How to work out video file size
- Type the video’s Length as hours:minutes:seconds (1:30:00), minutes:seconds (12:45) or a number of minutes.
- Enter the Video bitrate from your encoder or export settings and the Audio bitrate.
- Read the file size. To fit a limit, choose Bitrate for a file size, enter the target size, and read the video bitrate to export at.
File size per hour
With 128 kbps audio:
| Video bitrate | Size per hour |
|---|---|
| 2.5 Mbps | 1.18 GB |
| 5 Mbps | 2.31 GB |
| 8 Mbps | 3.66 GB |
| 16 Mbps | 7.26 GB |
| 35 Mbps | 15.81 GB |
Choosing a bitrate
The bitrate you need depends on resolution, frame rate, how much movement there is and the codec: newer codecs such as HEVC and AV1 reach the same quality as H.264 at a lower bitrate. Fast action and grainy footage need more bits than a talking head. If an upload site lists recommended bitrates, start there. To shrink a file you already have, use compress video; to see how long it takes to send, the download time calculator.