YouTube specs: every limit, in YouTube’s own words
An upload can be up to 256 GB or 12 hours, and over 15 minutes needs a verified account. A Short is up to 3 minutes, square or vertical. Thumbnails: 3840 × 2160 recommended. Titles 100 characters, descriptions 5,000. Every line below links to the YouTube Help page it’s quoted from.
Upload size and length
The biggest and longest file YouTube takes, and when you need a verified account.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Largest file | 256 GB | “The maximum file size you can upload is 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.” |
| Longest video | 12 hours | – |
| Without a verified account | Up to 15 minutes | “By default, you can upload videos that are up to 15 minutes long. Verified accounts can upload videos longer than 15 minutes.” |
Source: YouTube Help: Upload videos longer than 15 minutes, checked .
Shorts
What YouTube Studio takes as a Short when you upload from a computer.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 3 minutes | “Select a short-video file: Up to 3 minutes. With a square or vertical aspect ratio.” |
| Shape | Square or vertical | – |
Source: YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts, checked .
Recommended upload encoding
YouTube’s recommended settings for the file you upload. They’re recommendations, not limits.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Container | MP4, moov atom at the front (Fast Start), no edit lists | – |
| Video codec | H.264, High Profile, progressive scan, 2 consecutive B frames, CABAC | – |
| GOP | Closed, half the frame rate | – |
| Bitrate mode | Variable | “Variable bitrate. No bitrate limit is required, though we offer recommended bit rates below for reference” |
| Chroma subsampling | 4:2:0 | – |
| Frame rate | The rate you recorded at: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 or 60 are common | “Content should be encoded and uploaded in the same frame rate it was recorded.” |
| Interlaced footage | Deinterlace first: 1080i60 becomes 1080p30 | – |
| Audio codec | AAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio | – |
| Audio channels | Stereo, Stereo + 5.1, or Stereo + Eclipsa Audio | – |
| Audio sample rate | 48 kHz | – |
| SDR color space | BT.709 | – |
Recommended video bitrates
| Resolution | SDR standard | SDR high | HDR standard | HDR high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8K | 80–160 | 120–240 | 100–200 | 150–300 |
| 2160p (4K) | 35–45 | 53–68 | 44–56 | 66–85 |
| 1440p (2K) | 16 | 24 | 20 | 30 |
| 1080p | 8 | 12 | 10 | 15 |
| 720p | 5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 9.5 |
| 480p | 2.5 | 4 | – | – |
| 360p | 1 | 1.5 | – | – |
Recommended audio bitrates
| Mono | 128 |
|---|---|
| Stereo | 384 |
| 5.1 | 512 |
Source: YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings, checked .
Thumbnails
Custom thumbnails for videos and Shorts.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended size | 3,840 × 2,160 px | “a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels for videos ... with a minimum width of 640 pixels for videos” |
| Minimum width | 640 px | – |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | – |
| File types | Image formats such as JPG or PNG | – |
| File size | 2 MB from a phone, 50 MB from a computer | – |
| Shorts thumbnails | 2160 × 3840 px recommended, 9:16, at least 640 px tall; added in YouTube Studio on a computer | – |
| Who can upload one | Verified accounts | – |
Source: YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnails on YouTube, checked .
Titles, descriptions and hashtags
Character limits and the hashtag rules.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Up to 100 characters | “Video titles have a character limit of 100 characters and cannot include invalid characters.” |
| Description | Up to 5,000 characters | “Video descriptions have a character limit of 5,000 characters and cannot include invalid characters.” |
| Hashtags | No spaces: join words, like #TwoWords | “Hashtags don’t contain any spaces.” |
| Too many hashtags | More than 60 and YouTube ignores all of them | “If a video or playlist has more than 60 hashtags, we’ll ignore each hashtag on that content.” |
Sources: YouTube Help: Edit video settings · YouTube Help: Find playlists & videos using hashtags, checked .
Chapters
Timestamps in the description that split the progress bar.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| First timestamp | 00:00 | “Make sure that the first timestamp you list starts with 00:00.” |
| How many | At least 3, in ascending order | “Your video should have at least three timestamps listed in ascending order.” |
| Shortest chapter | 10 seconds | “The minimum length for video chapters is 10 seconds.” |
Source: YouTube Help: Video Chapters, checked .
Caption files
The basic formats YouTube recommends, and what it reads in each.
| Spec | Value | YouTube Help says |
|---|---|---|
| SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv) | Basic files only, no styling, plain UTF-8 | “Only basic versions of these files are supported. No style info (markup) is recognized. The file must be in plain UTF-8.” |
| WebVTT (.vtt) | Positioning, and only <b>, <i>, <u> styling | “Positioning is supported, but styling is limited to <b>, <i>, <u>” |
Source: YouTube Help: Supported subtitle and closed caption files, checked .
Questions
Something else? Email support@donecut.com
What is the best format to upload to YouTube?
YouTube Help recommends an MP4 file with H.264 video (High Profile, progressive scan, 4:2:0) and AAC-LC or Opus audio at 48 kHz, at the frame rate you recorded.
What bitrate should I export a 1080p video at?
YouTube Help recommends 8 Mbps for 1080p at 24, 25 or 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48, 50 or 60 fps (10 and 15 Mbps for HDR). It says these are recommendations and no bitrate limit is required.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, with a square or vertical aspect ratio, according to YouTube Help’s steps for uploading a Short from a computer.
What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
YouTube Help recommends 3840 × 2160 pixels for video thumbnails, at least 640 pixels wide, 16:9, as a JPG or PNG: up to 2 MB from a phone or 50 MB from a computer.
How big a file can I upload?
256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less. Past 15 minutes your account must be verified.
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