How to Export iMovie HD Video to YouTube

There are several reasons you need to use the advanced expert mode of iMovie to export HD video to YouTube:

YouTube acceptable file format: FLV, WMV, MPEG4, MOV, AVI and MPEG.

Video length is shorter 10 minutes.

You are only allowed a 100MB file to YouTube. Customizing your settings, you will be able to reduce the size of the file to under that 100MB limit.

1. First, the export options only appear under the "Share" menu. Only the first two export options are of interest for this guide. The first, "Export Movie...", allows for limited fixed options, as seen the large window below. The option we are interested in is the "Export using QuickTime..." item, so select that one.

2. For the "Export:" popup selection, choose "Movie to QuickTime Movie" and then click on the "Options" button. The following window appears.

3. The options of most interest in this window are the video "Settings..." and "Size..." buttons. The sound settings have similar options for customization.

4. In this window choose the following setting under the video choices.

Video Format: H.264

Data Rate: 2000 kbits/sec

Optimized for: Download

Image Size: 320 x 240 QVGA

Check Preserve aspect ratio using: Fit within size

Frame Rate: 30

Key Frame: Automatic

Click the Video Options… button and then select the Main checkbox and the Best Quality radio button. Click OK.

Next choose the following Audio Settings:

Audio Format AAC-LC

Data Rate: 64kbs

Channels: Mono

Output Sample Rate: Recommended

Encoding Quality: Best

5. The size setting also allows you to reduce the file size by reducing the image size. My favorite size over the past few years has been 480x360 because it is large enough for my audience but not too small, and the file size is reduced significantly from the 640x480 common size. Note that the popup "Dimensions:" option has many presets, but not the one I prefer.

If you are exporting a video not intended to be displayed on television, then I suggest selecting "Deinterlace Source Video" if you are editing an interlaced source such as DV from a video camera.

6. Finally I hit the "OK" button several times until I return the export destination window where I click the "Save" button.

While rendering the video to your output file, the status of how long the process will take and approximately how far along it is will be displayed.

7. Now you are available to upload your HD video to YouTube, just follow how to upload video to YouTube Site on Mac.