To encode a 24-hour YouTube video with FFmpeg two-pass encoding, first assemble the playlist items into one input file, then run FFmpeg once to analyze the video and a second time to create the output. Two-pass encoding is useful when you want to target an average bitrate and estimate file size; it is not required for YouTube uploads. YouTube publishes recommended upload settings, not mandatory bitrate limits.
This workflow assumes you already have the intended 24-hour sequence as a single file. It does not create a playlist on YouTube: a YouTube playlist is a collection of separate videos. Check that you have the rights to use the source material and enough local storage before assembling and encoding a long program.
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Before encoding: check the input and plan the output
Inspect the assembled file before starting. Confirm its duration, video and audio streams, resolution, frame rate, whether the picture is interlaced, audio layout, and color characteristics. You can use ffprobe, which is distributed with FFmpeg; consult the FFmpeg documentation for its options. The commands below select the first video stream and optionally map audio streams; they do not assemble playlist items or correct mismatched clips automatically.
- Choose an output resolution and frame rate that suit the source and intended upload. YouTube recommends encoding and uploading at the frame rate at which the material was recorded.
- Decide whether a bitrate target and approximate size matter more than a quality-based rate-control approach. Two-pass encoding is for bitrate targeting; CRF is a constant-quality mode and is not interchangeable with the bitrate target in these examples.
- Allow working room for the source, final output, pass logs, and any intermediate assembly files. A 24-hour encode may require substantial disk space.
Choose a YouTube upload bitrate
YouTube’s upload-settings page, accessed on 2026-10-03, recommends the following reference bitrates. These are YouTube recommendations, not required limits or independent quality measurements. Use the resolution, frame-rate group, and SDR or HDR category that match your output.
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| Format and resolution | Standard frame rate | High frame rate |
|---|---|---|
| SDR, 360p | 1 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| SDR, 480p | 2.5 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| SDR, 720p | 5 Mbps | 7.5 Mbps |
| SDR, 1080p | 8 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| SDR, 1440p | 16 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| SDR, 2160p | 35–45 Mbps | 53–68 Mbps |
| HDR, 1080p | 10 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| HDR, 1440p | 20 Mbps | 30 Mbps |
| HDR, 2160p | 44–56 Mbps | 66–85 Mbps |
The table uses YouTube’s standard and high frame-rate groups as shown in its recommended upload encoding settings. The page also recommends MP4, H.264 video, progressive scan, High Profile, two consecutive B frames, a closed GOP with a GOP duration of half the frame rate, CABAC, variable bitrate, and 4:2:0 chroma. For audio it lists AAC-LC, Opus, or Eclipsa Audio at 48 kHz, with stereo, stereo plus 5.1, or stereo plus Eclipsa channel combinations. These are upload recommendations; they are not all imposed by the sample command below.
For example, 8 Mbps is YouTube’s SDR recommendation for 1080p at standard frame rates. At that video bitrate, 24 hours of video payload works out to about 86.4 decimal GB: 8 megabits per second × 86,400 seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte. That calculation excludes audio, container overhead, and working files, so it is not a finished-file size guarantee. A stereo audio reference on YouTube’s page is 384 kbps; the example command uses that rate, but the appropriate audio settings depend on the source and desired output.
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Run the two FFmpeg passes
The following illustrative Linux/macOS template targets 8 Mbps video with the libx264 software encoder. It makes a first analysis pass without audio, then a second pass to produce an MP4 with AAC audio. The commands are a template, not a tested encode for a particular file or FFmpeg build.
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Pass one: analyze the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -map 0:v:0 -c:v libx264 -preset medium -b:v 8M -pass 1 -passlogfile encode_stats -an -f null /dev/nullThis pass writes analysis statistics using the
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Pass two: encode the final file
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -map 0:v:0 -c:v libx264 -preset medium -b:v 8M -pass 2 -passlogfile encode_stats -map 0:a? -c:a aac -b:a 384k -ar 48000 -pix_fmt yuv420p -movflags +faststart output.mp4Use the same input, selected video stream, encoder, target bitrate, and material video filters or options in both passes so that pass two can use pass one’s statistics. The FFmpeg general bitrate option is expressed in bits per second;
8Mmeans 8 megabits per second. FFmpeg documents the pass controls and pass-log prefix in its full documentation and codec documentation.
On Windows, use NUL as the first pass’s null device instead of /dev/null. Output muxer handling can vary, so check your installed FFmpeg version and encoder availability. Give each simultaneous job or separate input its own pass-log prefix to avoid mixing statistics.
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Adjust settings to match the source
Resolution, frame rate, and GOP
The sample command does not scale or change frame rate. If you need scaling, frame-rate conversion, deinterlacing, or other video filters, choose them deliberately and apply the relevant settings consistently in both passes. YouTube recommends progressive video and advises encoding and uploading at the recorded frame rate; deinterlace interlaced source material. Its GOP recommendation is a closed GOP with a duration of half the frame rate. Do not add a frame-rate conversion simply to match a table row if it would misrepresent the source.
Audio
-map 0:a? makes audio mapping optional, so the command can still run when the input has no audio stream. The example re-encodes mapped audio to AAC at 384 kbps and 48 kHz. If the source audio already meets your target format, copying or separately encoding it may be more appropriate; verify the source streams and the resulting MP4 rather than assuming every input has the same layout.
Color and pixel format
The example requests yuv420p, a common upload pixel format, but it does not set color metadata. YouTube recommends BT.709 for SDR uploads and explains that unspecified or unsupported color metadata may affect how it interprets or converts a video. Preserve or correctly signal the source’s color characteristics; a particular set of -color_* tags is not universally correct without knowing the source.
Bitrate control versus CRF
Use this two-pass pattern when an average bitrate or approximate output size is the priority. CRF instead targets a quality level and allows bitrate to vary with the content, so the final size is less predictable. Two-pass gives the encoder a complete analysis pass before the final encode, at the cost of processing the material twice. Neither approach guarantees a particular visual result; outcomes depend on the source, settings, encoder, and system.
Check disk space, upload capacity, and YouTube processing
Estimate video payload using bitrate × duration ÷ 8, then leave additional space for audio, container overhead, pass logs, assembly intermediates, and the original files. The 24-hour 8 Mbps example is about 86.4 decimal GB of video payload alone. Ensure you also have enough time and bandwidth to upload the finished file. The cited encoding guidance does not establish a maximum video duration for a particular account, a universal finished-file size, or how long an encode or upload will take.
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Troubleshooting
- Pass two reports missing or unusable statistics: make sure pass one completed successfully, both commands use the same pass-log prefix, and the material video settings match. Do not reuse a prefix for another concurrent job.
- The output is much larger or smaller than expected: the target applies to video, while audio and container overhead add data; also verify that the chosen resolution, frame-rate class, and SDR/HDR target are appropriate. The bitrate calculation is an estimate, not an exact file-size promise.
- Audio is absent or wrong: check whether the input contains an audio stream and whether it is mapped as intended. The optional map permits no-audio inputs; inspect the output stream layout after encoding.
- Color looks different after upload: verify the source color characteristics and metadata before adding tags. YouTube may handle unspecified or unsupported color metadata differently, so do not apply guessed color flags.
- Encoding is too slow or storage is tight: two-pass necessarily adds a full analysis pass. Actual completion time depends on the hardware, source, encoder settings, and filters; no universal speed estimate applies. Check free space for source, logs, and output before restarting a long job.
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