Social video specs 2026

YouTube video size and specs 2026

Upload YouTube videos in 16:9, at 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 for 4K. Verified accounts can upload up to 12 hours (256 GB); unverified accounts are limited to 15 minutes. A custom thumbnail is now 3840×2160, at least 640 pixels wide.

By the Slice research teamUpdated How we did it

Get this page’s dataSocial video specs 2026
  • 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 (16:9)size
  • 15 min, 12 h once verifiedlength
  • 8 of 10specs from an official help page

What aspect ratio is a YouTube video?

16:9. The player adapts to other ratios; do not add black bars.

Official: YouTube Help: recommended encoding.

What resolution should a YouTube video be?

1920×1080 or 3840×2160 common; from 426×240 up to 7680×4320. At least 1280×720 recommended.

Official: YouTube Help: supported formats.

Free toolEvery platform on one sheetThe free specs sheet has the size and length for every platform side by side, from the same sources.

How long can a YouTube video be?

Up to 15 minutes for unverified accounts; up to 12 hours once verified.

A square or vertical video of 3 minutes or less becomes a Short.

Official: YouTube Help: upload limits.

What is the file size limit for a YouTube video?

256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.

Official: YouTube Help: upload limits.

What frame rate should a YouTube video use?

The frame rate you recorded at. Common: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60. SDR bitrate guide: 1080p 8 Mbps (12 at 48–60 fps), 4K 35–45 Mbps (53–68).

Official: YouTube Help: recommended encoding.

Which file types and codecs does YouTube accept?

MP4 (fast start), H.264 High profile, 4:2:0; AAC-LC or Opus audio at 48 kHz. MOV, MPEG-4, AVI, WMV, FLV and others accepted.

Official: YouTube Help: recommended encoding.

How long can the caption be on YouTube?

Title 100 characters. Description 5,000 characters. More than 60 hashtags and all are ignored.

Official: YouTube Help: titles and descriptions.

What size is the YouTube cover or thumbnail?

Custom thumbnail 3840×2160 (16:9), at least 640 px wide, JPG or PNG. Up to 2 MB from a phone, 50 MB from a computer. Verified accounts only.

Replaces the old 1280×720, 2 MB rule.

Official: YouTube Help: custom thumbnails.

What is the safe zone for a YouTube video?

What YouTube publishes: Ads only: Google's ad safe-zone diagram for 1920×1080 marks irregular margins (for example 38 px top and left, 152 px right).

Official (ads spec): Google: YouTube universal ad safe zones (PDF).

Questions

What size and length is a YouTube video in 2026?

Upload YouTube videos in 16:9, at 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 for 4K. Verified accounts can upload up to 12 hours (256 GB); unverified accounts are limited to 15 minutes. A custom thumbnail is now 3840×2160, at least 640 pixels wide.

How long can a YouTube video be?

Up to 15 minutes for unverified accounts; up to 12 hours once verified.

What aspect ratio is a YouTube video?

16:9. The player adapts to other ratios; do not add black bars.

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Where do these numbers come from?

YouTube's own help, developer and ads pages, each opened on 2 October 2026. Every value says which kind of page it came from.

n = 10 specs, 9 with an official source link. Last updated 2 October 2026.

Get the data

Free · CSV and JSON · 2 files

This page’s own figures as a CSV, and the full files behind Social video specs 2026. One email unlocks every download on Slice’s data pages.

  • This page’s figures (CSV) Every table and figure on this page, with its source line.
  • Every spec (CSV) One row per format and spec, with its status and source.
  • Every spec (JSON) The same, structured by platform and format, with the measured safe zones in pixels.

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