How long does it take to upload and process a video?
This depends on:
Your internet upload speed
File size
Processing time
Do I need to stay on the page while uploading?
Yes. You need to stay on the page until both:
Upload is complete
Encoding has finished
If you leave early, the video will not process correctly.
What is encoding?
Encoding prepares your video for playback and distribution.
This includes:
Converting formats
Optimizing for streaming
Syncing audio and video
Preparing distribution
Preparing video for Apple Podcasts (HLS)
When publishing video episodes to Apple Podcasts via Acast, there is a 10 GB file size limit per episode.
This guide explains why the limit exists and how to export or compress your video to stay within it while maintaining great quality.
Why is there a 10 GB limit?
The 10 GB limit is designed to balance several important factors:
Upload time for creators, especially on slower internet connections
Processing and encoding time once the file reaches Acast
Viewer experience, ensuring smooth playback
Typical viewing devices, as most Apple Podcasts video consumption happens on iPhones
In practice, 10 GB provides a good balance between quality and accessibility for creators and listeners.
Recommended export settings
To keep your videos well within the limit while maintaining high quality, we recommend exporting episodes using the following settings:
Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (1080p)
Bitrate: 5-10 Mbps
Color format: SDR (Standard Dynamic Range - not HDR)
With these settings, most podcast episodes should comfortably remain under the 10 GB limit.
Why we don’t recommend 4K
Although 4K video (3996 × 2160) offers higher resolution, it significantly increases file size.
Apple Podcasts will be available supported on multiple devices, but viewers typically see very little visual improvement from 4K compared to 1080p.
For this reason, 1080p provides the best balance of quality and file size.
How to compress a video that’s over 10 GB
If your video export exceeds the 10 GB limit, you can reduce the file size by lowering the bitrate. You can do this either:
In your video editing or mastering software
orUsing a separate video compression tool
Since workflows vary widely across editing tools, we recommend using a dedicated compression app if needed.
A popular option is HandBrake, a free and open-source video transcoder available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Example HandBrake settings
If you’re using HandBrake:
Import your video file
Set the resolution to 1920 × 1080
Set the average bitrate to around 8000 Kbps (8 Mbps)
Export the compressed file
These settings generally produce high-quality video while keeping file sizes manageable.
Episode length vs bitrate
If you produce very long episodes, you may need to lower the bitrate slightly to remain under 10 GB.
Approximate limits:
Bitrate | Maximum episode length before reaching 10 GB |
10 Mbps | ≈2 hours 18 minutes |
8 Mbps | ≈2 hours 48 minutes |
5 Mbps | ≈4 hours 36 minutes |
Reducing bitrate slightly can dramatically increase the maximum episode length.
How does this compare to YouTube quality?
Video quality will be comparable to YouTube.
For example, YouTube recommends around 8 Mbps for 1080p video, which aligns closely with the bitrate recommendations above.