The Best YouTube Video Formats In 2024

Nowadays, at parties or family gatherings, no one talks about the latest movie or local event.

The latest YouTube video of ‘x’ or ‘y’ is energetically discussed and the video is thoroughly analyzed.

YouTube is fast taking over the space once occupied by traditional media.

The platform has over 2.49 billion active users every month.

Every minute, over 500 hours of video content is uploaded. On average, each person spends around 49 minutes watching YouTube videos daily.

YouTube is already a crowded place. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced content creator, following certain best practices can give you an edge over others.

These best practices will also put you in the good books of the YouTube search engine.

Today, you’ll learn the answers to the following questions:

• What video formats does YouTube allow?
• What are the best YouTube video formats for 2024?
• What is the best YouTube video size?
• How to convert videos into YouTube-compatible format?
• How to upload videos on YouTube?
• What are the best practices to optimize videos for YouTube search engine?

Let’s begin the information-packed journey.

What Video Formats Does YouTube Allow?

From time to time a new video format emerges.

Soon people start using the new format because of its versatility, picture quality, file size, and many other reasons.

During its long history, YouTube has seen many video formats and the media-sharing platform accepts most of them.

In this regard, there is a joke going around – if your computer can play a video, then YouTube can run it as well.

The following are the most used video formats on YouTube.

MPEG4 and MP4

MPEG4 is the grand-daddy of video formats. It has existed since the pre-YouTube era.

Plus, it’s one of the earliest formats predominantly used on YouTube.

Interestingly, MPEG4 format is still widely used for the balance it provides between picture quality and file size.

Many video formats are compatible with YouTube. That said, the media sharing platform has a clear favorite – MP4 or MPEG4, Part 14 (a specific type of MPEG4 format).

YouTube recommends the use of MP4 and if you upload other less-used formats, the platform converts them into MP4.

This is the most popular format because it runs smoothly on several devices and media hosting platforms.

H.265 Video Codec

H.265, formerly, High-Efficiency Video Coding, is a popular video codec among editors.

Videos that use H.265 are of very high resolution, up to 8K. Although YouTube can run 8K videos, it generally downscales the content for wider acceptability.

MOV and ProRes

MOV and ProRes are among the top choices of video editors and content creators.

They are also compatible with various codecs.

Both these video formats were developed by Apple, the former for its QuickTime player, and the latter, mainly for video editing of high-resolution files.

MOV and ProRes help preserve high picture quality but result in large file sizes.

The latter – ProRes – is generally used for high-resolution content up to 5K.

When you upload videos in MOV and ProRest formats YouTube converts them into MP4 videos.

AVI and WMV

Not to be left behind, Microsoft developed its video formats – AVI and WMV.

Anyone who has ever used a Windows computer would be familiar with WMV which stands for Windows Media Video.

The latter – AVI file type – stands for Audio-Video Interleaved and it’s still widely used.

This file type is known for its high-quality videos. Plus, it runs on various devices and platforms. YouTube will convert .WMV and .AVI file types to .mp4 videos.

FLV

The FLV file type was designed by Adobe for its Flash player.

Even when it was widely used many web browsers blocked Flash players or had a feature to turn off the Flash player.

That’s because it was easy to insert malicious code into FLV videos.

Any video file with .FLV extension will be converted to MP4 on YouTube.

3GPP

The 3GPP format, as the name suggests, was created to compress and transport video files on 3G networks.

This video format is still used because of its efficiency and compatibility.

Additionally, this format is still relevant because many of the applicants run 3GPP and many older videos are still in this format.

If you upload 3GPP files, YouTube will upgrade the video quality to run the videos.

This may result in poor viewer experience.

WebM

YouTube doesn’t accept the Matroska or MKV file format, but WebM which is based on Matroska is compatible and is accepted by YouTube.

Designed by Google, the WebM format uses VP8 and VP9 and Opus and Vorbis for video and audio compression respectively.

The WebM format is primarily used for small videos that are mainly shared on social media platforms.

What Is the Best YouTube Video Format for 2024?

Just because YouTube allows you to upload videos of various formats it doesn’t mean there isn’t an ideal option.

If your videos are already in the formats mentioned above, it’s quite fine to upload them as they are.

In contrast, if you’re planning on creating new videos and have decided YouTube would be the host then read the next paragraph carefully. Multiple times, if needed.

The preceding section makes it amply clear that YouTube prefers MP4 format with standard AAC-LC audio codec and H.264 video codec. Plus, the best aspect ratio for YouTube content is 16:9.

I have years of video editing experience. So, trust me when I say, user experience is as important as the message you want to convey through the video.

One way to improve user experience is by uploading content of the highest video quality possible.

Let me be more specific. You just need to follow YouTube’s recommendation which leaves no scope for confusion or interpretation.

Here are the best video settings that YouTube recommends.

Best File Format

Whatever video format you upload, YouTube will convert it to MP4. So, why not directly upload MP4 videos to YouTube?

It’s one of the most versatile video formats that is accepted across most social media platforms.

Best Codec

Hundreds of hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute. The numbers are just insane.

The use of the best codec (i.e. encoding and decoding data) becomes important to maintain transmission efficiency and video quality.

For your MP4 videos, the ideal video and audio codecs are H.264 and AAC-LC, respectively.

Best Aspect Ratio

What we call the aspect ratio is the height and width of a video. It’s also called the video dimension.

The most versatile video aspect ratio, which is also recommended by YouTube, is 16:9.

Even if your videos are in a different aspect ratio, you have no reason to worry as YouTube accepts other aspect ratios too.

The ideal mobile-friendly video dimension for YouTube Shorts is 9:16.

