Compress Images for YouTube

YouTube thumbnails are the single most impactful factor in video click-through rate. Compressed, well-sized thumbnails load quickly and display crisply across all devices. Use ImageSmith to compress your YouTube images before sending — free, instant, and entirely in your browser. No account needed, no watermarks, no ads. Target under 2,048KB for best results on YouTube.

Max size

2,048 KB

Format

JPEG

Size

1280×720 (thumbnails), 2560×1440 (channel art)

  • 1Custom thumbnails must be under 2MB file size
  • 2Use 1280×720 pixels — displayed at various sizes across devices
  • 3High contrast with bold, readable text increases click-through rate
  • 4Bright, saturated colors stand out in recommendation feeds

Compress by format

Other platforms

YouTube image compression FAQ