What File Does YouTube Accept for Uploading?

This article covers everything you need to know about the YouTube video formats, including all YouTube-accepted file formats, the best uploading settings, and some FAQs about YouTube upload. Continue reading for the details.

YouTube is one of the largest and most popular video streaming platforms. It was developed to offer easy and fast video access to users, and the ability to share videos with a large audience. The YouTube app makes it incredibly simple to upload and publish your videos to you channel for either advertising or storing purpose only. But note that not all file types can be uploaded to this generous video-sharing platform. YouTube only supports the following video formats for upload currently:

.MOV
.MPEG-1
.MPEG-2
.MPEG4
.MP4
.MPG
.AVI
.WMV
.MPEGPS
.FLV
3GPP
WebM
DNxHR
ProRes
CineForm
HEVC (h265)

Though the above file types all are supported by YouTube, YouTube has its preferrable encoding settings. To get the highest upload quality, it’s best to go by the platform’s recommended upload guides.

Container: MP4
Audio codec: AAC-LC
Video codec: H.264
Frame rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 frames per second (other frame rates are also acceptable). No interfacing.
Bitrate: 35 – 85 Mbps for 4K; 16 – 30 Mbps for 2K; 8 – 15 Mbps for 1080p.
Standard Aspect ratio: 16:9

Source from https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171.

1. Does YouTube accept MP4?

Yes. MP4 is natively supported by YouTube. However, it is worth noting that MP4 is a video container format that can be encoded by different codecs and profiles. Therefore, if your MP4 video contains a YouTube-incompatible codec or profile, the file will fail to upload the video to YouTube.

2. How to Upload an Unsupported File Type to YouTube?

If your file format is not on the list, you need first to convert it to a format that YouTube can use. WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is a powerful video converter that can not only change video format but also adjust parameters to fit the recommended upload settings for YouTube. Here is a simple how-to guide:

• Download and install Download and install this robust video converter on your Windows PC first.
• Launch the program and enter Converter.
• Simply drag and drop your prepared video into the program.
• Expand the right-side format library and click on the Web tab followed by the YouTube (mp4) output profile.
• Enter the Parameter settings section to modify the output settings.
• Set a new output folder if needed. Then hit Run to start the conversion at once.

3. Does YouTube accept MP3?

No. YouTube doesn’t support uploading audio only. The good news is that there is a workaround. You can use video editing software to add a video track or insert a picture to convert the audio to a video file.