The YouTube Video Size Guide for Creators

YouTube is one of the most popular content streaming platforms — and you can tap into its vast user base by sharing engaging, high-quality content.

A simple but oft-neglected part of creating great content is getting dimensions and resolutions right. Sticking to a platform’s size recommendations ensures your videos look as great as possible.

Read on to discover the correct YouTube video size that’ll help you share professional-grade content that earns you more subscribers.

The Best YouTube Video Resolutions and Dimensions

A video’s dimension (or resolution) is its width and height measured in pixels, the tiny colored dots that, together, form the image on a screen. Every video platform has sizing guidelines that recommend pixel resolutions to provide the best viewing experience. 

Dimension suggestions are chosen because they work on all devices used for viewing. Following those suggestions is the best way to ensure your content is free from blur, cropping, or black bars on the sides.

Here are the recommended video dimensions for YouTube: 

• 426 x 240 pixels (240p) — This is the lowest quality YouTube accepts. It’s a good option if you have a slow internet connection because uploading won’t take long due to the lower resolution. The smaller file size also means it loads and plays quickly (since less data is transferred), making it accessible for viewers with slower internet speeds.
• 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) — Also called basic high-definition (HD), this offers a more detailed, clear image compared to lower standard-definition (SD) resolutions. 
• 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p) — This full HD resolution provides even more detail than HD and most effectively fills a widescreen format like YouTube, ensuring an immersive viewing experience. 1080p is the most versatile and adjusts to different screen types, including smart TVs and computer monitors. 
• 3840 x 2160 pixels (2160p/4K) — With four times the pixels of full HD, 2160p resolution provides a much higher level of detail. This results in a sharper, more defined image known as Ultra HD or 4K. It’s particularly beneficial for larger screens, such as big-screen TVs and projectors, where the increased resolution is more noticeable. 

YouTube tends to recommend HD videos because they’re sharper, so posting HD content might increase your content’s visibility. 

But consider your audience's needs when deciding on the right video dimension. Too high a resolution and people with slow internet connections might have a compromised viewing experience; too low and your content looks less professional. Find the right balance to appeal to the viewers tuning into your channel and showcase your content creation skills.

A video’s aspect ratio defines the relationship between its width and height. This measurement determines the video's shape in ratio form.

Here are the three most popular YouTube video aspect ratios:

1. 16:9 — YouTube recommends this aspect ratio, as 16:9 videos are widescreen and cover the whole YouTube video frame on desktop and mobile devices, ensuring a good viewing experience for most people.
2. 1:1 — This aspect ratio is a perfect square, and when used on YouTube, the app adjusts your video frame for mobile playback to fit every aspect ratio. When viewed on a desktop, YouTube adds black bars to fill gaps. 
3. 4:3 — This aspect ratio is closest to a traditional TV display. Like 1:1, black bars will appear on the sides to fill exposed space on desktop screens. But, on mobile devices, YouTube adapts the video to fit the screen.

Acceptable Video Formats for YouTube

Compatible formats are the file types you can save and upload videos in. Unlike resolution, which relates to size, the format acts as a set of rules that decide how the video is stored and what devices can play it. 

Here are the best video formats for YouTube:

• MP4 — YouTube prefers the MP4 file format because it balances video quality and file size. MP4 is widely supported across various devices and platforms. 
• MOV — MOV is native to Apple devices, so if you primarily use Apple products, MOV is a convenient choice. But these files are typically larger, so you might have to compress them on your iOS or Android device before uploading.
• HEVC — HEVC, or High-Efficiency Video Coding, is a video compression standard designed to improve video quality while reducing file size for quicker uploads and smoother playback.

But no matter the file format your phone or camera uses, you can quickly reduce the file size using Captions’ Compress tool. In three clicks (upload, compress, download), you’ll have the video file size you want.

Image Sizes for YouTube

Although YouTube is a video-sharing platform, you can also upload various images to your channel. To share a professional brand image, choose these photos carefully, keeping your audience in mind. 

Channel Profile Picture

The small profile picture or channel icon is important as it appears next to your channel name in search results, comments, and on your page. This photo is the basis of your YouTube channel's identity. Your profile picture should have a 1:1 aspect ratio and an 800 x 800 pixels dimension.

YouTube Thumbnail Size 

A YouTube video thumbnail is the small, clickable image that previews your video. It should be eye-catching to attract viewers' attention and encourage them to click on your video. 

Ideal dimensions here are 1280 x 720 pixels, with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This size ensures your thumbnail is clear, detailed, and clickable on most screens.

YouTube Banner Size

A banner is the large image at the top of your YouTube channel's homepage. This is one of the first branded images that catches viewer attention — make it count. YouTube recommends a 2560 x 1440 pixels banner size. But the safe area, where text and logos are less likely to be cropped on different devices, is 1546 x 423 pixels. Keeping crucial information within this area ensures its visibility on all devices.

The Best Viewing Success With Captions

Following YouTube's recommended video sizes ensures your content loads quickly, looks professional, and is detailed enough to grab attention — a win-win for you and your audience, as you gain more views and they gain a better viewing experience. 

Find the right size with Captions, an AI-powered content editing platform that quickly scales video content to the correct aspect ratio and dimensions. Then, remove background noise, add captions, and export your video — all in the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Can YouTube Videos Be?

A regular long-form YouTube video can be as long as 12 hours. YouTube Shorts, similar to a TikTok or Instagram Reel, have a time limit of 60 seconds and run on a loop. 

How Can I Resize Videos?

To resize a video, use video editing software like Captions. Here’s how:

1. Upload your video to Captions. There's a five-minute limit, so you must cut clips into sections for longer videos.
2. Tap "Scale" in the bottom bar.
3. Choose an aspect ratio. 
4. Choose "Fill," "Fit," or "Auto" to adjust how the content fits in the frame.

Is the 1920 x 1080 Aspect Ratio the Same as 16:9?

1920 x 1080p and 16:9 are paired together but aren’t the same thing. 1920 x 1080p is the exact size of the video in pixels, whereas 16:9 is the proportional aspect ratio relationship between the width and height of a video.