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Julian23023339vaqm
Known Participant
February 28, 2022
Question

Why are exported files sizes so huge?

  • February 28, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 12503 views

Why whenever I export a video in Premiere pro the file size is huge. I could input a video that is 1mb, and the result will be 10mb or more. I know its because of the video and audio bitrate, but all I want to do is just add a little text to my video or retate it or change the color without interfering with the bitrate. Is there an option to match the settings of premiere pro to the settings of the settings video? Or maybe a plugin I can use?

3 replies

A
Alexander28849771mydf
Participant
March 25, 2023

When you export a video in Premiere Pro, the file size can increase due to various factors, including the bitrate of the video and audio, the codec used, and the resolution of the output file. Adding text, rotating, or changing the color of the video can also contribute to an increase in file size, as these edits require rendering and may affect the overall quality of the video.

 

However, there are a few things you can do to help reduce the file size of your exported video:

 

  1. Adjust the bitrate: When exporting your video, you can adjust the bitrate settings to match those of the original video file. This will help maintain the quality of the video while reducing the file size. In Premiere Pro, you can find the bitrate settings under the "Bitrate Encoding" section in the export settings.
  2. Use a more efficient codec: Premiere Pro offers a range of codecs for exporting your video, some of which are more efficient than others. Consider using a codec like H.264, which is known for its high compression and smaller file sizes.
  3. Lower the resolution: If you don't need to export your video in full HD, consider lowering the resolution to reduce the file size. You can find the resolution settings in the export settings under the "Video" section.
  4. Use a third-party plugin: There are several third-party plugins available for Premiere Pro that can help optimize your video exports and reduce the file size. One example is the "ProRes RAW" plugin, which can help reduce the file size of your exports while maintaining high-quality video.

 

By making these adjustments, you can help reduce the file size of your exported video while maintaining the quality of your edits.

 

    M
    Community Expert
    mark@headTrixCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 4, 2022

    how are you exporting your videos? When you export, under Preset you can select "Match Source"and you can choose  Medium bitrate which should lower your file size substantially. Video will also be smaller if you reduce the file export   height and width.  You can choose h264 and export as an Mp3

     

    hope this helps
    mark

    headTrix, Inc. | Adobe Certified Training & Consulting
    J
    Julian23023339vaqmAuthor
    Known Participant
    March 4, 2022

    The height and width is another story by itself. For videos, when I reduce the height and width, it doesnt change the size... at all. But for gifs it works. But this doesnt really explain why Premiere is bumping the sizes for no reason. I bet you I could run the same file through premiee over and over again and get a bigger file size. Why is premiere adding data for no reason?

    M
    Community Expert
    mark@headTrixCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 7, 2022

    reducing the height and width should surely reduce the file size. Videos are bitmap based, just like images, so they are made up of pixels, and every extra pixel in height and or width increases the file size since each pixel contains RGB color information. Only with video it will be even more visible since video is around 30 images. per each second of  video. A 1920x1080 video could be around 75mb,  but if reduced to half the size lets say around 800x400px the video file would only be about 16mb. Test it. It might not show a change in the Export settings like a GIF would, but once exported you can see the file size.

     

    Cheers,
    mark

    headTrix, Inc. | Adobe Certified Training & Consulting
    Ann Bens
    Community Expert
    Ann BensCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 28, 2022

    Filesize = bitrate x duration.

    Much depends on codec used.

    Post screenshot export settings.

    After export Handbrake can help reduce your filesize.

      J
      Julian23023339vaqmAuthor
      Known Participant
      March 3, 2022

      What about Gifs? Gifs have the same problem and gifs dont use any kind of bitrate that I know of. I exported a gif and wanted to add a watermark later, I didnt change any settings but the file gained 5mb. Where is this extra data coming from? Also why could Handbreak fix the proble but Premiere cant? What's the problem exactly? Im really annoyed I cant fix this problem.

        Stan Jones
        Community Expert
        Stan JonesCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 13, 2022

        Julian,

         

        This thread got my interest for the issue of file sizes of H.264 exports. Mark says, "reducing the height and width should surely reduce the file size," but that is not true unless something else is adjusted to reduce the datarate. The interframe compression of H.264 does not result in a collection of full frame pixels.

         

        Some of this is semantics, because it is true that "reducing the height and width AND reducing datarate to achieve similar quality will reduce the file size."

         

        Regarding your immediate issue with gifs, I recall issues with optimzing gif animations, but it is not my area. I just did a search for "filesize of gifs," and the sky is the limit. Yes, I get the same results you do with PR, a slighter smaller file size, but too large for the mission critical file size you have. Look for specialized tools. Conrad mentions gifksi. There are many and I know very little. Mark points out the advantages of using Photoshop, or any better tool for gifs.

         

        Regarding the issue of reducing H.264 file sizes by reducing pixel dimensions.... When the export is a full frame of pixels for every frame, you can see how this might be true. But that is not how H.264 compression works which is interframe. Only the keyframes have the full image. The B frames and P frames do not contain the full frame. So fewer pixels are required. And for a given datarate, more pixels might be added to improve quality.

         

        The more important issue is that the export with the same settings, "except for pixel dimension," specify a target (and if software encoding) maximum bitrate. So the encoder is going to use up to the maximum to achieve the target bitrate. And  unless the reduction of dimension goes so far as to result in the encoder being unable to use the maximum and/or target, it will use all those pixels. So even with a reduction in dimension, the bitrate X duration will equal the filesize. Dimension is not part of the equation.

         

        I got the same results Ann got, and I focus on the lines she circles regarding Bits/(Pixel*Frame). You can see that when using the larger pixel frame video, that amount is very small. To get the smaller file size,  you must do something to reduce the datarate. There are many variables, and I suspect that Mark has some other difference in his settings.

         

        Stan

         

         

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