How Long Does YouTube Take To Process a Video? Well, this article will help you find the answer to this question and all other questions.
After you finish creating a great video, upload it to YouTube, you may notice that the processing time appears to take forever. What is the exact processing time of YouTube videos?
There are thousands of videos that I have uploaded, ranging from short videos of just a few seconds, 1080p, to videos exceeding an hour in crisp 4K. The time it takes for YouTube to process videos is something that never seems to get old.
Why is my YouTube video taking so long to process?
YouTube uploads videos in a number of steps that can take time to complete.
When you download the original file from YouTube, YouTube compresses your video, so some quality may be lost. Take a look at this MKBHD video.
YouTube is also copying this file in multiple formats. You can watch videos in 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p (HD), 1440p, and so on all the way up to the highest resolution that you uploaded it in.
As a result, YouTube would need to create five versions of a standard 1080p video!
Now that YouTube is a global service, you expect videos to play instantly regardless of where you are. This data is sent and stored in various data centers around the world, and YouTube’s CDN (Content Distribution Network) makes it easier to access popular videos.
As if all of that weren’t enough work, YouTube uploads 400 hours of video per minute.
So, why does YouTube takes so long to process videos?
Because YouTube compresses files, stores files, creates multiple versions of files, and then prepares those files so they can be consumed by viewers at their best quality.
Besides this, the three major factors may affect your YouTube video uploading and processing time:
- quality of the video
- speed of the internet and
- video length
How long does it take to process a YouTube video?
Google says this about YouTube video processing:
Processing time varies greatly depending on the format of your original video, file size, and upload traffic. This could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. You should also expect that higher resolution formats will render more slowly. For instance, 720p and 1080p may take significantly longer to appear than 480p.
That said, for HD videos, it can take between 30 seconds and one minute to process every minute of video uploaded. Consequently, a 10-minute video can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
It can take a long time to process your video, depending on its length, the resolution you exported it in, and its quality (i.e. size). Due to the larger size of your 4K video, this process can take a little longer.
According to YouTube, the processing of a 60-minute, 4K video with a frame rate of 30 fps can take up to 4 hours. It seems shorter to me, but it’s all about the video quality.
However, as you can see, YouTube has to process your video quite a bit in order to make it accessible to the vast majority of people, so I’m sure we can live with a few minutes of extra processing.
How long does it take to upload a 1-minute video on YouTube?
A 1-minute long YouTube video with 1080p quality and 60fps will take around 30 seconds to upload and another 30 to 45 seconds to process.
Similarly, a YouTube video of 4k quality will take around 2 minutes to upload and 1 to 2 minutes to process.
How long does it take to upload a 5 minute video on YouTube?
A 720p 30fps 5-minute long video will take 45 to 60 seconds to upload and 2-3 minutes to process.
Similarly, a 720p format video with 60fps will take 1 to 1.5 minutes to upload and 2-4 minutes to process.
A 1040p 60fps video will upload in under 2 minutes and 3 to 5 minutes to process. YouTube video with 1440p and 60fps takes 4 minutes to upload and 6 more minutes to process.
How long does it take to upload a 10 minute video to YouTube?
A 720p 30fps 5-minute long video will take around 2 minutes to upload and 3-5 minutes to process.
Similarly, a 720p format video with 60fps will take 2 to 2.5 minutes to upload and 4-8 minutes to process.
A 1040p 60fps video will upload in under 4 minutes and 6 to 8 minutes to process. YouTube video with 1440p and 60fps takes around 7 to 8 minutes to upload and 8-12 minutes to process.
What is the processing time of a 20-minute video on YouTube?
The processing speed may be slightly faster than the internet speed when playing longer videos, but it may just seem like it takes a lot longer. This is true for both short and long videos.
The processing time for 20 minutes of HD video is around 10-15 minutes, while the processing time for 20 minutes of 4K video can range from 10-15 minutes. For exports with higher frame rates or a higher bit rate, the processing time can be up to 80 minutes.
How long does YouTube take to process a 1080p format video?
Depending on the size of your video, it can take anywhere from 3-8 hours for YouTube to process the video to make it available for all viewers.
How long does YouTube take to process HD videos?
For HD videos, it can take between 5 to 8 minutes to process a 10-minute video. If the bitrate is higher, it may take even longer.
