Best Export Settings for YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts uses the same upload pipeline as regular YouTube but with a vertical (9:16) format. YouTube preserves more quality than Instagram, but the right settings still matter for sharpness.
Resolution and format
Export at 1080x1920 (9:16). YouTube accepts up to 4K vertical but 1080p is the sweet spot — fast to upload, no visible quality difference on phone screens, and less re-processing time before the Short goes live.
Codec and bitrate
H.264 MP4 at 15–20 Mbps VBR works well. If your editor supports H.265 (HEVC), that can deliver the same quality at lower file size but takes longer to encode. YouTube accepts both.
In Premiere Pro use the "YouTube 1080p" preset and change the sequence to 1080x1920. In DaVinci Resolve, export from the Deliver page with the YouTube preset at custom resolution 1080x1920.
Audio
Export audio as AAC at 320 kbps stereo. This is the maximum YouTube will preserve. Lower bitrates can make music and SFX sound compressed, especially on earbuds.
Frequently asked questions
Should Shorts be under 60 seconds?
YouTube Shorts can be up to 3 minutes as of 2024. However, shorter content (30–60 seconds) typically performs better in the Shorts feed algorithm.