optimum youtube format for audio?

[ThomasG]

Hi,
I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to video. I'm now doing little clips and hoping to load them on Youtube.

I have youtube's recommendations for video file types, but it doesn't seem to say much about audio. Here's my problem/question:

The mpeg or MP4 video compression options I have in my software only seem to allow compression on the audio - you can't choose not to leave the audio uncompressed (as you can with some other file types). Then I assume youtube probably applies its own processes and perhaps compression. All in all, my audio sounds reduced in quality and bitrate after I've loaded it up.

So...
1) is it possible to encode into a Youtube preferred video format and leave the audio uncompressed? If so, what format is this?

2) But perhaps it's okay to allow Mpeg or Mp4 compression on the audio...if so, what is the optimum setup for audio in anticipation of loading to Youtube?

Many thanks!
-
Tom.

[chiefnobum]

Uncompressed audio would lead to huge file sizes unfortunately (think around 50-100MB just in audio for a clip), but compressing down to 256kb/s or even 192kb/s should be fine. Any audio you put up there is getting reworked a bit by YouTube as they take your video and re-code it for a bunch of different bitrates/resolutions, but the HD stuff sounds much better so be sure to be putting up HD videos if you can.

[ThomasG]

Since I wrote my first post I've done some reading on forums, and it seems that there's not much to be done about the noticeable mangling that youtube applies to greater or lesser extents, even when using their preferred format. And the results vary over time - some of the older clips reportedly sound better than newer ones; it would appear that youtube has over time changed the way it processes the uploads, not necessarily for the better quality-wise.

So yeah, the best you can do is to stick to their recommended format and hope for the best.

[_controlfreak]

When I think of hi-def audio/video on the web, YouTube is NOT what comes to mind. Although there's 1080p content here and there, YouTube's biggest upside is the brand recognition and its community - one that watches 96kbps music videos tens of millions times, I might add. If you get your own web hosting, direct links to HD WMV, AVI, MP4 are just as "accessible" (e.g. Facebook previews).

[gregwar]

mmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamm lol

you can always czech out i-doser but i doubt they'll reveal their "binaural brainwave sim" secrets . . .

[ThomasG]

For sure, CF. There would be no reason for me to even consider Youtube if it wasn't for its exposure factor.

[davidroseberry]

There would be no reason for me to even consider Youtube if it wasn't for its exposure factor.

This.