This tutorial will show you how to prepare your video for Vimeo using Compressor 4.1.1 or later. If you’re using the older version of Compressor (version 3.5), read this tutorial instead.
- If you imported your video into Compressor directly from Final Cut Pro, it should already be preloaded into the main window. If this is the case, skip ahead to step 3.
- If you aren't using Final Cut Pro, import your file by clicking "Add File" in the lower panel. Alternatively, you can navigate to File > Add File... Select your video file, then click "Add."
- Navigate to Window > Show Settings & Locations.
- In the bottom left-hand corner, click the "+" symbol and select "New Setting."
- In the "Format" dropdown, select "MPEG-4." Give the setting a Name (for example: "Vimeo Export") and a Description (ex. "Export setting for Vimeo"). Then, click "OK."
- Underneath your video's filename, click "Add Outputs."
- Select your custom Setting (what we called "Vimeo Export") from the list.
- Next to "Location," select "Desktop." Then, click "OK."
- Underneath your video's filename, make sure the setting is highlighted, then click the "Inspector" button in the upper right-hand corner of the Compressor application.
- Under the "General" tab, select the following options:
- Name
Leave as-is. - Description
Leave as-is. - Default location
None - Format
- If your video does not contain audio, choose Video.
Video and Audio - Optimize for network use
Unchecked - Set duration to
100% of source - Under the "Video" tab, select the following options:
Video Properties - Frame Size
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Vimeo uses some unique calculations to determine the available playback qualities for your video. Read More.
Choose your desired frame size from the list under "Manual." If you aren't sure what frame size to use, choose "Automatic." - Pixel aspect ratio
Square - Frame rate
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You can enter a custom frame rate by choosing Automatic and entering your new frame rate value to the right of the dropdown. There are some situations where you'll want to choose a frame rate different from the source:
If your frame rate is higher than 60 FPS: Choose a factor of your frame rate that is between 15-60 FPS. For example, if your frame rate is 100 FPS, choose 60 FPS.
If your frame arte is lower than 15FPS: Choose a multiple of your frame rate that is between 15-30 FPS. For example, if your frame rate is 8 FPS, choose 16 FPS.
If you upload a frame rate that is higher than 60 FPS or lower than 15 FPS, Vimeo will automatically adjust the frame rate for you. However, we can't guarantee the results will always look as expected. It's best to do the conversion on your end prior to uploading.
Under "Manual," choose your source video's native frame rate. If you aren't sure which frame rate to use, choose "Automatic." - Field order
Same as Source - H.264 profile
For HD footage, choose "High." For SD footage, choose "Main." - Entropy mode
CABAC - Key frame interval
Automatic - Data rate
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These data rates are suggested for average video files. If your video contains below average visual complexity (such as a slideshow presentation), choose a lower data rate. If your video contains above average visual complexity (such as a video with high levels of grain), increase the data rate.
Remember: Lower data rates lead to smaller file sizes and faster uploads! Experiment to pick the lowest data rate that yields acceptable image quality.
720p HD video: 5000 — 10000 kbps
1080p HD video: 10000 — 20000 kbps
SD video: 2000 — 5000 kbps- Multi-pass
Unchecked - Allow frame reordering
Checked Cropping & Padding - Cropping
Custom (Top/Bottom/Left/Right should all be set to 0) - Padding
Preserve Source Aspect Ratio Quality - Resize filter
Best (Statistical Prediction) - Retiming quality
Better (Motion Adaptive) - Adaptive details
Checked - Anti-aliasing level
- If your video contains aliasing (jagged edges), you may wish to increase this value. Use sparingly.
0 - Details level
- If your video has soft edges, you may wish to increase this value. Use sparingly.
0 - Under the "Audio" tab, select the following options (you can skip this step if your video does not contain audio):
- Channel layout
Stereo (L R) - Sample rate
48 - Data rate
320 kbps - Double-click the filename to edit the exported file's name (optional).
- Click "Start Batch." You can watch the progress of your compression job in the Active tab.
- View your finished, compressed file to make sure it looks and sounds correct — then upload it to Vimeo! Questions about uploading?