YouTube Video Size, Dimensions and Resolution (2026)

The standard YouTube video size is 1920 × 1080 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio. That is 1080p, the resolution most channels upload at. If you can record in 2560 × 1440 or 3840 × 2160 (4K), upload that instead, still at 16:9.

Below are the dimensions for every resolution YouTube lists, the export settings YouTube recommends, and what happens when your video is vertical or square. For Shorts, see the separate YouTube Shorts size guide.

YouTube video specs at a glance

These values come from YouTube's own upload help pages. The 15-minute limit trips up many new channels: verify your account in YouTube Studio with a phone number and it goes away.

YouTube video dimensions by resolution

Every resolution below is 16:9. The bitrate is YouTube's recommendation for standard dynamic range (SDR) video, the normal kind. "Standard" is 24 to 30 fps and "high" is 48 to 60 fps.

The bitrates are a floor, not a target. YouTube re-encodes every upload, so a file above these numbers does no harm. It only takes longer to upload. HDR video needs about 25% more, and YouTube does not support HDR below 720p.

Which resolution should you upload?

• 1080p is the practical minimum. Most viewers watch on phones and laptops, where 1080p looks sharp.
• 1440p or 4K is worth it if your camera records it. Viewers on large monitors and TVs can choose it, and YouTube builds every lower quality from your upload.
• 720p still works, but it looks soft on a TV and dated next to other videos in the feed.

Many creators report that 1440p and 4K uploads also look cleaner when played back at 1080p, because YouTube tends to process higher-resolution uploads with a more efficient codec. YouTube does not document this, so treat it as an observation rather than a rule. Do not upscale old 720p footage to 4K to chase it: the file grows and the picture does not get any sharper.

Aspect ratio: 16:9, vertical and square

On a computer, the YouTube player is 16:9. Other shapes are supported, and the player changes its own size to fit the video and the viewer's device.

Do not add black bars to the video file yourself. YouTube's guidance is to upload the picture at its real shape and let the player handle the padding. Bars baked into the file stay visible everywhere, including full screen on a phone.

If you need to change the shape, the free aspect ratio calculator gives you the exact pixel size, and resize video converts the file in your browser.

Long video vs Shorts: two different sizes

YouTube decides which one a video is from its shape and length. A horizontal video is never a Short, even at 30 seconds. That is why one long video can feed both formats: publish the 16:9 original, then cut vertical clips from it for the Shorts feed. Short.now does that step for you. It finds the strongest moments, reframes them to 9:16 while following the speaker, and adds captions. The manual method is in how to make YouTube Shorts from long videos.

Other YouTube image sizes

Common sizing mistakes

• Exporting at the editor's default. Some editors default to 720p or to the size of the first clip on the timeline. Check the sequence settings before you export.
• Changing the frame rate on export. Footage recorded at 30 fps exported at 60 fps does not get smoother. Keep the frame rate you recorded.
• Uploading interlaced video. Old camcorder footage (1080i) shows comb lines on YouTube. Deinterlace it to progressive first.
• Judging quality right after upload. YouTube makes the low-quality versions first. 4K can take hours to appear, so wait before you decide the upload looks bad.