Best Frame Rate

Content creators set the frame rate for their videos during shooting or the editing process.

For most videos, the ideal frame rate is in the range of 24 to 30 fps for that cinematic look, but you can also use 50 or 60 frames per second.

Best Video Resolution

As a content creator, you want to give the audience the best video quality and user experience.

That said, choosing video resolution is a balancing act between quality and file size.

The higher the video resolution, the higher the file size and the longer the upload time.

YouTube recommends a minimum resolution of 720p.

To give your viewers a wholesome experience, take the resolution a bit higher and make your videos 1080p.

I wouldn’t recommend 2K or 4K videos unless the video is a nature documentary or content ideally suited for large-screen viewing.

What Is the Best YouTube Video Size?

We have seen videos of various lengths on YouTube, from one-minute videos to content running for several hours. In this regard, there is no ideal video size.

YouTube allows anyone using their app to film a video and upload it.

But, if the channel is unverified, then the content creator needs to keep each video under 15 minutes.

In the case of a verified YouTube channel, the maximum video length can go up to 12 hours and the minimum video length is 33 seconds.

Since YouTube allows high-resolution videos it’s important to know the maximum file size you can upload on the platform. YouTube limits the maximum file size to 256 GB.

YouTube Shorts is grabbing eyeballs and boosting engagement.

So, what are the best video settings for YouTube Shorts?

• The best video format is MP4 (of course, no changes here).
• The minimum and maximum video lengths are 15 and 60 seconds respectively.
• YouTube recommends the best resolution for Shorts is 1080 x 1920, and the aspect ratio should be 9:16.

How to Convert Videos into YouTube-Compatible Format?

Before I answer the question ‘How to convert?’ it’s important to answer ‘Why to convert?’

YouTube accepts a dozen or so video formats. Some may think, it’s pointless to convert before uploading the file to YouTube.

Let’s just say, it’s preferable to have your video files in the best format, resolution, and size to ensure an excellent viewing experience.

Secondly, YouTube processes each file type differently.

When the media-sharing platform converts your file into MP4 format the outcome (video quality, size, and resolution) might be different than what you intended.

Finally, one of the unintended consequences of YouTube format conversion is an increase in file size.

This might make sharing video files tedious and time-consuming. Larger video files may also affect user experience, especially on mobile devices and slow internet connections.

Now, back to the main topic of this section. Several video conversion tools will get the job done online and offline.

You can pick a free tool or try out a premium service for free with limited access to advanced features.

The steps involved in the video conversion process are mostly the same.

• Open the video conversion tool page.

• Choose the format of the video you’re going to upload.

• Select the output format from the dropdown box. You’ll find more than a dozen formats; pick the MP4 file type.

• Customize the audio and video settings or accept the default settings to begin the conversion process.

• Large files may take some time to convert. Once the MP4 video file is ready, you can download it to your computer, and upload it to YouTube.

You can turn your YouTube videos into more professional videos with video editing services.

How to Upload Videos on YouTube?

You need to fulfill certain basic requirements before uploading videos on YouTube.

Create a Google account; it’s free. Use this account to access several Google services including YouTube.

Next, if you don’t have a YouTube Channel then create one.

Open the YouTube app or on the web browser, and sign in to your account. Go to settings, open ‘Add or Manage Your Channel’, and click ‘Create a Channel’.

Give your channel a name, upload a banner, and create a channel description.

You’re now ready to upload videos to your channel.

• To upload videos click the create button. You decide to ‘Go Live’ or upload a video.

• On the upload page, drag and drop the video or upload a video file from your computer.

• On the next page, provide video details such as title, description, and thumbnail. You can generate thumbnails from the video or upload custom images.

• Next, make the video more attractive to the audience and YouTube search engine using subtitles, end screen (to promote related videos), and cards (to promote related content).

• On the next page, decide when to publish the content and who can view the video. You can schedule the video so that it becomes visible at a later date.

• Finally, save the settings and wait for the world to view and respond to your video.

There are many YouTube tools you can use to get more views and subscribers on your YouTube channel. Having a killer YouTube channel trailer is important to growing your brand awareness and channel.

What Are the Best Practices to Optimize Videos for YouTube Search Engine?

I want to reiterate that hundreds of hours of videos are uploaded on YouTube every minute.

You need to do everything in your power to get into the good books of YouTube search engine. Here are some tips to optimize videos for YouTube search:

• Use Google Keyword Planner, YouTube SEO tools, or any other software to identify keywords (search terms) that YouTube users are using on the platform.
• After identifying suitable keywords for your video, add them to the title, tags, and description of the video.
• Videos with higher engagement find favor with YouTube search engine. Hence, create content that is entertaining, informative, and engaging to the audience.
• More and more viewers are leaning towards shorter videos. To boost engagement of long-form content include timestamps (chapters) in the video description section.
• Help YouTube understand and categorize your content by adding relevant tags.
• Avoid auto-generated thumbnails. Instead, add custom thumbnails that are eye-catching and relevant to the video.
• Build your YouTube community by interacting with the audience. You can like and reply to viewer comments, give credit to their suggestion through your videos, and engage with them during live streaming.
• Keep the viewers hooked to your channel by recommending videos using cards and end screens.
• Embed videos on your web pages and also share your content on other social media platforms.

Final Thoughts

Your decisions regarding the video format, quality, and size, have a direct bearing on the audience experience.

Additionally, you not only captivate the viewers but impress the YouTube search algorithm by paying attention to these technical details.

I’m sure, going through the article, you would have learned important information about YouTube video formats.

These YouTube video requirements and recommendations will help you unlock the full potential of your video content.