Vimeo Video Size: Exact Specs, Bitrates, and Export Settings

Publishing sharp, smooth footage on Vimeo starts with one question: are your files actually matching Vimeo’s upload standards? When the Vimeo video size and bitrate are off, you see soft detail, banding, or long transcodes instead of clean playback.

This guide walks through the current Vimeo upload specs and Vimeo bitrate settings, then shows how to export from common editors without guesswork.

Core Vimeo Video Size and Upload Specs

Vimeo accepts a wide range of formats, but there is a clear sweet spot that balances quality, upload time, and compatibility. That sweet spot revolves around H.264 or HEVC video, AAC audio, and a 16:9 frame.

A typical example: a 1920×1080, 25 fps H.264 file with a 15 Mbps bitrate and AAC audio at 320 kbps will upload quickly, transcode reliably, and look clean on most connections.

Master Specs Overview Table

The table below pulls together the most important Vimeo video size, bitrate, codec, and file size limits you need before exporting.

CategoryRecommended / LimitContainerMP4 (preferred), MOV, AVI, MKV, WMV, FLV, etc.Video codecs (SD/HD)H.264 (AVC), HEVC (H.265), Apple ProRes, DNxHD/HRVideo codecs (HDR/4K+)H.264 High Profile, HEVC (H.265), ProRes 422 / 4444, DNxHRAudio codecAAC-LC (preferred), PCM, MP3Color space (HD)Rec. 709 (sRGB)Aspect ratio16:9 (1.78:1) recommended; others supportedMax resolution (Basic)Up to 1080p playbackMax resolution (Plus+)Up to 4K (2160p) playbackRecommended 1080p bitrate10–20 Mbps (H.264)Recommended 4K bitrate20–60 Mbps (H.264 / HEVC)Audio bitrate256–320 kbps (AAC)Max file size (Basic)~500 MB per week upload quotaMax file size (Plus)5 GB per file (typical)Max file size (Pro/Bus.)20 GB+ per file (varies by plan)Max frame rate60 fps (higher may be down-converted)

Plan limits shift over time, but the practical takeaway is simple: for most public projects, a 1080p or 4K H.264 or HEVC file inside 20–60 Mbps will satisfy Vimeo’s pipeline.

Recommended Vimeo Bitrate Settings by Resolution

Matching Vimeo bitrate settings to your resolution keeps detail without wasting bandwidth. Too low and gradients break apart. Too high and uploads drag on with no visible gain after Vimeo recompresses.

Consider a 5‑minute talking head video at three resolutions:

At 720p with 5 Mbps, you get a small file that still looks crisp on mobile.
At 1080p with 15 Mbps, the same clip holds hair detail and text overlays.
At 4K with 45 Mbps, the footage stays sharp even when paused on a 27‑inch display.

Bitrate Targets Table

Use these as starting points when setting your export.

ResolutionFrame rateTarget bitrate (H.264)Max recommended bitrate720p24–30 fps4–6 Mbps8 Mbps720p50–60 fps6–8 Mbps10 Mbps1080p24–30 fps8–16 Mbps20 Mbps1080p50–60 fps12–20 Mbps25 Mbps1440p24–30 fps16–24 Mbps30 Mbps1440p50–60 fps20–30 Mbps40 Mbps4K (2160p)24–30 fps25–45 Mbps60 Mbps4K (2160p)50–60 fps35–60 Mbps80 Mbps

If the content has lots of grain, fast motion, or detailed textures (sports, handheld documentary, fireworks), aim toward the upper end of each range. For static screen recordings or slideshow-style explainers, the lower end often looks identical once Vimeo recompresses.

Choosing the Right Resolution and Aspect Ratio

The best Vimeo video size depends on how and where the video will be watched. A 4K cinema short deserves a different treatment than a quick onboarding walkthrough.

Imagine a product demo that will live on a marketing site and be embedded in email campaigns. For that use case, 1080p at 16:9 with a modest bitrate around 12–15 Mbps usually balances quality and load times.

Resolution Guidelines

1080p (1920×1080): Standard choice for most Vimeo uploads. Good mix of quality and efficiency.
4K (3840×2160): Best for high-end work, cinematic pieces, and footage with fine detail that will be viewed on large displays.
720p (1280×720): Acceptable for webinars, interviews, and archive material when bandwidth is limited.

Vimeo stores multiple renditions, so viewers on slow connections can still fall back to 720p even if the master upload is 4K.

Aspect Ratio Examples

Vimeo primarily expects 16:9, but other aspect ratios are supported.

16:9 – 1920×1080, 3840×2160. Standard for most cameras and screen recordings.
2.39:1 – 1920×804 or 3840×1608. Cinematic widescreen with letterboxing on standard players.
1:1 or Vertical – 1080×1080, 1080×1920. Useful for social cuts that might be downloaded from Vimeo and repurposed.

