Compress Video for YouTube
The target size is worked out from your video's resolution and frame rate.
This page opens the compressor with a target size set from the video itself. When you load a video, the After size is filled in from its resolution, frame rate and format. In MP4 (H.264) that is about 6.2 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and about 25 Mbps for 4K at 30 fps.
Free Video Compressor
No sign-up. No upload. No size limit.
Nothing is uploaded — the file is compressed on your device.
YouTube's limits and bitrates (checked September 2026)
YouTube accepts files up to 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less. Accounts that are not verified can upload videos up to 15 minutes long (YouTube Help). The size limit rarely blocks an upload. Upload time is the cost: at 20 Mbps upstream, each GB takes about 7 minutes.
For SDR uploads YouTube recommends MP4 with H.264 video, at 8 Mbps for 1080p and 16 Mbps for 1440p (24 to 30 fps), 12 and 24 Mbps at 48 to 60 fps, and 35 to 45 Mbps for 4K at 24 to 30 fps (YouTube recommended upload encoding settings). YouTube processes every upload into its own playback versions.
What this page sets
The target is computed at the Screen size you have selected. Original keeps the source resolution; the list only offers steps below it, so nothing is upscaled. At 1080p and 30 fps the computed rate (6.2 Mbps) is below YouTube's 8 Mbps. To match YouTube's figure, click the After size and type a larger number. 8 Mbps of video plus 128 kbps of audio comes to about 59 MB per minute here, because the bitrate is calculated for 98.5% of the size you type.
The bitrate is never set above the source's own. A file that is already near these numbers shows "At this setting the file stays about the same size." YouTube lists HEVC (H.265) among its supported formats (YouTube Help). If Advanced offers MP4 · HEVC on your device, the computed target for the same video is about a third smaller.
Long recordings
Files of several GB work, because the output is written to disk as it is produced. Only the first audio track is kept. A game capture with the microphone on a second track loses that track, so mix the two in your editor first. With Audio on Keep as is, the audio is copied unchanged; when it is re-encoded, 5.1 and other multichannel audio is mixed down to stereo.
To cut the start and end of a recording, use Trim Video ↗ before compressing.
Frequently asked questions
Will compressing first make my YouTube video look worse?
Compression removes detail, and YouTube compresses the upload again. Before downloading, open the Compare tab, drag the slider and step 1 or 10 frames to see what changed.
What bitrate does YouTube recommend?
For SDR at 24 to 30 fps: 8 Mbps at 1080p, 16 Mbps at 1440p, 35 to 45 Mbps at 4K. At 48 to 60 fps the figures are about 1.5 times higher (checked September 2026).
Is there a file size limit?
YouTube's is 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less. This compressor sets none.
Why does it say this browser cannot decode the video?
Most often the file is HEVC (H.265), which many phones and cameras record. It can be read only on devices with a hardware HEVC decoder, because Chrome has no software HEVC decoder.
Can it upscale to 4K?
No. Screen size lists Original and the steps below it.
Compress Video for YouTube
Opens the compressor with a target size computed for this page.