Quick answer: A minute of 4K video is about 170 MB (iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC), 22.7 Mbps). An hour is about 10 GB. Size depends on the bitrate, which depends on the codec and frame rate more than the resolution alone.
4K file size by length
| Recording | 1 min | 5 min | 10 min | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) (22.7 Mbps) | 170 MB | 851 MB | 1.7 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB |
| iPhone 4K 60 fps (HEVC) (53.3 Mbps) | 400 MB | 2 GB | 3.9 GB | 12 GB | 23 GB |
| YouTube recommended upload, 4K 30 fps (40 Mbps) | 300 MB | 1.5 GB | 2.9 GB | 8.8 GB | 18 GB |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 (707 Mbps) | 5.2 GB | 26 GB | 52 GB | 155 GB | 311 GB |
Estimates from the bitrate: size = bitrate × length. Real files vary with the scene (motion, detail, low light) and the camera's settings. Sources: Apple's iPhone camera settings (Settings > Camera > Record Video lists the size of a minute of video); YouTube's recommended upload bitrates (SDR, standard frame rate) (35 to 45 Mbps, middle value); Apple's ProRes white paper.
How long does it take to upload?
| Upload speed | 10 minutes of iPhone 4K 60 fps (HEVC) (3.9 GB) |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | about 53 min |
| 25 Mbps | about 21 min |
| 50 Mbps | about 11 min |
| 100 Mbps | about 5 min |
| 300 Mbps | about 2 min |
Upload speed is usually lower than the download speed your provider advertises. Try the upload time calculator with your own numbers.
What makes 4K files bigger or smaller
60 fps more than doubles the size on an iPhone. H.264 ("Most Compatible") makes files about twice as big as HEVC. ProRes 4K is about 5 GB a minute, which is why editors send it with a link instead of email or cloud sync.
Can you send it?
Can you send 5 minutes of iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) (about 851 MB) as an attachment?
| App | Limit | Fits? |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No, send a link |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No, send a link |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | Yes |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | No, send a link |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No, send a link |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | Yes |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | Yes |
| Share Large Video Files | 20 GB per transfer | Send the link anywhere |
Limits from our file size limits by app table, checked against each service's help pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many GB is 1 minute of 4K video?
About 170 MB on an iPhone at 30 fps (HEVC), about 400 MB at 60 fps, and about 5.3 GB in ProRes 422 HQ.
How big is a 1-hour 4K video?
About 10 GB at 30 fps on a phone, about 24 GB at 60 fps, and around 300 GB in ProRes 422 HQ.
How do I send a 4K video without losing quality?
Send the original file with a download link instead of a chat app. Share Large Video Files takes up to 20 GB per transfer and does not re-encode it.
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