YouTube Specs: All You Need to Know About YouTube Video Specs

YouTube remains the most popular video streaming platform. In fact, over half of internet users visit the site daily, generating billions of views.

So, if you’re advertising on this platform, it’s important to get it right.

In the following article, we’ll review YouTube ad specs and the options available for advertisers on YouTube.

According to Statista, around 62% of users access YouTube every day, sometimes even multiple times a day. Cisco recently declared that by 2022 online videos will comprise over 80% of consumer internet traffic.

YouTube is also the world’s second most popular search engine, second only to parent company Google.

Due to its massive popularity and potential reach, it’s essential for marketers to understand how the advertising options on YouTube work.

Advertising on YouTube involves two broad categories: display ads—or overlay ads—and video ads. Each comes with its own unique ad specifications and requirements.

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started.

YouTube Ad Specs And Sizes

One thing to keep in mind as you create YouTube ads is that you must follow Google’s ad policies as well as YouTube’s own policies.

These include some limits on animations and regulations that ban misleading or adult content. There are also standards for image quality and relevance that apply to the content displayed in or next to the YouTube video player.

Skippable Ads

Skippable video ads enable viewers to skip them after playing for five seconds in the video player. These ads can play on computers, mobile devices, TVs, and gaming consoles. Once skipped, viewers can then watch the video they selected.

Because they’re so short, it’s best for advertisers to make the first five seconds of their ads as interesting as possible. If the ad engages viewers enough, they may choose to continue watching for a longer period.

One example of a successful skippable video ad is one from Nutshell.

In its ad, Nutshell showcases several annoyances in the workplace using humor. The goal is to show the kinds of frustrations that inefficient software can cause. It effectively engages users with entertaining scenarios before promoting Nutshell as the solution to them.

YouTube Specs for Skippable Ads

Dimensions: 426 x 240 for 240p resolution, 640 x 360 for 360p, 854 x 480 for 480p, 1280 x 720 for 720p, 1920 x 1080 for 1080p, 2560 x 1440 for 1440p, and 3840 x 2160 for 2160p.
Video Codec: H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4
Audio Codec: AAC, MP3
Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
Maximum file size: 12 hours or 128GB, depending on which is less.
Frame rate limits: 24 to 60FPS

Non-Skippable Ads

Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads

Non-skippable video ads can appear before, during, or after a video. These ads can be up to 20 seconds long, depending on the location of the viewer. Unlike skippable ads, viewers will need to watch non-skippable ads all the way through before watching the partner video.

These ads can also play on various devices, including computers, TVs, mobile devices, and consoles. If you want to make sure people see your content when promoting your business or a specific offering, these ads are best to use.

Skechers is among the many companies connecting with YouTube users through longer ads. In the company’s GO WALK 6 commercial, Skechers illustrates the comfort of their GO WALK 6 shoes. Again, the ad uses humor to appeal to audiences who might otherwise doubt the comfort of their new product.

YouTube Specs for Non-Skippable Ads

Dimensions: 426 x 240 for 240p resolution, 640 x 360 for 360p, 854 x 480 for 480p, 1280 x 720 for 720p, 1920 x 1080 for 1080p, 2560 x 1440 for 1440p, and 3840 x 2160 for 2160p.
Video Codec: H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4
Audio Codec: AAC, MP3
Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
Frame rate limits: 24 to 60FPS
Maximum file size: 12 hours or 128GB, depending on which is less.
Length: 15 or 20 seconds based on the viewer’s location.

Bumper Ads

Bumper Ads

Bumper ads are shorter non-skippable video ads that can be as long as six seconds. When skippable or non-skippable ads are on, bumper ads may appear. Like both skippable and other non-skippable ads, bumper ads appear in the video player on any device with YouTube.

Bumper ads are ideal if you want to reach audiences in a shorter format without allowing them to skip.

One effective bumper ad that’s seen results is Mercedes-Benz’s Singapore-targeted four-second ad.

The ad promotes a new two-door sports car using the sound of an engine and fast-paced editing. As a result, this ad draws viewers’ attention in even less than the six-second maximum for bumper ads.

