VEGAS Pro (Sony Vegas): Best Export Settings for YouTube
In VEGAS Pro, formerly Sony Vegas, you export from File > Render As with the MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 format and a template that matches your project's resolution and frame rate. Then set the bitrate YouTube recommends: 12 Mbps for 1080p60, 24 Mbps for 1440p60 and 53 to 68 Mbps for 4K60.
- 1080p60
- 12 Mbps
- 1440p60
- 24 Mbps
- 4K60
- 53–68 Mbps
- Audio
- AAC 48 kHz
To export a YouTube video in VEGAS Pro, open File > Render As, choose the MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 format and a template with the same resolution and frame rate as your project. The bitrate comes from YouTube’s table: 12 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps, 24 Mbps for 1440p60 and 53 to 68 Mbps for 4K60.
Plenty of people still call it Sony Vegas, but Sony sold it in 2016, and since March 2026 it belongs to Boris FX. The current version is VEGAS Pro 2026, Windows only. The menus below also work in older versions.
YouTube’s recommended bitrate
These are the figures from YouTube’s upload encoding settings for SDR video:
| Resolution | 24–30 fps | 48–60 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 8 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 1440p | 16 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 4K | 35–45 Mbps | 53–68 Mbps |
The same page asks for MP4 with H.264 High Profile, progressive scan, variable bitrate and AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz.
How to render in VEGAS Pro, step by step
- Check File > Properties first: the project’s resolution and frame rate should match your footage.
- Open File > Render As and pick the folder and file name.
- Select the MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 format. For 4K, MAGIX HEVC/AAC MP4 (H.265) is also available.
- Pick the template with your resolution and frame rate. Templates marked NVENC, VCE/AMF or QSV use your graphics card or CPU to render faster. Movie Studio Zen
- Click Customize Template and, on the Video tab, check:
- frame size matches the project;
- frame rate matches the project;
- field order is progressive;
- bitrate follows YouTube’s table.
- On the Audio tab, keep AAC at 48 kHz.
- Save the template with a name like “YouTube 1080p60” and click Render.
My starting point for 1080p60 gameplay
- Format: MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4
- 1920 × 1080, 60 fps, progressive
- Bitrate: 12 Mbps; move toward 15–16 for games with lots of motion or foliage
- Audio: AAC, 48 kHz
Render one minute first
Select the hardest minute of the video on the timeline (explosions, rain, fast camera), tick the option to render the loop region only and watch the result full screen. If it looks right, render the whole video.
The same numbers in other editors
If you switch editors, YouTube’s settings stay the same. Step-by-step guides for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and CapCut, plus every setting explained in the best YouTube export settings.
Sources
YouTube — Recommended upload encoding settings
Boris FX — A new home for VEGAS Pro, Sound Forge and ACID Pro
Movie Studio Zen — How to render video using VEGAS Pro
Last verified: October 22, 2026.