How long does YouTube take to process 4K?
It takes YouTube around 8-15 minutes to process a 10 minute video into 4K. If the frame rate and bitrate is much higher, it can take up to 20-40 minutes.
What causes my YouTube videos to be blurry after uploading?
When you upload a video to YouTube and watch it right away, you may find a lesser quality and blurrier version. Delete the video before you do so. It’s normal and happens all the time.
It’s because YouTube hasn’t finished processing the HD version of your video yet so your videos are blurry after uploading.
It was finished making the lower-quality version and got them ready to distribute, so you might see a video in 240p, 360p, or 480p quality, regardless of whether you uploaded a 4K or HD video.
There could also be a problem with your internet connection, or you may have had a poor connection when you watched the video. With YouTube, you can watch videos from anywhere in the world, from high-speed internet users to those with 3G connections.
YouTube automatically adjusts the video resolution based on your internet speed in order to ensure smooth video playback for all users.
This means that you will probably be shown a 240p or 360p version of the video if you have a slow connection. Your internet connection may not be able to download the video data fast enough to play the video if you select a higher resolution in the settings.
How to make sure YouTube videos are fully processed after upload?
Video uploads to YouTube should be scheduled at least an hour ahead of time. Your video should have ample time to process completely so early viewers can experience its full quality without complaining about poor video quality.
You may experience this if you have a popular channel, where people will watch your video within a few minutes of it being uploaded. Schedule your videos at least an hour in advance, so they have the best experience.
If you’d like to optimize your video viewing for peak hours, you should schedule it well in advance.
TubeBuddy can provide you with this information, the free extension will allow you to see when most of your audience is active, and you can then schedule the video to be published at the most appropriate time so it will maintain its performance initially.
(If you don’t wish to use TubeBuddy, you can also check your analytics to see when your viewers are most active).
If you want to publish your videos immediately, another way of reducing processing time is to optimize your video title, tags, description, and thumbnail while the video is being processed. Even if you can’t wait until it finishes, you might want to optimize your videos in the meantime.
YouTube video processing stuck? Here’s what to do
The video may be stuck if it hasn’t completed processing after a couple of hours. This could be caused by a bad internet connection, a long uploading period, or a complicated file format.
I recommend uploading your video again if it is stuck in the processing stage.
There might just be a delay in processing the first upload, so do not delete it. The other upload can be deleted after the first one has been uploaded and processed. There is no need to worry about your viewers seeing duplicate files because all of them are private until you publish them.
If, however, both uploads are stuck, it might be time to check your connection, upload at a different time, or the file format you’re uploading is likely to be the culprit.
Video is being processed check back later – How to Fix?
There could be some reasons as to why this message is displayed.
One of the reasons could be because the video could be flagged of do not follow the community guidelines.
Why do my YouTube videos take so long to process edits?
YouTube editing is a slow process and may take a lot of time.
Thus, it is better to use other video editors.
What to do if YouTube video processing is stuck at 99?
If the video has been processed for a long time, you need to find out the reason for the video being stuck at 99% and resolve it accordingly.
It is possible that your internet connection may be slow or some other technical glitch caused the issue.
You should also check if there are more videos in the queue for processing so that YouTube can give your video the required time it deserves.
The video may also be not in an acceptable format or contain copyright material that is why YouTube cannot process it.
Sometimes when you publish a new video, the previous one keeps on processing for sometimes before completion. So if you previously published another video then check back after some time to see whether the processing is completed or not.
If all the above methods do not work then your last resort would be to delete the video and upload it again.
How to resume YouTube upload?
You can continue uploading from where you left off by accessing the video manager of your YouTube account and clicking on the active uploads. There should be a blue bar after you click on it, and there will be a place to begin your upload again.
A video that was left can be resumed only within 24 hours of processing.
Conclusion: How Long Does YouTube Take To Process a Video?
YouTube processing videos can take quite a bit of time, especially if it is your first ever upload.
Processing times will vary depending on the type and size of video you are uploading, as well as any additional edits or adjustments that need to be made after uploading.
In some cases, YouTube may not even process your video at all! If this happens to you, don’t worry because there are several different troubleshooting steps you can try before deleting your video altogether.
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Note: All images credit to pixabay.com