If you are planning to begin your YouTube channel or you simply want to upload videos on YouTube, the first thing you should know is YouTube compatible video format. YouTube supports array of video formats. But in most cases you have to shrink the videos to high extent before you upload on YouTube. Various video formats produce different product qualities after uploading the video. So if you don’t want to face the disappointment due to consistent rejection of video upload or poor quality of videos then you need to rigidly stand by YouTube guidelines.
Many users grumble about that whenever they attempt to upload a video on YouTube they failed or the quality of the video is not good enough. When you are trying to upload a video on YouTube and you get an error “invalid file format” that means you are not using a YouTube supported video format. So before uploading a video on YouTube you should know about the best formats to upload on YouTube. If you are knowledgeable about the best formats supported by YouTube then you can prevent the decline and upload your videos very well.
Most important requirements for YouTube video uploads are video format, resolution, frame rate, file size, codec and aspect ratio. Video format is the file format that holds digital video data. A video file in its digital format consists of a container and a codec. H.264 is the most accepted codec used in HD videos. A container is a box that contains audio, video and metadata. Usually the YouTube compatible formats include 3GPP, MOV, MPEGS, MP4, FLV, W MV, AVI, MKV (h.264), SWF (Shockwave Flash), MPEGPS, WebM, HEVC, DNxHR, CineForm and ProRes. You can use any of these formats to upload videos on YouTube. Below I have mentioned the list of best formats.
The list of best formats to upload on youtube:
MP4: MP4 OR MPEG4 part 14 file format is generated by Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). It was created as an improved version of MP3 and it deliver that purpose doubtlessly. MP4 is a common video format that shrinks the videos using MPEG4 encoding. This format is widely supported by every inherent video player. It has extreme ability to possess the topmost quality even with somewhat small size files that put it at the top of the list. It possesses the best quality in comparison to other video formats. These features make it best format to upload on YouTube.
3GPP (Mobile phones): this video format is designated (3GPP) Third Generation Partnership Project. It is popularly known for its incredible quality in range of devices. 3GPP and MP4 have minor resemblance. These both formats were formed to achieve MPEG4 compression. Today 3GPP format videos can be played on nearly all mobile devices (2G, 3G and 4G mobile phones).
MOV (QuickTime multimedia): Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) is one of the excellent YouTube compatible video formats. This video format was built under the house of apple computer. It is particularly developed for QuickTime Player of apple to store audios and videos. This format is also adaptable with other operating systems (Mac and Windows). This multimedia container holds MPEG4 encoding like 3GPP and MP4. But it performs its function most excellently with QuickTime Player.
MPEGS: MPEGS comprises of MPEG1 and MPEG2. MPEG formats were made by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) to encourage the standard for condensation and conveyance of data. In these formats the files are compressed to very small bits by less compression for convenient transmission. Then these are decompressed to attain the initial quality. These formats have the capability to keep up high quality at low size files. MPEGS are supported by an array of web browsers and devices.
FLV Flash Video): most online platforms usually accept this video format. This video format is encrypted with software called Adobe Flash Software. This software makes it attainable to play FLV files through Adobe Flash Player and other web browser plug-ins. Third party software also has a room for this video format. Most mobile devices (Apple’s iOS) do not support FLV files.
Windows media video (WMV): it was constructed by Microsoft for spilling online videos. Later it was promoted to serve as a video format. But even after the upgrade it has considerable disadvantages which keep it at the bottom of the list. Typically, this format compresses the videos too much producing smaller size but very low quality. So I have to say that it is YouTube compatible and good one but not perfect for YouTube.
AVI (audio video interleaved): it is most aged video format. It was generated by the Microsoft many years ago. Today it is one of the best favored video formats. The main characteristic of this format is that it involves less compression. With this format you will definitely have high quality videos still it requires an enormous portion of file size. Usually the files are saved with large sizes to maintain high quality production. It works without any flaw with most operating systems and devices so you can go with it.
WebM: it was designed by Google to accelerate simple streaming on the web. This video format is fixating on first-rate royalty-free open video compression for modernized HTML videos. This format is best for streaming videos on the web but files can also be saved in it. These files can be played with media players (5K Player) and supported browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera).
Above described all formats are best to upload on YouTube. But if still have any confusion then I prefer to use MP4 format to upload your videos on YouTube. It can produce best results and superior quality videos. Mp4 video format is the best and most recommended format. It is not heavy like other formats and provides the best video quality. Use Mp4 video format with AAC or MP3 format audio, higher bitrate, 2 stereo channels and 44.1 kHz sampling rate.
Bonus tip:
More compressing videos mostly reduce the quality of video. So I suggest you to compress the video files to the minimum possible amount to have excellent uploading results on YouTube. If your videos are not in mp4 format you can use YouTube video converter software.
Conclusion:
When we hear the word “YouTube” what comes in our mind first “Videos” right. Uploading videos on YouTube can be challenging for those who are not very much familiar with the platform. Video format has a big effect on the content. So to avoid that negative impact choose the best video format for your videos.