How to find out how long YouTube processing take

By Tom NewmanDecember 15, 20224 mins read

What does processing mean on YouTube and how long should it take? A new update shows you exactly how long it will take to process your video.

On YouTube, processing occurs after the video has been uploaded from your computer. It creates multiple compressed versions of your video, in various resolutions, such as 144p, 1080p, 2160p and those in between.

Why is it taking so long to process my video on YouTube?

This procedure is reliant on YouTube’s servers, not your computer. Roughly 700,000 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. That’s a lot of processing required by YouTube.

The length of time process a video depends on a few factors, including the format, length, frame rate and quality of your video. The larger the video, the longer processing will take. 4K/60p videos for example will add extra time over standard definition/30p videos. It’s also believed that YouTube partners get faster processing times.

How to find out how long processing will take

Previously, YouTubers would be left wondering how long videos would take to process. Now, a new update shows you Processing Estimates for SD, HD and 4K. This update is available to all creators by the end of the week.

Simply hover over the SD/HD/4K icon at the bottom of the upload screen to view the times remaining. As before, videos can be published as soon as SD processing is complete. However, if you want to give early viewers the best experience, you might want to wait until the higher definition options are available.