[FAQ]

Building on some recent conversations about video production, I have a specific question about audio.

I spend a lot of time getting my audio to sound good when I edit, but I want to make sure I’m not losing that quality during the export and upload process.

What are the current best practices and recommended settings for exporting audio for YouTube videos in 2025? I’m thinking about things like the best file format, bitrate, and sample rate to get the cleanest sound on the platform.

Any tips on preserving audio quality would be great!

[Jeff Bullas]

That is a great technical question. Optimising your audio settings during export is just as important as your video settings for ensuring a high-quality, professional final product on YouTube.

The main goal is to provide YouTube’s processing servers with a high-quality audio file so that their subsequent compression has less of a negative impact on the final sound that your viewers hear.

Here are the key settings to focus on when exporting your video. First, for the Audio Codec, the universally recommended standard for web video is AAC-LC, which stands for Advanced Audio Codec – Low Complexity. Your video editing software should have this as a primary option.

Second, for the Sample Rate, you should use 48 kHz. While 44.1 kHz is also common, especially for music-only audio, 48 kHz is the professional standard for digital video and is what YouTube recommends for the best results.

Third, for Channels, you should almost always export your audio in Stereo. Even if your main dialogue was recorded in mono, exporting the final mix as stereo is the standard practice as it correctly accommodates any background music or sound effects you may have added, which are typically in stereo.

And fourth, regarding the Audio Bitrate, which is a key setting for audio quality, YouTube recommends a bitrate of 384 kbps (kilobits per second) for high-quality stereo audio uploads. While a lower bitrate can still sound acceptable, providing a file with a 384 kbps bitrate ensures that you are giving YouTube’s servers a very high-quality source to work with, which helps to preserve the clarity and richness of your sound after their own compression is applied.

In summary, to ensure the best audio quality for your YouTube videos, you should export your audio using the AAC codec, at a sample rate of 48 kHz, and with a bitrate of 384 kbps for stereo audio. Adhering to these specifications is a key step in professional video production.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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