There has been a lot of buzz around uploading 4k Videos on YouTube, thus article will explain every single detail you need to know about that.
After Reading, you’ll be able to decide whether you should upload or even care about Shooting Videos in 4K resolution.
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Understanding 4k Video Resolution
When 4k Cameras and resolution were first rolled out sometime ago, many people argued that you don’t need to shoot in 4k because devices wouldn’t support the 4k resolution.
As of now, there’s a lot of TVs, Mobile Phones, Tablets and Laptops with 4k compatibility. Nonetheless, Videos shot with 4k Cameras look better and sharper on smaller screens that aren’t compatible.
What is 4k?
4k is a video resolution, or in other words, it’s the size of your picture. The minimum standard for High definition footage also known as HD is 720p and that is 1280 x 720 pixels.
The next step up from that is known as the Full HD (FHD) given as 1080p and that is 1920 x 1080 pixels giving you just over 2 Million pixels in your image.
The next up inline is the Ultra HD which many may know as 4K and this gives you 3840 x 2160 which is just under 8.3 Million pixels in your image.
I figured you might like this: checkout the very best cameras for Youtube.
It’s now obvious that more pixels will produce sharper and higher quality images and videos as well.
However, just because you shoot in 4k doesn’t mean your final resolution has to be 4k, if you don’t need to export in 4k, you can still shoot in 4k and then export in 1080p.
Why should you consider doing this? This will greatly increase the detail and quality of your footage because you’re packing all those extra pixels into a smaller package.
So let’s say you’re editing and you look at a shot that isn’t framed quite how you want it and since you’re using 4k footage in a 1080 timeline, you have four times the amount of pixels, so you can zoom in and crop the frame as much as you want without noticing any decrease in quality.
While there a lot of good benefits that come with shooting in 4K, however there are some cons as well:
- Shooting in 4k causes overheating of Camera.
- You’ll be limited on your frame rate at 4K compared to 1080p.
- 4K videos have higher sizes so you may need to purchase lager memory cards and drives for storage and backup.
- Exporting time for 4k Videos will be greater compared to other resolutions.
How to Upload 4K Videos to YouTube
Uploading 4K videos to YouTube will provide your users with a great watching experience most especially those that watch on the big screens with 4k compatibility.
If you want upload 4K videos to YouTube but don’t know how, keep reading and you’ll learn how to do so.
So, there’s no special route you need to take to upload 4K videos to YouTube, it’s just the normal process but with a twist.
4K videos take time to be uploaded to YouTube like an hour or so and it doesn’t end there, the video still needs time to process.
This is where a lot of YouTube Creators make mistakes, they don’t wait for the video to finish it’s process and they scurry on to click Publish.
They now check their videos and notice that the highest resolution available is 360p and just jump too far ahead as to delete the video.
If you uploaded a 4K video on YouTube and it appears to be 360p when viewing the video, you haven’t made a mistake or uploaded wrong. YouTube is still processing your video to make sure that it can be displayed in 4K resolution without taking up a lot of space.
Refer to YouTube’s recommended Upload Encoding settings for both 4K and other resolutions – https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=e
How Long Does It Take to Upload 4K Videos on YouTube?
According to Google, uploading videos in 4K can take 4 times the normal time for a 1080p video to be available after an upload finishes. A 4K video with a frame rate of 30 fps that is 60 minutes long can take up to 4 hours to finish high-resolution processing.
Of Course this depends on your Internet connect speed or WIFI as the case may be.
FAQs
Can you upload 4K or 8K videos on YouTube?
As a matter of fact you can, I personally do so on a couple of YouTube Channels that I and my team manage.
YouTube Supports the 4K and 8K resolution as well as 30 and 60 frames per second, so you won’t have any issues uploading them.
You just need to upload them the usual way you do for other videos then wait for sometime, so YouTube can do their job.
Why is my 4K Video not 4K on YouTube?
Your 4K video might not be 4K on YouTube if it’s not in compliance with the recommended YouTube Upload Encoding Settings.
Other than that, your video just needs time to be processed by YouTube and you should give it a few hours or so, then it should be ready.
Can you upload a 4K video to YouTube from your iPhone?
Yes, you can upload 4K videos to YouTube from your iPhone – just the normal way you upload videos given that the video was shot in 4K.
To set your video recording in 4K for iPhone 6s or later:
1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Select Camera.
3. Select Record Videos.
4. Then select the resolution and FPS you want to use.
You can select to record 4K videos at any FPS available for your device, this may include 25, 24, 30, 45 or 60.
When you open your iPhone Camera, you should now see the 4K icon which means that you should be able to record 4K videos on your iPhone.
Once you upload the video to YouTube via the YouTube app, wait for a while for YouTube to process the video and it should be displayed in 4k.
What is the best resolution to upload to YouTube?
The best resolution to upload to YouTube for now, should be the 4K resolution since not all video editors and Cameras support 8k for now.
Earlier in this article, I explained why 4K resolution is chosen over other resolutions and it’s because it produces sharper images and videos.
Do not eat yourself up if you’re not comfortable with the 4K resolution (it comes with its drawbacks too), the 1080p is quite great.
Should you upload 4K videos on YouTube?
Considering the fact the 4K makes your videos and Images look better, uploading 4K videos on YouTube is not a bad idea.
Everybody loves sharp and crystal clear videos, so my answer for that is YES.
Do 4K videos help you get higher rankings on YouTube?
No! Yes, you have the option to filter videos by 4K resolution but that doesn’t mean that your videos will rank higher if it’s in 4K format.
Ranking on YouTube is all about audience retention and engagement rates, if a video uploaded in 720p retains more viewers and has more engagements (likes, subscribers and comments) than even an 8k video, we all know which one will rank higher.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking to get higher rankings on YouTube, see this guide on YouTube SEO. (Internal link).
Is it worth it to invest in 4K for YouTube?
Yes and No! for me, it all boils down to your competition, if your competitors all invest in 4K and they have more audience than you do.
Then I’d say you should invest in 4K, but if they upload 4K videos and you have more eyeballs on your videos than they do, don’t bother investing in 4K.
I’d also consider the niche that I’m in, if you’re in the Entertainment niche (movie clips, music, Comedy), your videos need to be of the highest image quality because your audience has a high probability of watching on the big screens.
Why is my YouTube video stuck on processing?
YouTube is the largest video sharing platform as we know it, your video may appear stuck on processing, most especially if it is 4K.
Like I’ve been preaching since the start of this article, you just have to exercise patience, with more quality comes greater wait time – your video needs time to process.
However, check your WIFI and see whether your connection is still fast and your data plan isn’t exhausted.
Conclusion on Uploading 4K videos to YouTube.
I hope that this article on uploading 4K videos to YouTube helped you understand everything there is to know on the topic.
From my research, videos with better picture quality seem to have better engagements so, Should you be uploading 4K Videos on YouTube? YES! it may be an added benefit to shoot and edit your videos in 4K resolution.
However, you can checkout my article The Best Camera for YouTube and also The Best Video Editing Laptops for Beginners.
If you have any questions on uploading YouTube Videos on YouTube then you can share it with usin the comments section below and I’d be happy to help.
