If you're seeing a message like the following when preparing to upload your video to YouTube, it's an alert that your video's bitrate is outside the optimal range:
This message appears because the bitrate of your video file is either below 8Mbps or above 15Mbps. It is a notification designed to help you avoid issues with video quality and failed uploads.
What is Bitrate and Why Does it Matter?
Bitrate (measured in megabits per second, or Mbps) is the amount of data encoded for your video per second. It directly impacts the quality and complexity of your video file.
→ Bitrate is Too Low (Below 8Mbps): The Quality Risk
- If the bitrate is too low, the video is heavily compressed.
- This results in a loss of quality, which can make your video look pixelated, blurry, or blocky, especially during fast-moving scenes. While YouTube may accept the file, the viewer experience will be compromised.
→ Bitrate is Too High (Above 15Mbps): The Upload Risk
- If the bitrate is too high, the file size becomes unnecessarily large and complex.
- The YouTube API (Application Programming Interface) may reject the upload during the validation or processing stage, as it falls outside of the expected specifications for its servers.
- It also leads to significantly longer upload and processing times.
How to Check Your Video's Bitrate
Before you adjust settings in your editor, check the current bitrate of the final video file you created:
| Operating System | Steps to Find Bitrate |
|---|---|
| Windows | 1. Right-click the video file and select Properties. |
| 2. Click the Details tab. | |
| 3. Look under the Video section for "Total bitrate" (measured in kbps—divide the number by 1,000 to get Mbps). | |
| Mac | 1. Open the video file in QuickTime Player. |
| 2. Go to the Window menu and select Show Movie Inspector (or press Command + I). | |
| 3. Look under the General section for "Data Rate" (Mbps). | |
Exporting from a Video Editor
If you are using a video editor like Canva to process and export your videos, the editor determines the final output bitrate.
Here’s how to resolve the warning message:
- Check Export/Download Settings: Before finalizing your video, look for advanced options, quality settings, or file type settings in your editor.
- Adjust Quality/Compression: Many platforms offer a slider or preset for quality (e.g., "Standard," "High," or "Custom"). Selecting a lower quality setting will typically reduce the bitrate.
-
Target the Recommended Range:
- If your video is currently below 8 Mbps (poor quality), adjust the settings to a higher quality/bitrate (closer to 10Mbps) to improve the visuals.
- If your video is currently above 15Mbps (high rejection risk), adjust the settings to a lower quality/bitrate to reduce the file size and ensure acceptance by the YouTube API.
Official YouTube Encoding Settings
For a complete breakdown of all resolutions and frame rates, refer to the official documentation:
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