1080p video size per minute
At YouTube’s recommended upload bitrate, a minute of full HD at 30 frames a second comes to about 63 MB. Here is every length, and how long fits in the storage you have.
- Nothing uploaded
- No sign-up
- No watermark
1080p at 30 fps: a minute, an hour
| Bitrate | 1 minute | 1 hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At YouTube’s recommended upload rate | 8.4 Mbps | 63 MB | 3.8 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, High | 9.5 Mbps | 71 MB | 4.3 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, Balanced | 5.7 Mbps | 43 MB | 2.6 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, Small | 3.2 Mbps | 24 MB | 1.5 GB |
YouTube’s rates are what it recommends for a high-quality upload, sound included; a camera may record more or less.
Shycut’s rows are the estimate its save window shows before saving, with sound; the real file varies with the footage.
By length
| Length | YouTube’s rate | Shycut, Balanced |
|---|---|---|
| 1 min | 63 MB | 43 MB |
| 5 min | 314 MB | 215 MB |
| 10 min | 629 MB | 430 MB |
| 30 min | 1.9 GB | 1.3 GB |
| 1 h | 3.8 GB | 2.6 GB |
| 2 h | 7.5 GB | 5.2 GB |
How long fits
| Storage | YouTube’s rate | Shycut, Balanced |
|---|---|---|
| 16 GB | 4 h 14 min | 6 h 12 min |
| 32 GB | 8 h 28 min | 12 h 25 min |
| 64 GB | 16 h 57 min | 24 h 50 min |
| 128 GB | 33 h 55 min | 49 h 40 min (2.1 days) |
| 256 GB | 67 h 51 min (2.8 days) | 99 h 20 min (4.1 days) |
| 512 GB | 135 h 42 min (5.7 days) | 198 h 40 min (8.3 days) |
Storage counted the way card makers count it (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes). A card or phone keeps some room for itself, so a little less fits.
YouTube’s figures
The sum behind every figure
A video’s size is its bitrate times its length, divided by 8 (eight bits to a byte). At YouTube’s rate that is 8 Mbps for the picture plus 384 kbps for the sound, 8.4 Mbps together; a minute is 503.04 Mb, and ÷ 8 gives 63 MB.
Need the file smaller? Shycut compresses a video to any size on your device.
Full HD is the everyday size
1080p at 30 fps is what most phones and cameras record by default and what most platforms play. At YouTube’s rate an hour is about 3.8 GB, so a 128 GB card holds 33 hours 55 minutes.
Saving the edit in Shycut at Balanced comes to about 43 MB a minute by its own estimate: smaller than the upload rate, because it is made for posting and sending rather than as a master.
Where these facts come from
Questions
How big is a 1-minute 1080p video?
About 63 MB at YouTube’s recommended upload rate (8.4 Mbps with stereo sound).
How many GB is 1 hour of 1080p video?
About 3.8 GB at YouTube’s recommended rate. A camera can record more or less than that.
How do I make a 1080p video smaller?
Lower the bitrate, not just the resolution: Shycut compresses a video to a size you choose and keeps 1080p for as long as the size allows.
Your video stays with you.
Open Shycut, drop the video in and export. Free, with no account, and your video never leaves your device.
Open Shycut