This tutorial will show you how to prepare your video for Vimeo using the latest version of Compressor.
- 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.
💡TIP: You can send a file from Final Cut by clicking File > Send to Compressor from Final Cut X’s top navigation bar.
- If you aren't using Final Cut Pro, or already have a file handy, 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 (If the settings/locations menu is already shown, you can skip this step)
- 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.
- In the settings panel on the lefthand side, select your new Vimeo Export preset.
- On the righthand side of the screen, under the General tab, choose the following options
Note: If the General tab is not appearing, select the equalizer icon (
)
Name Leave as-is Description Leave as-is Default location None Format Video and Audio Optimize for network use Unchecked Set duration to 100% of source
Example once complete:
- Under the Video tab, select the following options:
Video Properties
Frame Size
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
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 rate 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 (if applicable)
Same as Source or Progressive
Color Space
Rec. 709
💡TIP: If you’re working with HDR videos, you can set this value to Rec. 2020 (note this setting should only be used for videos recorded and mastered in HDR)
Codec
H.264
Profile
For HD footage, choose "High." For SD footage, choose "Main."
Entropy mode
CABAC
Keyframe interval
Automatic
Data rate
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.
Custom. Use the slider to choose a value appropriate for your video.
SD 2000 – 5000 kbps
720p 5000– 10,000 kbps
1080p 10000 – 20000 kbps
2K 20000 – 30000 kbps
4K 30000 – 60000 kbps
8K 50000 – 80000 kbps
Multi-pass
Unchecked
Allow frame reordering
Checked
360 Metadata
For standard, non-360 videos, set this value to “None”
For 360 (e.g spherical) videos that do not already video metadata, set this value to “Spherical V1” (learn more here about working with 360 metadata in Compressor)
Cropping & Padding
Cropping
Custom (Top/Bottom/Left/Right should all be set to 0)
Padding
Preserve Source Aspect Ratio
Quality
Resize filter
Anti-Aliased (Best)
Retiming quality
Best (Motion Compensated)
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
Skip the Video Effects section.
Example once complete (values marked with a start are subject to vary depending on your source file)
- 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)
(Note that for any number of channels above 2, Vimeo will downmix your audio to 2 channels upon upload. For best results, we recommend mixing down multiple audio tracks into a Stereo mix beforehand)
Sample rate
48
Format
AAC
Quality
Maximum
Data rate
320 kbps
Bit Rate Strategy
Variable
Skip the Audio Effects section.
Example once complete:
-
Your export preset is now ready. Choose Add next to the filename to apply your preset. Then, select a destination on your computer to export your file to (like your Desktop).
You can also drag the Vimeo Export preset over your file to apply it.
-
Once you’re ready, click Start Batch to kick-off the export process. You can then watch the progress of your compression job in the Active tab.
- Once the compression process has completed, view your finished file to make sure it looks and sounds correct — then upload it to Vimeo via your browser vimeo.com/upload.
Publishing to Vimeo from Compressor
You can also publish directly to Vimeo using Compressor’s built-in “Publish to Vimeo” feature. This feature combines Compressor’s compression and uploading to Vimeo processes into one simple step.
⚠️Please note that the publishing process was built and managed by Apple, so Vimeo's support team may be unable to assist with certain issues. If you encounter any errors when using the “Publish to Vimeo” feature, we recommend exporting to your computer first and then uploading the file to your Vimeo account using a browser via vimeo.com/upload.
Once your export preset has been applied, click on the header of your file in the batch list. In the new Job panel that appears, scroll down and choose Publish to Vimeo under “Action,” then enter your Vimeo account information.
(Note that regardless of your account type, some privacy options such as “Hide from Vimeo.com” or “Only people with a Private Link” will be unavailable. These privacy settings are not supported via Compressor but can be updated in a browser on Vimeo.com once your file has successfully uploaded. Any upload defaults you’ve set in your Vimeo account settings will also not apply.)
When you’re ready, select Start Batch and then Publish to accept the terms of service that appear. Similarly to exporting a video to your computer, you can watch the progress of your compression and upload jobs to Vimeo from the Active tab.
Once done, you can access your video on Vimeo!