When exporting, keep the pixel aspect ratio square (1.0). Non-square exports often produce soft or stretched playback after Vimeo’s transcode.

Codec and Format Choices for Vimeo

The codec determines how video data is compressed. Vimeo handles many formats, but a few combinations consistently work best.

Consider a corporate training video recorded in 4K on a mirrorless camera. Exporting as H.264 High Profile in an MP4 container with AAC audio will be easier to upload and share than sending a ProRes master, while still retaining enough detail for internal review.

Recommended Codecs

H.264 (AVC): Default for most uploads. Wide compatibility, efficient at 1080p and 4K.
HEVC (H.265): Better compression at the same quality, especially useful for 4K and HDR. Not all older devices handle it, but Vimeo transcodes to multiple formats.
Apple ProRes / DNxHD / DNxHR: Ideal for archival or when Vimeo is part of the finishing pipeline. Files are large but preserve quality.

Container Formats

MP4 (.mp4): Preferred. Works with H.264 or HEVC, and is well supported by Vimeo.
MOV (.mov): Common from Apple workflows. Safe for ProRes or H.264.
Others (AVI, MKV, WMV, FLV): Usually accepted but can slow transcodes and increase the risk of audio sync problems.

For most use cases, an MP4 container with H.264 video and AAC audio gives the best balance of reliability and size.

Audio Settings That Match Vimeo Upload Specs

Clean audio matters as much as a sharp image. Poor audio encoding can introduce hiss, pumping, or harsh highs when Vimeo recompresses.

Think of a podcast-style interview shot in a small office. If the export uses low-bitrate MP3 audio at 96 kbps, room tone and sibilance will sound brittle after upload. Exporting as AAC at 256–320 kbps preserves the natural tone of the voices.

Recommended Audio Settings

Codec: AAC-LC
Sample rate: 48 kHz (matches most video workflows)
Bitrate: 256–320 kbps for stereo; 128 kbps for mono voice-only content
Channels: Stereo unless the project is specifically mono or surround

Avoid variable bitrate audio settings that swing too low. Constant bitrate AAC keeps the transcode predictable and stable.

Export Settings for Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve

Once the Vimeo video size and bitrate targets are clear, the next step is exporting correctly from your editor. Misconfigured presets often cause soft footage, crushed blacks, or bloated files.

Imagine finishing a 10‑minute event recap at 4K. Using the right preset in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro can mean a 3–4 GB upload instead of a 10+ GB file with no visible quality difference.

Adobe Premiere Pro: Vimeo-Friendly Export

Use the H.264 format with a custom preset.

Basic steps:

Open the Export dialog (File → Export → Media or Ctrl/Cmd + M).
Set Format to H.264.
Choose Preset close to your resolution (e.g., Match Source – High Bitrate) as a starting point.
Under Video:
- Set Resolution to 1920×1080 or 3840×2160.
- Use Profile: High.
- Use Level: 4.2 for 1080p, 5.1 for 4K.
- Enable Render at Maximum Depth.
- Set Bitrate Encoding to VBR, 2-pass.
- Set Target Bitrate and Maximum Bitrate based on the earlier table (for 1080p30, 12 Mbps target, 18 Mbps max works well).
Under Audio:
- Audio Codec: AAC.
- Sample Rate: 48000 Hz.
- Bitrate: 256–320 kbps.
Enable Use Maximum Render Quality if scaling.

For a 5‑minute 1080p clip, these settings typically produce a 400–700 MB file, well within most Vimeo plan limits.

Final Cut Pro: Share to Vimeo-Ready Master

Final Cut Pro’s default Vimeo share options trade control for convenience. For consistent results, create a custom export.

Suggested workflow:

Go to File → Share → Add Destination, then add Export File.
In the Export File settings, choose:
- Format: Computer.
- Video Codec: H.264 Better Quality (or HEVC for 4K if supported).
Under Resolution, select the project resolution (1920×1080 or 3840×2160).
For audio, keep 48 kHz and stereo.

Final Cut hides direct bitrate controls, but the Better Quality H.264 option typically lands within Vimeo’s recommended Vimeo bitrate settings, especially for 1080p. If finer control is needed, export a ProRes master and compress it with Apple Compressor or HandBrake using the earlier bitrate table.

DaVinci Resolve: Custom Vimeo Export Preset

Resolve gives detailed control over export parameters.

Steps for a Vimeo-ready MP4:

Go to the Deliver page.
Choose Custom Export.
Set Format to MP4 and Codec to H.264.
Under Video:
- Set Resolution to your timeline resolution.
- Set Quality to Restrict to and enter a bitrate (e.g., 12000 Kb/s for 1080p30).
- Set Encoding Profile to High.
- Choose Key Frames every 1–2 seconds for cleaner seeking.
Under Audio:
- Set Codec to AAC.
- Bitrate: 256–320 Kb/s.