YouTube Specs for Bumper Ads

Dimensions: 426 x 240 for 240p resolution, 640 x 360 for 360p, 854 x 480 for 480p, 1280 x 720 for 720p, 1920 x 1080 for 1080p, 2560 x 1440 for 1440p, and 3840 x 2160 for 2160p.
Video Codec: H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4
Audio Codec: AAC, MP3
Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
Recommended framerate: 30FPS
Maximum file size: 12 hours or 128GB, depending on which is less.
Length: 15 or 20 seconds based on the viewer’s location.

Overlay Ads

Overlay ads are YouTube image or text ads that show up in the lower part of the video as pop-ups. These ads only appear using YouTube on a computer.

The smaller size and placement of these ads make them less intrusive compared to other ads. The user will still be able to view the underlying video while the ad displays. Users also have the option of clicking out of the ad using the small “x” in the corner. When users click on these ads, they’re taken to a corresponding landing page.

One example of an overlay ad is Iterable’s image ad. It’s eye-catching with a white image and an orange button encouraging viewers to “request a demo.” At the same time, it’s simple and gets its message across effectively.

YouTube Specs for Overlay Ads

Dimension: 480 x 60 for smaller ads or 728 x 90 pixels for larger ads
File type: .PNG, .JPG, or a static .GIF
File size: 150 Kb

Non-Video Ads

If you want to avoid video ads, you can use various non-video ads.

In addition to overlay ads, you can use display ads that appear to the right of the video. Display ads feature images and a small amount of text, along with a clickable button. The button can then take the viewer to a designated landing page.

Non-video ads are great for connecting with audiences in a less intrusive way than other formats.

YouTube Red often uses display ads to advertise its original series.

YouTube Specs for Non-Video Display Ads

Dimensions: 300 x 250, 300 x 60 for YouTube Reserve companions, or 300 x 600 for Zagat.
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, static, GIF, or HTML5

Metrics to Track for YouTube Ads

When you connect your YouTube account to Google Ads, you’ll benefit from a wealth of metrics that you can measure based on your advertising goals.

Some of the most important metrics you can measure include:

Views — ‌Aa “view” takes place when someone watches 30 seconds of a video or watches it to completion if it’s under 30 seconds.
Average cost per view (CPV) — This metric lets you know the average cost of a single view. Marketers should pay close attention to this metric to help them gauge the ROI of their campaigns. This metric lets you know the average cost of a single view.
Video played to — This metric enables you to see how often people view your video to 20%, 50%, 75%, or 100% completion. You can use this metric to help determine how engaging viewers find your ads.
View rate — Using this metric, you can better determine how many people actually watch your video when they come across it. You can calculate view rate by dividing total views by impressions.
Earned actions — Once people see your ads, you can figure out what other types of actions they take. For example, some viewers may subscribe to your channel, watch another one of your videos, add a video to their playlist, share or like the video.
Engagements and clicks — Engagements show how many people click on various elements, such as cards. Clicks let you know how many people click on your video.

Other potential metrics you can measure in Google Ads include:

Engaged-views
Watch time
Average watch time per impression
Click-throuh rate (CTR)
Unique cookies, users, and viewers
Engagement rate
Average impression frequency by user or by cookie
ActiveView

By tracking these metrics, you can find out how well your ads are performing and determine which adjustments to make.

Wrapping Up YouTube Ad Specs

While YouTube advertising options change all the time, there are some fundamental principles to follow, starting with these…

Anyone advertising on YouTube gets reports on views, clicks, and impressions. These will help ensure you and your clients are hitting the KPIs you need, and will l depend on the video and image assets that you have available, the goals of your campaign(s) or marketing plan, and more.

In fact, a mix of the various types of YouTube ads along with A/B testing or split testing might be the best choice. That is until you determine the type or combination of YouTube ads that perform the best for your campaigns or business.

So now that you know the specs and reasons for using the different YouTube ads, it’s time to create some of your own!

YouTube Ad Specs Frequently Asked Questions:

1. 🎥 Which ad format can only appear before videos on YouTube?

Skippable video ads, non-skippable video ads and bumper ads will appear before a video plays on YouTube.

2. ⏱ How long should YouTube ads be?

To adhere to most user’s attention span, YouTube ads should stay between 15 and 30 seconds long.

3. 👀 What is a good view rate for YouTube ads?

YouTube Ads average view rate are about 31.9%. Though they will vary depending on the industry, market and the quality of your advertisements, a safe view through rate to expect is roughly 15%.