For a standard SDR YouTube upload, choose the output resolution and frame rate to match your source and target, then use YouTube’s bitrate guidance as a reference—not a mandatory cap. A practical 1080p, 30 fps example is H.264 in MP4 with progressive video, variable bitrate, 4:2:0 chroma, BT.709 color, and an FFmpeg video bitrate target of 8,000,000 bits per second. On a Hetzner VPS, benchmark the actual encode: CPU allocation, input, encoder, preset, and concurrent work all affect completion time.
Choose resolution and bitrate from YouTube’s guidance
YouTube’s current upload guidance recommends H.264 video in an MP4 container, progressive scan, variable bitrate (VBR), and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. It says no bitrate limit is required; its listed bitrates are references. The figures below are YouTube’s SDR upload recommendations, current guidance accessed in 2026, not guaranteed quality thresholds or maximums.
| Output resolution | 24, 25, or 30 fps | 48, 50, or 60 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 720p | 5 Mbps | 7.5 Mbps |
| 1080p | 8 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 1440p | 16 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K) | 35–45 Mbps | 53–68 Mbps |
Pick a resolution the source can support and that suits the intended viewing experience. YouTube’s standard computer aspect ratio is 16:9, but its player adapts to vertical and square videos; do not force every source into 16:9. Keep the source frame rate when possible. If the footage is interlaced, YouTube says to deinterlace it before upload.
For SDR, YouTube recommends BT.709. Its guidance also lists AAC-LC or Opus audio at 48 kHz, and recommends a fast-start MP4 with the moov atom at the front. YouTube may convert unsupported color spaces; the exact conversion depends on input metadata and workflow.
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Translate the target into FFmpeg settings
Bitrate units and rate control
FFmpeg’s generic -b:v option expresses video bitrate in bits per second. Thus 8 Mbps corresponds to 8000000 bits per second (or the equivalent supported suffix, such as 8M). YouTube’s recommendation is a reference for the output file; it is not a required ceiling. Encoder-specific rate-control options vary, so check the options for the encoder present in your FFmpeg build rather than assuming every encoder interprets settings identically.
Example: 1080p at 30 fps, H.264 SDR
This example assumes the input is already 1920×1080 progressive video at 30 fps, SDR, and has an audio stream. It avoids scaling and frame-rate conversion so the source geometry and cadence are preserved. Replace input.mp4 and youtube-upload.mp4 with your paths.
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ffmpeg -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -b:v 8000000
-pix_fmt yuv420p -color_primaries bt709 -color_trc bt709 -colorspace bt709
-c:a aac -ar 48000
-movflags +faststart youtube-upload.mp4The color flags declare BT.709; they do not perform a universal color conversion for every source. Check the input’s metadata and color characteristics before applying them. If the source is not SDR BT.709, determine the correct conversion workflow rather than merely relabeling it. Likewise, -pix_fmt yuv420p requests 4:2:0 pixel format, but the result and support depend on the selected encoder.
The command uses a bitrate target but does not impose a universal quality setting. For other frame rates or resolutions, change the target using YouTube’s matching reference above. If your source differs in dimensions or cadence, do not copy this command unchanged and assume it is appropriate.
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Scaling and frame-rate conversion
There is no single safe scaling expression for every input: source dimensions, aspect ratio, rotation, and desired output matter. Decide whether to preserve the full image with padding, crop to fill, or retain a non-16:9 shape. Then set the scale filter accordingly and verify the output dimensions. Avoid stretching an image or silently cropping important content. Keep the source frame rate unless there is a specific reason to convert it; conversion can alter motion cadence.
Check the encode before uploading
- Inspect the input. Use
ffprobe input.mp4to review video dimensions, frame rate, pixel format, color metadata, audio streams, and duration. Confirm whether the footage is progressive or interlaced. - Choose the output. Select resolution and frame rate based on the source and intended presentation, then look up the corresponding SDR bitrate reference. If resizing or deinterlacing is needed, make that an explicit part of the filter workflow.
- Check encoder options. Confirm that the installed FFmpeg build includes the encoder you intend to use and consult that encoder’s rate-control options. FFmpeg’s generic bitrate option is not a substitute for understanding encoder-specific behavior.
- Run a representative test. Encode a short, representative section with the intended codec, preset, resolution, filters, and workload. Inspect the result for dimensions, playback, color, motion, and audio sync before processing a long file.
- Measure elapsed time and output size. Benchmark on the target VPS with the real input and concurrent workload. Do not infer an exact full-job duration from a different instance or test clip.
- Upload and verify in YouTube Studio. Allow time for upload and YouTube processing, then check the available playback resolutions and inspect the video before sharing it.
What the Hetzner VPS changes
CPU allocation affects encode time
Encoding video is CPU intensive. Hetzner distinguishes shared-resource Cloud plans, where CPU resources are distributed among instances and may burst above baseline, from CCX dedicated-resource plans. Hetzner describes dedicated-resource instances as providing continuous and predictable high CPU performance and recommends them for CPU-intensive applications or predictable production workloads. That distinction does not establish a fixed encode speed for any plan.
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Benchmark the exact source, codec, preset, output resolution, filters, and concurrent tasks on the instance you plan to use. A more demanding quality or processing configuration can change both encode time and file size. No named plan should be treated as having a guaranteed processing rate without a measurement for your workload.
Include upload traffic in the plan
The encoded file still has to leave the VPS. Hetzner’s traffic page listed 20 TB for EU CX, CPX, and CAX Cloud Servers in its 2024 published figures; CCX allowances varied by region and plan. These figures are not a universal allowance for every Hetzner VPS and may not describe current terms. Check the current allowance for your exact product and location before planning repeated or large uploads.
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Troubleshoot common configuration problems
- The output looks stretched or cropped: Check source aspect ratio, rotation, and the output dimensions. Choose explicitly between preserving the whole image, cropping, or retaining the original shape; do not scale non-proportional dimensions.
- The file is much larger or smaller than expected: Confirm the selected bitrate’s units and inspect the actual encoder options. VBR can vary with the footage, and YouTube’s figures are recommendations rather than a promised output size.
- The encode takes too long: Compare a representative benchmark on the target VPS, and check CPU allocation and competing workloads. Shared-resource behavior and instance differences prevent a reliable speed estimate from plan name alone.
- Color looks wrong after upload: Verify source color metadata and whether the content is SDR or HDR before setting BT.709 tags. Unsupported color spaces may be converted by YouTube, and conversion depends on the source and workflow.
- YouTube processing does not show the expected resolution yet: Check the uploaded file’s actual dimensions and allow processing to complete. A bitrate setting cannot create detail that is absent from a lower-resolution source.
- Audio is missing or out of sync: Confirm the input has the expected audio stream, review the output’s audio codec and 48 kHz sample rate, and test playback of the encoded file before upload.
- The VPS runs short of transfer allowance: Check the exact plan and region’s current outgoing traffic terms and account for the actual encoded file sizes and upload frequency.
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