Uploading your video to YouTube is one of the most important parts of putting a video online.
But here’s the thing. YouTube doesn’t accept every type of video.
So what’s the best type of video for YouTube in 2025? Read on to learn everything you need to know.
What’s the best video type for YouTube?
The best video type for YouTube is MP4, featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio, H.264 video codec, and AAC-LC audio codec for optimal quality and compatibility.
YouTube recommends using original, high-quality videos in HD resolution to ensure the best viewing experience for your audience.
MP4 is the ideal format for YouTube, but other formats are also compatible.
What file formats does YouTube support?
YouTube supports the following video formats:
- MP4: MP4 is one of the most popular container formats for portable devices and online streaming. While primarily used for video storage, it can also hold subtitles and still images, making it a versatile choice for multimedia content.
- AVI: Developed by Microsoft in the early 90s, AVI is a popular format for storing video and audio data. It’s widely supported by different media players but can have compatibility issues with newer devices.
- MOV: Developed by Apple, MOV is a QuickTime file format primarily used for storing audio and video data. It’s also commonly used for editing and can support multiple tracks of media.
- WMV: Standing for Windows Media Video, WMV is a proprietary format developed by Microsoft. While not as widely supported as MP4 or MOV, it offers good compression and quality for streaming videos on Windows devices.
- MPEG4: Short for MPEG-4 Part 14, this format is similar to MP4 but can also support streaming media and interactive multimedia. It’s widely used for web video playback and can be played by most web browsers.
- 3GPP: Stands for 3rd Generation Partnership Project, this format is commonly used for video and audio streaming on mobile devices. It’s highly compressed to save space and data usage but may have lower quality compared to other formats.
- MPEG PS: Also known as MPEG Program Stream, this format is mainly used for storing video, audio, and other multimedia data on DVDs. It’s not as common for online streaming but can be played by most media players.
- FLV: Short for Flash Video, FLV was originally developed by Adobe to stream videos over the internet using Adobe Flash Player. While it’s become less popular in recent years, some browsers still support it.
- ProRes: Developed by Apple, ProRes is another popular format for professional video editing and post-production. It offers high-quality, lossless compression while maintaining a manageable file size.
- WebM: Developed by Google, WebM is an open-source format specifically designed for web videos. It offers good compression and quality while being widely supported by modern browsers.
- DNxHR: A professional video format developed by Avid, DNxHR is commonly used for high-quality videos in post-production. It offers higher bitrates and color depth compared to other formats.
- HEVC (h265): Also known as High-Efficiency Video Coding, HEVC is a newer format that offers higher compression rates while maintaining quality compared to older formats like H.264. It’s commonly used for streaming 4K and HDR content.
- CineForm: Developed by GoPro, CineForm is a high-performance video format commonly used for action cameras. It offers good compression and quality while being able to handle high frame rates and resolutions.
What’s the best video file size for YouTube?
You can upload videos of many different sizes to YouTube. That said, it’s probably best to go with the recommended settings:
- 2160p (4k)
- 3840 x 2160p
The max file size for YouTube is 128GB and the max length is 120 hours (but seriously who is uploading 120 hours in one video?).
How to convert your video to a format supported by YouTube
If you want to convert your video to the best type of video for YouTube, there’s a really easy way to do that.
Open Cloud Convert is a great online tool for converting media files. It supports conversion to all of the accepted YouTube video formats mentioned above, as well as many others.
All you need to do is upload your file to the website, select the output format, and click “start conversion”. Once it’s done, you’ll be able to download the converted file and upload it to YouTube.
How to create a custom YouTube thumbnail with Picsart
Part of uploading your video to YouTube is selecting a YouTube thumbnail. If you want people to watch your YouTube video, you need to have a compelling, interesting thumbnail. Picsart makes it incredibly simple to create beautiful thumbnails that grab people’s attention.
Start with one of our professionally designed YouTube thumbnail templates. From there, you can customize every element of the template, including fonts, colors, and images. Keep at it until you have a thumbnail that’s guaranteed to make people click.
Create beautiful videos with Picsart
Picsart also makes it incredibly easy to create beautiful videos to upload to YouTube. If you have a base image you want to start with, you can turn that image into a video using our Image-to-video tool. Or you can create a stunning video from only text using our powerful AI text-to-video generator.
Once you have your video, you can edit it using the Picsart online video maker. If you want to create a custom filter for your video, check out our AI video filter creator. Simply describe the type of filter you want and then let our powerful AI create that custom filter for you.
Conclusion
Now that you know the best video type for YouTube in 2025, the only thing left for you to do is to start creating great content and uploading it to YouTube. With Picsart’s tools, you have everything you need to create eye-catching thumbnails and stunning videos that will attract more views and subscribers. Don’t wait any longer, start using Picsart today and take your YouTube channel to the next level!
