The best Premiere export settings for YouTube.
When you finish a video project, it’s important to optimize it for the platform you’ll be using. Learn how to choose the best Adobe Premiere export settings for YouTube.
How to best adjust Premiere export settings for YouTube
YouTube is the most popular online video platform in the world. Because so many video creators use it, there’s an Export preset in Adobe Premiere that can quickly and easily optimize your file for YouTube. To open and use the YouTube Export workspace, follow these steps:
- Choose Export from the header bar at the top of Premiere or select File > Export > Media File from the Export menu.
- Select YouTube from the list of destinations on the left and enable the switch to access all settings.
- In the Preset drop-down menu, choose YouTube 1080p Full HD. If you don't see this in the Preset drop-down list, click More Presets to open the Preset Manager dialog box and search for the preset.
- Click export.
This will automatically choose the best export settings for YouTube, making the entire process simple. You can also turn off the Media File destination since the YouTube destination will create its own media file for upload to YouTube.
Specific export settings for YouTube.
If using presets feels like cheating — or if you just want more control over your export — you can manually select your settings in Export mode. The following are generally the best Premiere export settings for YouTube:
- Format: H.264 (.mp4)
- Frame sizes:
- UHD: 3840 x 2160
- Quad HD: 2560 x 1440
- Full HD: 1920 x 1080
- HD: 1280 x 720
- SD NTSC Wide: 854 x 480
- Frame rate: match the frame rate of the source video
- Target bitrate: 8 Mbps (45 for 4K)
- Bitrate encoding: VBR, 1-pass
- Field order: Progressive
- Aspect: match the aspect of the source video
For the best audio settings for YouTube, choose:
- Audio format & codec: AAC
- Sample rate: 48 kHz
- Audio channels: Stereo
Once you’ve exported your project using these settings, you’ll be ready to upload straight to YouTube so that viewers can start enjoying your incredible content.
Looking for more helpful video tips and tricks? Discover what more you can do with Adobe Premiere to optimize your video content for any online platform.