Best Export Settings for YouTube in DaVinci Resolve (Highest Quality Results)
- London Video Editing Studio
- Dec 10, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Introduction
Exporting a video from DaVinci Resolve for YouTube isn’t just a matter of hitting “Render.” A file that looks sharp in Resolve can turn soft or show compression once YouTube has re-encoded it. As a video editor working in London, I rely on these export settings to get cleaner results after YouTube’s final pass. The key is to optimise your master file and trigger YouTube’s higher-quality VP9 or AV1 codecs instead of the default AVC pipeline.
This guide gives you the best export settings for YouTube in DaVinci Resolve, including a 4K uplift strategy, recommended codec choices, bitrate overrides and audio standards. These settings help you retain detail, protect gradients, preserve skin texture, and achieve cleaner streaming quality across devices.
Best Resolution & 4K Export Strategy for YouTube in DaVinci Resolve
The most impactful setting for YouTube export quality is rendering your final video in 3840x2160 — even if your original footage was captured in 1080p.
Why this works:
Codec Gatekeeper:1080p uploads typically get the lower-quality AVC codec, which produces softer results and visible compression in gradients, skin tones, and shadows.Rendering in 4K triggers YouTube’s higher-quality VP9 or AV1 codecs, delivering noticeably sharper detail.
Upscaling for 1080p source:Set your Timeline Resolution to 3840x2160 before export. If you use DaVinci Resolve Studio, enable Super Scale (2x) to intelligently upscale and improve perceived sharpness prior to encoding.
Upscaling 1080p footage to 4K also benefits viewers watching in 1080p, because YouTube applies VP9/AV1 compression at a higher quality stage, resulting in a cleaner image, especially in gradients and motion.
This single decision can create a significant jump in final playback quality, especially for YouTube content featuring text overlays, product close-ups, and talking-head framing.
Best Codec and Format Settings for YouTube Exporting in DaVinci Resolve
Your choice of codec determines how efficiently your data is stored and how much image information YouTube receives during re-encoding.
Codec | Purpose | Recommended Format | Notes |
ProRes 422 HQ / DNxHR HQX | Maximum quality, mastering-level file | QuickTime (.MOV) | Huge file sizes; best upload quality |
H.265 (HEVC) | Best balance of quality & manageable file size | MP4 | More efficient than H.264 |
H.264 | Maximum compatibility | MP4 | Higher bitrates essential |
If quality is your priority (for YouTube, it usually is): Exporting ProRes or DNxHR creates a near-lossless buffer, giving YouTube more data to work with.
If export time and file size matter:Choose H.265, which maintains high quality at a fraction of the space.
Avoid relying on the YouTube preset in Resolve—its default bitrate is not high enough to preserve image detail after YouTube recompression.
For mastering-quality uploads, think of ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR HQX as a “lossless buffer,” supplying YouTube’s encoder with maximum data to work with. Avoid ProRes LT for final delivery, as its compression can degrade quality more than a high-bitrate H.265 export.
Recommended Bitrate Settings for 4K and 1080p YouTube Exports
Bitrate is one of the biggest contributors to visible image quality. Always manually override and choose Restrict to (or set a custom bitrate).
Recommended targets:
Project Resolution + FPS | Target Bitrate |
4K – 60fps | 66–85 Mbps |
4K – 30fps or below | 44–56 Mbps |
1080p – 60fps (no uplift) | 14–20 Mbps |
Some professionals export 4K at 90 Mbps for additional sharpness, although YouTube generally caps playback data closer to 45 Mbps.
Advanced Export Settings in DaVinci Resolve for Maximum YouTube Quality
For the cleanest upload:
Encoding Profile: High
H.265: Use Main 10 if supported
Enable Multi-Pass Encode: Yes
Also called 2-pass encoding
Renders longer, but improves quality in dark gradients and scenes with motion
Frame Rate: Match your timeline / original recording
Multi-pass is especially valuable in interviews, documentaries, and scenes with fades, shadows, or colour gradients—areas where YouTube compression typically struggles.
Best Audio Export Settings for YouTube (-14 LUFS)
Clear and consistent audio drastically improves viewer retention.
Loudness Normalisation: Target -14 LUFS Integrated
Audio Format: AAC
Bitrate: 320 kbps
If audio is mastered above -14 LUFS, YouTube may apply automatic gain reduction, which can introduce unwanted artifacts.
Final Export Checklist
Export using the highest quality settings your hardware can reasonably handle.
YouTube will always re-encode your upload — so the cleaner the master file, the sharper and clearer the viewer’s streaming version will look.
FAQ — Best Export Settings for YouTube in DaVinci Resolve
Why does my video lose quality after uploading to YouTube?
YouTube re-encodes every upload at lower bitrates than your original file. Exporting at 4K (even from 1080p footage) encourages YouTube to use the higher-quality VP9 or AV1 codec, which retains more detail.
Should I use the built-in YouTube export preset in Resolve?
Not usually. The default preset applies a lower bitrate than recommended for preserving detail. Manually setting resolution, codec and bitrate produces better results.
Does the 4K Uplift Strategy actually improve 1080p quality?
Yes. Uploading a 4K export often triggers VP9 or AV1 compression, which results in a cleaner final image, even when users stream in 1080p.
What bitrate should I use for the best YouTube export?
For 4K at 60fps, use 66–85 Mbps. For 4K at 30fps or below, 44–56 Mbps. For 1080p exports, 14–20 Mbps is recommended.
Which codec should I choose: H.264, H.265, or ProRes/DNxHR?
H.265 delivers better efficiency and smaller files than H.264. For maximum quality, export a ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR HQX file as a high-quality intermediate.
What audio settings are best for YouTube?
Use AAC at 320 kbps and target -14 LUFS Integrated to prevent YouTube from automatically reducing your volume.
Should I enable Multi-pass (2-pass) encoding?
Yes. Enabling Multi-pass results in better detail retention, especially in gradients, dark footage and fast motion, though it will increase render time.
Should I upscale 1080p footage to 4K before exporting?
If you want the best quality on YouTube, yes. Upscaling to 4K can help secure VP9 or AV1 encoding and produce a sharper final result.
Conclusion
These workflows are the same ones used by editors working on commercial projects, documentaries and managed YouTube channels and in my own experience, following these settings has consistently produced noticeably better results after YouTube’s compression. Whatever you’re filming on, a mirrorless camera, cinema camera, webcam or even a phone, your export decisions inside DaVinci Resolve have a huge influence on how sharp and clean your video looks once it’s online. YouTube will always re-encode your upload, but by exporting in 4K, choosing modern codecs, pushing a higher bitrate and meeting the right audio standards, you’re giving the platform the best possible version to work from.
Think of your export as the final step in your storytelling. The colour, the motion, the clarity of your audio — all of it depends on the strength of the master file you upload. Using the settings in this guide helps your videos look better right now, and also sets you up well as YouTube continues shifting toward higher-quality codecs and higher-resolution streaming.
If you want support refining your YouTube content workflows, need professional editing for your channel, or would like one-to-one guidance on improving your DaVinci Resolve setup, you can contact us via VideoEditorLondon.co.uk to discuss editing services, consulting, and creator-focused production options tailored to your goals.