For a 4K cinematic short, a 45 Mbps H.264 export from Resolve will look strong on Vimeo, while still keeping file size manageable.

Estimating Vimeo Video Size Before Export

Knowing the expected file size helps avoid hitting plan limits or experiencing failed uploads. File size depends mainly on duration and bitrate.

A simple rule of thumb for H.264 video:

Approximate size (MB) ≈ (Bitrate in Mbps × Duration in minutes × 7.5)

Example: a 10‑minute 1080p video at 12 Mbps.

12 Mbps × 10 minutes × 7.5 ≈ 900 MB

If a Basic plan allows roughly 500 MB per week, that single file would already exceed the quota. Dropping the bitrate to 8 Mbps would reduce the estimate to around 600 MB, still high but more manageable.

For longer webinars or multi-hour event recordings, consider:

Exporting at 720p with a moderate bitrate.
Splitting content into chapters or separate uploads.
Upgrading the Vimeo plan if consistent long-form content is required.

Troubleshooting Common Vimeo Upload Errors

Even with correct Vimeo upload specs, issues still appear: stalled progress bars, mismatched audio, or blurry playback. Most problems come from a handful of recurring causes.

Picture a 30‑minute livestream recording that refuses to upload past 80%. The file is 18 GB, encoded in a variable frame rate format from a streaming encoder. By re-exporting to a constant frame rate H.264 file at a slightly lower bitrate, the upload completes and the playback stabilizes.

Frequent Problems and Fixes

1. Upload stuck or extremely slow

Cause: File size too large for the connection speed or plan limits.
Fix: Lower the target bitrate, especially for static content. Pause other network-heavy tasks. Upload during off-peak hours.

2. Audio out of sync

Cause: Variable frame rate recording from screen capture or webcam tools.
Fix: Re-encode the file in your NLE with a constant frame rate (23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, or 30 fps). Export again with standard Vimeo specs.

3. Blurry or soft playback

Cause: Source uploaded at too low a bitrate or resolution, or viewer is on a low-bandwidth connection.
Fix: Upload a higher-bitrate master within the recommended ranges. Confirm playback is set to Auto or HD in the Vimeo player.

4. Color shifts or crushed blacks

Cause: Mismatch between full and video levels, or incorrect color space tagging.
Fix: Export in Rec. 709, ensure video levels are set correctly (legal range for broadcast-style footage), and avoid LUTs that clip highlights.

If repeated errors occur, exporting a short 30‑second test clip with identical settings is a quick way to isolate whether the problem lies in the file or the network.

FAQ: Vimeo Video Size and Upload Settings

What is the best Vimeo video size for most projects?

For most uploads, 1920×1080 (1080p) at 24–30 fps with a bitrate between 10 and 16 Mbps offers an excellent balance of quality and size. This Vimeo video size works well for embeds, portfolios, and internal training videos.

Does Vimeo support 4K uploads?

Yes. With eligible plans, Vimeo supports 4K (3840×2160) uploads and playback. Use H.264 or HEVC with a bitrate around 25–45 Mbps for 24–30 fps footage, and slightly higher for 50–60 fps.

Which format is best: MP4 or MOV?

MP4 is usually the safest choice. An MP4 container with H.264 video and AAC audio matches Vimeo upload specs closely and keeps file sizes manageable. MOV is fine, especially for ProRes masters, but files are often larger.

What bitrate should I use for Vimeo?

Match the Vimeo bitrate settings to your resolution:

720p: 4–8 Mbps
1080p: 8–20 Mbps
4K: 25–60 Mbps

These ranges preserve detail without creating unnecessarily large files.

Why does my Vimeo video look worse than the original file?

Vimeo re-encodes uploads into multiple streaming renditions. If the source file uses a low bitrate, heavy noise, or aggressive sharpening, the transcode can exaggerate artifacts. Upload a higher-quality master within the recommended bitrates and avoid excessive in-camera sharpening.

Can I upload variable frame rate footage?

Vimeo can accept variable frame rate files, but they often lead to sync or motion issues. For reliable results, convert to a constant frame rate in your editor before exporting.

How large can a Vimeo upload be?

Maximum file size depends on the plan. Basic users face tight weekly quotas and smaller per-file limits, while Plus, Pro, Business, and Premium plans allow larger files, often 5–20 GB or more. Always check current limits on Vimeo’s plan comparison page.

Dialing in Vimeo video size, codec, and bitrate before export saves time and prevents quality surprises. With the specs and presets laid out, you can move from timeline to Vimeo with predictable, repeatable results.

Vimeo Video Size: Exact Specs, Bitrates, and Export Settings

Vimeo Video Size: Exact Specs, Bitrates, and Export Settings