YouTube video resolution
Last updated 2026-10-20
YouTube lists resolutions from 240p to 8K, and 1080p is 1920 by 1080 pixels. The standard aspect ratio on a computer is 16:9, but vertical and square videos are accepted. For a 1080p upload, YouTube's reference bitrate is 8 Mbps at 24, 25 or 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48 to 60 fps. Shorts top out at 1080p.
YouTube video resolution and bitrate
YouTube Help lists the pixel sizes for the default 16:9 shape and a reference bitrate for each. These are recommended upload settings, not requirements, and YouTube says no bitrate limit is required. YouTube heads its encoding page as a feature for partners who use YouTube Studio Content Manager, so treat the numbers as guidance. The bitrates below are for SDR video.
| Resolution | Pixels at 16:9 | Bitrate at 24, 25, 30 fps | Bitrate at 48, 50, 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 |
Aspect ratio and the 16:9 player
The standard aspect ratio for YouTube on a computer is 16:9. If your video has another shape, the player changes to the ideal size for it and for the viewer's device. A 9:16 vertical video in a computer browser may get extra padding, white by default and dark gray in Dark theme.
YouTube says to avoid adding black bars or padding to the video yourself, because that interferes with the player fitting itself to the picture. So do not letterbox a vertical clip into a 16:9 frame. Export it in its own shape.
One playback detail: YouTube says that in 2022 it started removing playback support for resolutions between 4K and 8K, so a 5K upload may not play back at 5K. Stick to the sizes in the table.
YouTube names no single best resolution. It gives a ladder. Pick the highest rung your footage really has, because exporting low-resolution footage at a higher size adds pixels, not detail.
Frame rate, codec and color
Frame rate advice is short: encode and upload at the rate you recorded. YouTube lists 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 as common and accepts others. Deinterlace first, so 1080i60 becomes 1080p30. HDR uploads have higher references: 10 Mbps for 1080p at 24 to 30 fps and 15 Mbps at 48 to 60, and 20 and 30 Mbps for 1440p.
| Setting | YouTube recommends |
|---|---|
| Container | MP4, with no edit lists and the moov atom at the front of the file |
| Video codec | H.264 High Profile with progressive scan, 4:2:0 chroma, CABAC, 2 consecutive B-frames and a closed GOP half the frame rate long |
| Frame rate | The rate the video was recorded at |
| Audio codec | AAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio; stereo or stereo plus 5.1; 48 kHz |
| Audio bitrate | 128 kbps mono, 384 kbps stereo, 512 kbps 5.1 |
| Color space | BT.709 for SDR |
How Shorts differ
Shorts follow a shape and length rule, not a resolution ladder. YouTube counts an upload from October 15, 2024 onward as a Short if the video is square or vertical and no longer than three minutes. YouTube says you can upload Shorts at a maximum of 1080p, so the 1440p and 4K rows above do not apply to them. Regular uploads default to 15 minutes, and verified accounts can go longer, up to 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less. The YouTube Shorts length guide covers the upload date rule and the copyright line at one minute.
Export for YouTube from Woven
Exports from Woven are 1080p or 1440p MP4 files with H.264 High profile video in Rec. 709 color, the codec and color space YouTube names. It does not export 4K: the short side is 1080 or 1440 pixels, so a 3840 by 2160 canvas comes out at 1920 by 1080, or 2560 by 1440 at 1440p. On a 16:9 canvas its average bitrate is 24 Mbps at both sizes, above YouTube's 8 and 12 Mbps references for 1080p, and YouTube says no limit is required. That is an average, not a cap.
Ask in chat
- Switch this reel to a horizontal 16:9 canvas.
- Set the frame rate to 24 to match my footage.
- Render a 1080p MP4 I can upload to YouTube.
Or do it by hand
- 1Match the video's shape. In the Format menu, pick Horizontal 1920x1080. For a vertical or square video, pick Vertical 1080x1920 or Square 1080x1080 instead, and add no bars.
- 2Match the footage's frame rate. Deselect any clip, find Frame rate on the Settings page and match your footage: 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60. Woven has no 48 fps option.
- 3Choose the export size. Open the Export menu. 1080p gives 1920 by 1080 on a 16:9 canvas and 1440p gives 2560 by 1440. Pick 1440p only when your footage is larger than 1080p, otherwise the export is scaled up.
- 4Upload the MP4. Find the file in the workspace's exports folder, named for the reel and the time. Upload it in YouTube Studio.
Common questions
YouTube names no single best one. Its bitrate table runs from 360p to 8K. Use the highest your footage truly has, such as 1080p or 1440p from Woven.
16:9 is the standard on a computer. Vertical and square videos are accepted, and the player adapts to them.
For 16:9, 1920 by 1080 is 1080p, 2560 by 1440 is 1440p and 3840 by 2160 is 4K.
For SDR, 8 Mbps at 24, 25 or 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48, 50 or 60 fps. For HDR it is 10 and 15 Mbps. YouTube says no bitrate limit is required.
Yes. YouTube lists 2160p at 3840 by 2160 and recommends 35 to 45 Mbps at 24 to 30 fps. Woven cannot export 4K, because its largest export is 1440p.
The rate you recorded at. YouTube names 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps as common rates, and asks you to deinterlace interlaced footage before upload.
Sources
- YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings, checked October 19, 2026
- YouTube Help: Video resolution & aspect ratios, checked October 19, 2026
- YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts, checked October 19, 2026
- YouTube Help: Get started creating YouTube Shorts, checked October 19, 2026
- YouTube Help: Longer video uploads, checked October 19, 2026
Try Woven free for 3 days
Then $25/mo billed yearly ($299/yr) or $39/month. Native Mac app for short-form video.
Paste into Claude Code to install and connect Woven.