Bitrate

Bitrate determines how much data is allocated to represent each second of video. A higher bitrate means more data per second, which generally translates to better visual quality with fewer compression artifacts. Conversely, a lower bitrate produces smaller files but may introduce visible degradation such as blockiness, banding in gradients, or loss of detail in complex scenes. Finding the right bitrate is a balance between quality and file size.

Bitrate can be constant (CBR) or variable (VBR). Constant bitrate allocates the same amount of data to every second regardless of scene complexity, which is predictable but inefficient — simple scenes get more data than they need while complex scenes may not get enough. Variable bitrate adapts to scene complexity, allocating more data to detailed, fast-moving scenes and less to static, simple ones, resulting in better overall quality at the same average file size.

For video delivery, platform requirements dictate appropriate bitrates. YouTube recommends 35-45 Mbps for 4K uploads, while a 1080p social media video might work well at 8-12 Mbps. Understanding bitrate helps in evaluating export settings and ensuring that final deliverables meet the quality standards expected by the audience and the platform, without creating unnecessarily large files that are slow to upload and stream.