Quick answer: A 30-minute 4K video is about 5 GB from a phone: 22.7 Mbps × 1,800 s ÷ 8 = 5,108 MB. From a mirrorless camera (100 Mbps) it is about 22 GB. In ProRes 422 HQ it grows to about 155 GB. Uploading the phone file takes about 34 min at 20 Mbps. It is too big for email; send it with a download link (Share Large Video Files takes up to 20 GB, free).
Size of 30 minutes of 4K, by camera and codec
| Recording | Type | Bitrate | Per minute | 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 22.7 Mbps | 170 MB | 5 GB |
| YouTube recommended upload, 4K 30 fps | Web upload | 40 Mbps | 300 MB | 8.8 GB |
| iPhone 4K 30 fps (H.264, Most Compatible) | Phone | 46.7 Mbps | 350 MB | 10 GB |
| iPhone 4K 60 fps (HEVC) | Phone | 53.3 Mbps | 400 MB | 12 GB |
| Mirrorless camera, Sony XAVC S 4K 30p (100 Mbps setting) | Camera | 100 Mbps | 750 MB | 22 GB |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 | Editing | 707 Mbps | 5.2 GB | 155 GB |
Worked out: size = bitrate × length. For the iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) row: 22.7 megabits per second × 1,800 seconds = 40,860 megabits. Divide by 8 to get megabytes: 5,108 MB, which is about 5 GB (1 GB = 1,024 MB). The same 30 minutes in Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 is 155 GB: its bitrate is 31.1 times higher, so the file is 31.1 times bigger.
Real files vary by a few percent either way: busy scenes, low light and grain need more data, a static talking head less. 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; Apple's iPhone camera settings (350 MB a minute with Most Compatible); Sony's published XAVC S 4K recording bitrates.
How long 30 minutes of 4K takes to upload
| Upload speed | iPhone 4K 30 fps (HEVC) (5 GB) | Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 4K UHD 29.97 (155 GB) |
|---|---|---|
| 4G mobile, typical (10 Mbps) | 1 h 8 min | 35 h 21 min |
| Home broadband (20 Mbps) | 34 min | 17 h 41 min |
| Fast broadband (50 Mbps) | 14 min | 7 h 4 min |
| Fibre (100 Mbps) | 7 min | 3 h 32 min |
| Fast fibre (500 Mbps) | 1 min | 42 min |
Time = size in megabits ÷ upload speed, with the full speed available the whole time. Allow 10 to 25% more on Wi-Fi or a busy connection. Try your own numbers in the upload time calculator.
Will it fit? Email and chat apps
| App | Limit | 30 minutes at 22.7 Mbps fits? | Longest clip that fits | Bitrate needed for 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No | 9 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No | 9 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | No | 12 min | 9.1 Mbps or less |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | No | 12 min | 9.1 Mbps or less |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | No | 35 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No | 7 s | Under 0.5 Mbps: not watchable |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | No | 6 min | 4.6 Mbps or less |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | No | 18 min | 13.7 Mbps or less |
| Share Large Video Files | 20 GB per transfer | Send the original with a link, any length that fits the limit | ||
Email limits apply to the encoded message, which is about a third larger than the file, so leave a margin. Limits from our file size limits by app table.
How to make it smaller, or send it as it is
- Export at 1080p: 30 minutes of 1080p at 8 Mbps (iPhone 1080p 30 fps (HEVC)) is about 1.8 GB instead of 5 GB. Fine for phones and most laptops; keep 4K for big screens and editing.
- Trim first: each minute you cut saves about 170 MB at 22.7 Mbps.
- Re-encode at a lower bitrate: halving the bitrate halves the file (2.5 GB at 11.4 Mbps), but it is a lossy step, so detail drops. Do it once, from the original, not from a copy a chat app already compressed.
- Or do not shrink it: at 5 GB it is over every chat app's limit, so a download link is the practical way to send the original.
Frequently asked questions
How many GB is a 30-minute 4K video?
About 5 GB from a phone (22.7 Mbps) and about 22 GB from a mirrorless camera (100 Mbps). In ProRes 422 HQ it is about 155 GB.
How long does a 30-minute 4K video take to upload?
At 5 GB: about 34 min at 20 Mbps upload, 7 min at 100 Mbps and 41 s on 1 Gbps fibre, if the connection holds its full speed.
Can I email a 30-minute 4K video?
Not as an attachment. At about 5 GB it is over the 20 to 36 MB email limits; only about 7 s of 4K at 22.7 Mbps fits in a 25 MB email. Send a download link instead: Share Large Video Files takes up to 20 GB, free.
Can I send it on WhatsApp in full quality?
No. About 5 GB is over WhatsApp's 2 GB document limit, and videos sent from the gallery are compressed. Send a download link in the chat instead.
Why is my 4K file a different size?
Size follows the bitrate, not the resolution alone. Frame rate (60 fps needs more data), codec (H.264 files are larger than HEVC) and the scene itself all change it. Check yours with the video bitrate calculator: divide the file size by the length.
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