How to upload 4k to YouTube

[QuadKid]

I use Filmora as well, you can export 4K all the way up to 4096x2160 use H.264 (HD Optimized) > 30FPS (as this is optimal for you tube) with a bit rate of 80000, select best for quality then export, I hope you have a very fast upload internet connection (Check it here) as a 4-5 minute 4K video takes me 2 hours to upload ( my Internet speed sucks! ) then it will take you tube 12-24 hours to distribute your video to all the global servers before it will automatically play in 4K, you can select 4K in the you tube settings, again depending on your internet speed if it is not fully distributed it will probably buffer.

 

[Zerone]

For reference, here are the file details for this youtube video (4K in the settings cog)

Then you are doing it wrong.....

Hmm! Actually he might not be. I have a 4K screen on my laptop, as well as a decent Internet speed of 80Mbps download and 16Mbps upload and I just ran your 4K YouTube video using 3 different browsers. The result is shown in the image below.

I agree that YouTube definitely supports 4K video, but have always thought that the basic requirements to view those videos were a 4K screened PC/Laptop as well as a reasonably fast Internet connection, so I'm a bit puzzled by these results.

Has anyone else tried this browser test, or have I missed some sort of configuration in the browser.

 

[PaulSouthport]

Correct, to watch 4K video you need a 4K screen and decent down speed, however, to upload 4K screen res doesn't matter, and you can select 4k playback regardless of the screen res (on a PC - not the case with the IOS app).
Interesting about the browsers - I always use Chrome, only use Edge in an emergency and stopped using Firefox a while back. It seems you need to enable 4k in Edge - type about:flags on the address line and find "Enable VP9 video format and set it to always on. Restart browser. It may be similar with Firefox.

 

[Zerone]

It seems you need to enable 4k in Edge - type about:flags on the address line and find "Enable VP9 video format and set it to always on. Restart browser. It may be similar with Firefox.

Thanks for that info, both Edge and Firefox are now showing the same video choices as Chrome. In Firefox the 4K enabling switch is in about:config , but deeply hidden without any reference to it actually enabling the VP9 video format. The switch is called media.mediasource.webm.enabled just change it from false to true by double clicking.

 

[Tim Dawes]

I use Filmora as well, you can export 4K all the way up to 4096x2160 use H.264 (HD Optimized) > 30FPS (as this is optimal for you tube) with a bit rate of 80000, select best for quality then export, I hope you have a very fast upload internet connection (Check it here) as a 4-5 minute 4K video takes me 2 hours to upload ( my Internet speed sucks! ) then it will take you tube 12-24 hours to distribute your video to all the global servers before it will automatically play in 4K, you can select 4K in the you tube settings, again depending on your internet speed if it is not fully distributed it will probably buffer.

Thanks,
Question: The wait time of 12-24 hours.....is that before it will even show up on Youtube?

 

[gasjkh2]

Nice video

 

[pvitale]

I

I use Wondershare/ Filmore to edit with. When I go to upload the edited video Youtube only offers me 720 or 1080. I don't see the 3840x2160 option you describe. Are you saying to go ahead and select 1080 and then Youtube will figure out that it's 4K and adjust accordingly?

Are you downloading directly from the card into the computer?

 

[QuadKid]

Thanks,
Question: The wait time of 12-24 hours.....is that before it will even show up on Youtube?

No it will show up right away but the 4K setting is not usually available immediately.

This may be helpful

 

[gasjkh2]

Sounds easy

 

[D Greg]

I video in 1080p most of the time since I don't have a screen that can handle more than 1080p. I occasionally do 4k in case my current TV goes south; (darn thing keeps working)
When playing back YouTube videos on my 24" monitor, I must select 720P. My computer cant handle more than that. It hesitates. Guess it's time to get a new computer too. It's always something!
I watched a video explaining what is needed in a computer to edit 4k. Was surprised to learn the most important items were the chip and storage. He said go with the fastest chip; ie on a pc...i7.
He highly suggested SSD, not HD. Said that is where a lot of lag happens. He also shocked me saying 4 gig of RAM is enough. Also a 1 gig video card. When I upgrade, I will go with 16 gig of RAM though.
Here is that video:

 

[WillardsP4]

He also shocked me saying 4 gig of RAM is enough. Also a 1 gig video card. When I upgrade, I will go with 16 gig of RAM though.
Here is that video:

That may be the case for now. I always buy new hardware with future requirements in mind. 32gig+ of ram and a 2gig video card will last for a very long time, not just two or three years.

 

[eaglegoaltender]

Incorrect - I upload and view in 4K all the time

Agree and that is an awesome video - talk about clarity - thanks for posting.

 

[James Whenman]

Great info guys. Thanks !

 

[cneedelman]

Incorrect - I upload and view in 4K all the time

Which Phantom are you flying, on the way out the horizon is off, but coming back it looked straight

 

[chrisking]

Here are some tricks for uploading DJI Phantom 3/4 4K to YouTube perfectly.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Here are some tricks for uploading DJI Phantom 3/4 4K to YouTube perfectly.

That is a very old tutorial, containing lots of wrong information relative to today. YT currently accepts 4K videos at 60fps at a CBR of 100mbs with no time limit. You can directly upload any P4P video to YT in either .MOV or .MP4 format, or you can edit and upload using the same parameters. I recommend uploading in the highest quality settings possible, to minimize YT compression.