What is the best format to export from Premiere Pro for YouTube?

You have finished editing your video and you are ready to share it with the world, but there is one very important step remaining. A skill all video creators need to master. How to export the finished video in Premiere Pro! 

While exporting in Premiere Pro may seem difficult due to the amount of options available in the export tab, it is really much more friendly than it seems. To help get you started here are some tips, tricks and how-to steps for exporting a video within Premiere Pro. 

What is the best format to export from Premiere Pro?

When exporting a finished video in Premiere Pro, the first thing to consider is where the video will be uploaded or delivered and how it will be viewed.

• Will it be uploaded to YouTube?
• Will you be sending it within an email?
• Will you be needing the highest quality version?

With both Formats and Presets to choose from in Premiere Pro, defining the above will help you to choose the best export option.

Each file format offers different platforms, qualities and file sizes for your video. From the available options, here are the 4 best formats to export from Premiere Pro when getting started: 

H.264
H.264 is often seen as the best format for online video such as YouTube and Vimeo. Exporting for H.264 will render fast and playback smoothly. Commonly used for MP4 or 3GP.

Quicktime MOV
Best for exporting with an Alpha Channel as it provides high image fidelity and a reasonable file size.

AVI
Exporting as an uncompressed AVI is great for maximising image quality without concern for file size. So if you are wanting the highest quality and have time to wait, AVI is your option.

TIFF Sequence
Exporting as a TIFF Sequence is a good option for longer videos as it offers protection against render failure. This is due to the fact that it out[uts each frame individually as a TIFF photo file so you can start back at the frame you encountered the failure.

Wanting more of the basics and essential settings when exporting in Premiere Pro? Tuts+ has created this easy to follow tutorial:

How to export Premiere Pro to Different Formats

Now that you have an understanding of your options, it’s time to choose the format you would like to export to. Follow the steps below for each different format.

How to export premiere pro to youtube:

How to export a sequence as an H.264 file – perfect for YouTube: 

1. Make sure the Timeline panel is active and choose File > Export > Media or press Control+M (Windows) or Command+M (macOS).
2. In the Export Settings dialog box, choose Format: H.264 and Preset: Match Source – High Bitrate.
3. To choose a filename and location, click the blue filename to open the Save As dialog box. Use this to choose an export location and a name for your new file, and then click Save.
4. When you’re happy with your settings, click Export. The new video file will be created, ready to share with the world.

These same steps are required if wanting to export Premiere Pro video to MP4

How to export Premiere Pro video for Instagram

When exporting for Instagram, follow these set up options:

• Video Format: H.264 video compression, high profile preferred, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan
• Audio: Stereo AAC audio compression, 128kbps + preferred
• Maximum size: 4GB
• Frame rate: 30fps max, export frame rates should max sequence frame rate
• Bitrate: No limit to bitrate file if you’re using two-pass encoding, as long as your file doesn’t exceed 1 GB. Otherwise, 8 megabits per second for 1080p and 4 megabits per second for 720p.

Extra tips for Instagram set up:

• Video aspect ratio: Landscape (1.91:1), Square (1:1), Vertical (4:5)
• Minimum resolution: 1800 x 945 pixels (1.91:1 landscape) / 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 square) / 864 x 1080 pixels (4:5 vertical)
• Minimum length: No minimum
• Maximum length: 60 seconds

How to export Premiere pro video for Facebook

When exporting for Facebook, follow these set up options:

• Video Format: H.264
• Audio Codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Encoded)
• Audio Sample Rate: 44,100 hz
• Channel: Stereo
• Recommended Bitrate: Target: 6, Maximum 12
• Bitrate Encoding: Variable Bit Rate, VBR, 2pass

Extra tips for Facebook set up:

• Recommended Resolutions: 720p, 1080p, or 1080×1080
• Recommended Aspect Ratios: Square 1:1 or Rectangular 16:9 or 16:9 (Mobile Phones)

How to save your favorite export settings

If you have noticed you are repeatedly using a custom setting you can save your export settings as a preset. 

1. Click the save preset button beside the preset drop down menu in the export window.
2. Name the preset.
3. To use the preset select the name you chose from the drop down menu.

Free video editing tools

Now that you are well versed in how to export your videos, you are going to need some more footage, music & templates to test out and further develop your video editing skills. Explore our free collection of video assets that will have you ready to jump on the tools! 

What format should I export for YouTube?

What is the best file to export from Premiere Pro?

What is the best quality to export from Premiere Pro to mp4?