YouTube Video Formats and Sizes [2024 Updated]

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Jean updated on Nov 22, 2024 | Home > Glossary and Terms

YouTube is the second-largest social media platform worldwide, with 2.49 billion active users. To avoid playback issues and render an optimal viewing experience for YouTube's audience, YouTube content makers have to follow YouTube's suggested camera settings. This guideline ensures their YouTube videos can be delivered in the best possible resolution and size.

This passage will help you learn more about YouTube video formats and sizes. Please read further.

What Is the Best YouTube Video File Format

In brief, MP4 is the best video file format for YouTube, with its standard aspect for YouTube ratio of 16:9, H. 264 video codec, and AAC-LC audio codec. If your YouTube video has a different aspect ratio, the player will automatically adjust it to the most appropriate size for your video and the viewer's device.

Besides MP4, YouTube videos also support MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GP, WebM, and other file formats. In summary, the best video format for YouTube videos remains MP4.

 

What Size of a YouTube Video

YouTube video sizes are vital for YouTubers to create high-quality videos. In brief, YouTube video sizes typically include three metrics: resolution, dimensions, and aspect ratio.

Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. Higher resolution can produce more explicit photos. Dimensions refer to the width and height of the image in pixels. The aspect ratio is the ratio of a video's width to height.

Please check the common sizes of YouTube videos from the following form.

Resolution

Dimensions

240p (SD)

426x240 pixels

360p (SD)

640x360 pixels

480p (SD)

854x480 pixels

720p (HD)

1280x720 pixels

1080p (HD)

1920x1080 pixels

1440p (2k)

2560x1440 pixels

2160p (4k)

3840x2160 pixels

4320p (8k)

7680x4320 pixels

As mentioned above, the correct aspect ratio for YouTube videos is 16:9. YouTube also supports other aspect rations, including 1:1 (square), 4:3, and 9:16. Please pay attention that these aspect rations can have black borders, which may divert the focus of YouTube audience.

Conclusion

What are the YouTube video formats and sizes? After reading this article, you may have a clear understanding of YouTube video formats and video sizes. In conclusion, the best YouTube video format is MP4 file format, and the standard YouTube video ratio is 16:9.

 

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Updated by Jean

Jean is recognized as one of the most professional writers in EaseUS. She has kept improving her writing skills over the past 10 years and helped millions of her readers solve their tech problems on PC, Mac, and iOS devices.

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