4K video size per minute
YouTube recommends 35.4–45.4 Mbps for 4K at 30 frames a second, sound included: 265–340 MB a minute. Here is every length, and how long fits in your storage.
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4K at 30 fps: a minute, an hour
| Bitrate | 1 minute | 1 hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At YouTube’s recommended upload rate | 35.4–45.4 Mbps | 265–340 MB | 15.9–20.4 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, High | 37.5 Mbps | 281 MB | 16.9 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, Balanced | 22.5 Mbps | 169 MB | 10.1 GB |
| Saved by Shycut, Small | 12.6 Mbps | 94 MB | 5.7 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 | 265–340 MB | 169 MB |
| 5 min | 1.3–1.7 GB | 845 MB |
| 10 min | 2.7–3.4 GB | 1.7 GB |
| 30 min | 8–10.2 GB | 5.1 GB |
| 1 h | 15.9–20.4 GB | 10.1 GB |
| 2 h | 31.8–40.8 GB | 20.3 GB |
How long fits
| Storage | YouTube’s rate | Shycut, Balanced |
|---|---|---|
| 16 GB | 47 min | 1 h 34 min |
| 32 GB | 1 h 34 min | 3 h 9 min |
| 64 GB | 3 h 8 min | 6 h 18 min |
| 128 GB | 6 h 16 min | 12 h 37 min |
| 256 GB | 12 h 32 min | 25 h 15 min |
| 512 GB | 25 h 4 min | 50 h 30 min (2.1 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 35–45 Mbps for the picture plus 384 kbps for the sound, 35.4–45.4 Mbps together; a minute is 2,123.04–2,723.04 Mb, and ÷ 8 gives 265–340 MB.
Need the file smaller? Shycut compresses a video to any size on your device.
Why 4K fills a card so fast
4K has four times the pixels of 1080p, and YouTube’s recommended rate is more than four times as high. An hour comes to 15.9–20.4 GB, so a 256 GB card holds at least 12 hours 32 minutes.
Filming in 4K and posting in 1080p is common: the extra pixels leave room to crop and reframe. Shycut opens 4K files on your device and saves the edit at the size the place you post to needs.
Where these facts come from
Questions
How many MB is a 1-minute 4K video?
265–340 MB at YouTube’s recommended upload rates (35.4–45.4 Mbps with stereo sound).
How many GB is 1 hour of 4K video?
15.9–20.4 GB at YouTube’s recommended rates. Cameras use their own: DJI’s Osmo cameras record at up to 180 Mbps, by DJI’s spec pages.
Can I edit 4K video in a browser?
Yes. Shycut opens and saves 4K on your device; nothing is uploaded, whatever the file size.
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