Compress a video to 500 MB
Drop a video and FitSize shrinks it to fit under 500 MB, in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
- Target size
- 500 MB
- Platforms with this limit
- 2
- Table assumes
- 30 fps, 16:9, stereo audio
You have a big file and a big limit, and you are unsure whether you need to compress at all. At this size the honest answer is often to trim rather than compress: a typical clip is far inside the limits in the table, and what breaks is length, such as a time cap on a social platform, rather than size.
How long a video fits in 500 MB
The longest clip that keeps each resolution at each quality, worked out with the same arithmetic FitSize uses to plan an encode. Times use h, m and s for hours, minutes and seconds, and are rounded down, so a clip at the listed length fits.
| Resolution | High | Balanced | Smallest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 8m 30s | 12m 38s | 19m 54s |
| 720p | 18m 42s | 27m 31s | 42m 31s |
| 480p | 40m 04s | 57m 38s | 1h 25m |
| 360p | 1h 06m | 1h 33m | 2h 34m |
Assumes 30 fps, a 16:9 picture and stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps. A different frame rate, a taller picture or a bigger audio track changes the times.
Worked examples
- A 30-second clip: 1080p at Balanced quality (that resolution holds up to 12 min 38 s).
- A 2-minute clip: 1080p at Balanced quality (that resolution holds up to 12 min 38 s).
- A 10-minute clip: 1080p at Balanced quality (that resolution holds up to 12 min 38 s).
What quality to expect
A 2-minute 720p clip at this size gets about 1.164 bits per pixel per frame. That is above our High preset (0.12), so the clip should look close to the original at that resolution. This is an estimate from bitrate arithmetic, not a measurement: real quality depends on the footage, and fast motion or fine detail needs more.
Who needs 500 MB
These verified limits are at or just above 500 MB.
| Platform | Its limit | Aim for |
|---|---|---|
| Gradescope: Video answer (online assignment) | 500 MB | 500 MB |
| Tumblr: Video upload | 500 MB | 500 MB |
| X: Video, no Premium (a little above this size) | 512 MB | 512 MB |
What each of these limits covers
- Gradescope: Video answer (online assignment). Students can upload MP4 video files of up to 500 MB in the file-upload question type of online assignments. Source: guides.gradescope.com
- Tumblr: Video upload. MOV or MP4, up to 500 MB per video, 10 minutes per video, 20 videos and 60 minutes in total per day. Source: help.tumblr.com
- X: Video, no Premium. Accounts without Premium can upload videos up to 140 seconds long with a maximum file size of 512 MB. Source: help.x.com
Tips at 500 MB
- Check the platform's length rule before its size rule. The destination pages list both where the platform publishes them.
- If your file is still over, it is probably long and shot at a very high resolution. Dropping from 4K to full HD is the biggest single saving.
- Compress from the original, not from a copy that was already compressed, because each pass loses detail that the next cannot recover.