What are the common video codec issues and errors on YouTube and how do you fix them?

If you upload videos to YouTube, you might have encountered some issues with the video codec, such as poor quality, slow processing, or playback errors. Video codec is the software that compresses and decompresses the video data, and different codecs have different advantages and disadvantages. In this article, you will learn what is the best video codec for YouTube, and how to fix some common video codec issues and errors on YouTube.

1 What is a video codec?

A video codec is a set of rules that determines how the video data is encoded and decoded. Encoding is the process of compressing the video data to reduce its size and make it easier to store and transmit. Decoding is the process of decompressing the video data to restore its original quality and play it back. There are many types of video codecs, such as H.264, VP9, AV1, and HEVC, and each one has its own features and limitations.

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Matt Parise

De Young Properties | Marketing Manager
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Codecs and misunderstanding them have been the bane of so many editors. One of the most common and widely accepted codecs among any platform is H.264. If you’re having issues uploading videos to YouTube, one of the first things to check is your codec compatibility with the YouTube platform.

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2 Why does YouTube use different video codecs?

YouTube uses different video codecs for different purposes, such as optimizing the video quality, saving bandwidth, and supporting various devices and platforms. For example, YouTube uses H.264 as the default video codec for most videos, because it is widely compatible and offers good quality and compression. However, YouTube also uses VP9 and AV1 for some videos, especially 4K and HDR videos, because they offer better quality and compression than H.264, but they require more processing power and are not supported by all devices and browsers.

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3 What is the best video codec for YouTube?

When determining the best video codec for YouTube, several factors must be taken into consideration, such as the resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and content of the video, as well as the device and browser used to watch or upload it. Generally, if you want to upload a 4K or HDR video, VP9 or AV1 should be used to preserve quality and reduce file size, while also providing a lower resolution version in H.264. For 1080p or lower resolution videos, H.264 is the most compatible and efficient codec, but a high bitrate and constant frame rate should be used to avoid quality loss and stuttering. When watching YouTube videos, the device and browser should support the codec used for the video, otherwise buffering, lagging, or error messages may occur.

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Mike Henderson

Videographer, Storyteller
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Youtube specifies this explicitly. Container: MP4 (FCP uses .mov, but you can ignore or change the file ext to .mp4) Audio Codec: AAC-LC Video Codec: H.264 Frame Rate: source Bit rate: (variable) 35 - 45 for 4k Color Space: BT.709

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4 How to check the video codec of a YouTube video?

If you want to check the video codec of a YouTube video, you can use the YouTube Stats for Nerds feature, which displays various information about the video, such as the resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and codec. To access this feature, right-click on the video and select Stats for Nerds from the menu. Then, look for the Codec section, which will show you the video codec and the audio codec of the video. For instance, if the Codec section reads av01.0.13M.08 / opus, it means that the video codec is AV1 and the audio codec is Opus.

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5 How to fix common video codec issues and errors on YouTube?

Sometimes, you might encounter some video codec issues and errors on YouTube, such as low or blurry video quality, slow or stuck video processing, choppy, laggy, or out-of-sync video playback, or an error message. To fix these issues and errors, you can check your internet connection and speed, device and browser compatibility, video settings, and video file. Make sure they match the YouTube recommendations for the video codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate. If not, you can try to update your device or browser, adjust your video settings, re-encode your video, or repair or scan your video file for malware.

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Manuel Rodriguez

Director - Partner at Unikron Inc.
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Has you YouTube considered giving the local computer power to encode the videos, having a powerful computer encoding with a YouTube based software would accelerate the process if quality control is done at the YouTube end.

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Gill Boyd

Commercial Drone Pilot, IT Specialist, Videographer and Camera Operator
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For Live Streaming, the other issue to deal with would be to run a Bandwidth Test. The key is Upload speed. An mp4 1080 59.94 will need a 12MB Upload Speed. Scale that up for a 4k Live Broadcast. A 10MB Upload speed does not allow enough headroom for Overhead due to Throttling which can have a variance in Bandwifth usage. In comparison, Zoom only requires 3.5MB since that's only 720 HD but not 1080 anything. For an AI article, I would have expected better. That reads like a 5 year old article. AI will not replace Copywriting Editors!

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Gill Boyd

Commercial Drone Pilot, IT Specialist, Videographer and Camera Operator
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Nothing beats experience. Each Video Editing program will Render Video out according to Pre-Sets. And will identify same according to Target Platform. Even though We Render a Video output to mp4 H.264 / 29.97 or 59.94, YouTube processes that same file again which seems redundant. YouTube is also Throttling Uploads. The only way around that is Live Streaming. To reiterate, Live Stream is treated like a Live News Broadcast. Whether using H.264 or the more efficient H.265 aka HEVC for 4k, YouTube re-encodes whatever We upload. Why? To optimize playback for Viewers. Actually that's to optimize Playback on the Platform through the Network resources.

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What are the common video codec issues and errors on YouTube and how do you fix them?

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1 What is a video codec?

2 Why does YouTube use different video codecs?

3 What is the best video codec for YouTube?

4 How to check the video codec of a YouTube video?

5 How to fix common video codec issues and errors on YouTube?

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