Well, uploading a video is just half of the story.
Your video must be processed to a compatible format before anyone can watch it.
So that next time it’s possible for you to schedule your timeline prudently.
As per YouTube help, 1 hour of 4K 30fps takes 4 hours to complete the processing.
Which is basically 4X more time than an HD video.
It all makes sense if you look at the pixel count of a 4K and 1080p video.
See, 4K videos approximately have 4X more pixels in contrast to HD footage.
Which affects the processing time.
For a better understanding, let me give you a comparative insight.
Take 1-minute timing as the base value.
Its not like you upload a video, and instantly see a high-definition video.
The YouTube server does the processing behind the scene.
There are, however, some factors responsible that influence HD video processing time on YouTube.
It depends on three major components, resolution, frame rate, and bit rate.
No surprise, these variables have a horizontal effect on the quality of your video and the processing time.
Resolution is generally known as the total number of pixels on the X-axis and Y-axis and their multiplied value.
The Y-axis pixel count is used as the resolution identifier up until4K.
Processing time grows with pixel count.
As a result, high-resolution videos take way longer to be viewable on YouTube.
Maybe not the answer you were hoping for.
So, let me ask you, what is a video?
Well, its the continuation of still images with audio alongside.
Conventionally, on TV broadcasts or in cinemas, 24 frames are rendered in 1 second.
Which makes all those motions and life-like footage.
In the modern era, though, 30,50, and 60-fps videos are widely popular.
Higher FPS videos are typically high in quality and provide a satisfying feeling to the viewer.
And, as it happens, the processing time increases with the frame rate of a video on YouTube.
It calculates the amount of data transmitted in a unit of time.
If the bit rate is high, the quality of your video file will be superior.
For example, 8Mbps is perceived much lower than a 10mbps video.
Bit rate also affects the size of the file.
So YouTube will take a much longer time to process a high bit rate video.
As the file size increases, the processing time also increases.
For 1520 minutes of HD video, YouTube generally takes 1520 minutes to process.
YouTube processing time widely varies according to the file format.
But MP4 format is worthwhile given that it can produce good quality footage in a modest file size.
Hence, it takes a shorter time to process an HD video.
How to Improve YouTubes Processing Speed?
The preset you use when exporting a video directly impacts the processing time on YouTube.
So always take a stab at use the YT recommended bit rate for your video.
Now, lets talk a bit about the frame rate.
Some users go overboard with it.
So all of your efforts will go in vain.
On top of that, a much longer time will be elapsed while making it web compatible.
My recommendation is to stay between 30 to 60fps.
It delivers much clear footage at a low bit rate compared to conventional H.264 or H.265 encoding.
Although it is marketed heavily for streaming.
How does YouTube Process Hd Videos?
But why is that?
Lets say youve uploaded a 4K video.
This helps users from anywhere in the world to view the video without buffering.
Thats because not everywhere is a high-speed connection available.
YouTubes Content Distribution connection (CDN) is also involved in the entire process.
This is, basically, a chain of data centers set up by Google in different locations worldwide.
So that a user can access content as fast as possible, generating a continuous experience.
FAQs
How Long Does a 20-minute Video Take to Process on YouTube?
A 20minute long 1080p HD video at 30fps will take at least 1820 minutes to be processed on YouTube.
But if the resolution, bit rate, and frame rate increase, the processing time will be greater.
How Long Does A 4K Video Take to Process on YouTube?
4K 30fps video can take up to 4 minutes to process for each minute of footage.
With a frame rate bump such as 60fps, the time required will increase even more.
Conclusion
So thats all about HD video processing on YouTube.
Hope you have enjoyed it.
If you have any further questions or inquiries, dont forget to comment down below.
Have a nice day!
