Exporting is the last step, but getting it wrong can undo hours of careful editing — a badly compressed export looks blurry or blocky no matter how good the edit underneath is. This lesson covers the settings that actually matter.
Starting an Export
With your sequence open, go to File > Export > Media (or Ctrl+M / Cmd+M). This opens the Export Settings window, split into a preview on the left and settings on the right.
Format and Codec
For nearly all online delivery, use:
- Format: H.264
- Preset: Match Source - High bitrate (a good starting point; Premiere reads your sequence settings and picks sensible defaults)
H.264 balances quality and file size well and is universally supported by YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and every major platform. Save other formats (ProRes, DNxHD) for archiving masters or handing footage to another editor — they're far larger files at similar visual quality.
Resolution and Frame Rate
These should match your sequence unless you have a specific reason to change them:
- Resolution — 1920x1080 (1080p) is the standard baseline; 3840x2160 (4K) if you shot and edited in 4K
- Frame rate — must match your sequence's frame rate, or motion will look wrong (stuttery or sped up)
Bitrate
Under the Video tab, bitrate controls file size vs. quality. For 1080p H.264 exports:
- VBR, 2 pass — slower to encode but better quality-to-size ratio than 1 pass, worth it for final exports
- Target bitrate: 10-16 Mbps for 1080p at 30fps is a solid range; go higher (16-24 Mbps) for fast-motion or high-detail footage
- Max bitrate: roughly 1.5x your target
Platforms like YouTube re-compress everything you upload anyway, so there's little benefit to exaggerating bitrate far beyond these ranges — you're mostly just creating a bigger file to upload.
Audio Settings
Under the Audio tab, AAC at 320 kbps, 48kHz sample rate covers virtually every platform's requirements. Don't overlook this tab — a video can look perfect and still sound thin if audio bitrate was left on a low default.
Platform-Specific Aspect Ratios
Different platforms expect different frame shapes:
| Platform | Aspect Ratio | Typical Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube (standard) | 16:9 | 1920x1080 |
| Instagram/TikTok Reels, Shorts | 9:16 | 1080x1920 |
| Instagram Feed (square) | 1:1 | 1080x1080 |
If you need multiple versions of one edit, build each aspect ratio as its own sequence (drag your finished sequence into a new sequence with the target aspect ratio, then reframe/reposition elements as needed) rather than trying to force one export to work everywhere.
Using Media Encoder for Batch Exports
For multiple exports (e.g., a YouTube version and an Instagram version of the same edit), click "Queue" instead of "Export" in the Export Settings window. This sends the job to Adobe Media Encoder, which can process exports in the background while you keep working in Premiere, and can queue up several exports to run one after another.
Checking Your Export
Always watch the exported file before publishing it — not just the last frame in Premiere's timeline. Encoding issues (a corrupted frame, unexpected black flashes, audio sync drift) don't always show up in the editing timeline, but they will show up in the final file.