusts the player to the video's size and the device. It applies to vertical videos too: no black bars at the sides.
Shorts have their own requirements: a video of up to 3 minutes in length, with a square or vertical aspect ratio.
Frame rate and bitrate
The frame rate is not changed on export. Content should be encoded and uploaded at the same frame rate it was recorded at. The most common are 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 frames per second, although others are accepted. If the footage is interlaced, deinterlace it first: a 1080i60 becomes 1080p30.
The bitrate is a reference, not a limit. YouTube recommends a variable bitrate, with no limit required, and gives these values as a reference for SDR uploads:
| Type | Standard frame rate (24, 25, 30) | High frame rate (48, 50, 60) |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p (4K) | 35-45 Mbps | 53-68 Mbps |
| 1440p (2K) | 16 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 1080p | 8 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 720p | 5 Mbps | 7.5 Mbps |
For audio, the recommended bitrates are 128 Kbps for mono, 384 Kbps for stereo and 512 Kbps for 5.1. The help clarifies that the audio bitrate is not related to the video resolution.
How to export it from your editor
The names of the options change from one program to another, but the list is the same:
- Project resolution and frame rate. Export at the resolution you edited in and at the footage's frame rate.
- MP4 with H.264. If the program offers it, turn on the fast start option, which places the moov atom at the beginning of the file.
- AAC audio, stereo, 48 kHz, at the reference bitrate above.
- Progressive and 4:2:0. No interlacing.
- Size and length. You can upload files of up to 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is smaller; if you go over 256 GB, compress it with the H.264 codec. To upload more than 20 GB you need the latest version of the browser.
- Verification. Without verifying the channel, the limit is 15 minutes per video: we explain this in how to verify a YouTube channel.
With the file ready, the upload is done in YouTube Studio, as we explain in what YouTube Studio is and what each section is for. If you are unsure how long it should be, see how long a YouTube video should be.
The Estudio de Canales master, compared
The Estudio de Canales builds each video in the cloud in two steps: a 1280×720 preview for you to review and, once you approve it, the 1920×1080 master. Here is how the master compares with YouTube's recommendation:
| Parameter | YouTube's recommendation | Studio master |
|---|---|---|
| Container | MP4 with no edit lists and with fast start | MP4 with fast start (faststart), but with edit lists: the render does not disable them. |
| Video | H.264, progressive, 4:2:0 | H.264 with 4:2:0. Matches. |
| Resolution | 16:9; 1080p is 1920x1080 | 1920×1080. Matches; there is no 4K version. |
| Frame rate | The recording frame rate; 30 is among the common ones | 30 frames per second. |
| Audio | AAC, stereo, 48 kHz | AAC, stereo, 48 kHz. Matches. |
| Audio bitrate | 384 Kbps for stereo | 128 kbps: below the reference. |
| Video bitrate | Variable; 8 Mbps reference at 1080p | No fixed bitrate: it is encoded by quality (CRF 23), so the bitrate depends on the images. |
| GOP, B-frames and colour | Closed GOP of half the frame rate, two consecutive B-frames and BT.709 | The render does not set them: the encoder's default values remain, which do not match these. |
Before handing it to you, the studio runs a technical check on the MP4: that its duration matches the sum of the scenes, that it has an audio track, that the resolution is the one requested and that the codec is H.264. The images in each scene are scaled and cropped to fill the frame, with the movement you have chosen (you can see how this is done in the Ken Burns effect).
What it does not do: today the render always comes out horizontal, 16:9, so the studio does not produce Shorts or vertical video, and it does not upload the master to YouTube either. It leaves it in the package, together with the thumbnails, subtitles and texts, for you to upload yourself in YouTube Studio.
Sources consulted
Checked on 11 October 2026. We link to the original source so that you can consult the current text.
- Configuración de codificación recomendada para las subidas a YouTube. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Resoluciones de vídeo y relaciones de aspecto. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Formatos de archivo de YouTube admitidos. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Subir vídeos a YouTube. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Estrenar un nuevo vídeo. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Subir Shorts de YouTube. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
- Subir vídeos con una duración superior a 15 minutos. Google · Ayuda de YouTube.
Frequently asked questions
What resolution is a 1080p YouTube video?
For the default 16:9 aspect ratio, 1080p is 1920x1080. In 4K the resolution is 3840x2160, and in 720p it is 1280x720.
Is it better to upload to YouTube in MP4 or MOV?
YouTube supports both, but the container in its recommended encoding settings is MP4, with H.264 video and AAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio at 48 kHz.
At how many frames per second should I upload the video?
At the same rate it was recorded at: content should be encoded and uploaded at the same frame rate. The most common are 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 frames per second.
What bitrate should I use for a 1080p video?
YouTube recommends a variable bitrate, with no limit required, and gives as a reference 8 Mbps at 1080p for 24, 25 or 30 frames per second and 12 Mbps for 48, 50 or 60. For stereo audio, 384 Kbps.
Does the Estudio de Canales export in 4K or vertical?
No. The master comes out as MP4 with H.264, at 1920×1080 and 30 fps, with stereo AAC audio at 48 kHz. Today the render is always horizontal, 16:9, so it does not produce Shorts or vertical video.