Upload 360-degree videos
YouTube supports uploading and playback of 360° spherical videos on computers in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers. In order to upload a 360° video file, you'll need to modify the file with an app or script before uploading.
You can also watch 360° videos on YouTube apps for Android and iOS. For an immersive experience, you can even watch 360° videos with Cardboard and the YouTube Android app.
The following 360 cameras are compatible with YouTube and are available today or coming soon:
For the best results, encode your video at a high resolution and according to YouTube's advanced specifications. YouTube currently supports 360° videos with 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, or 60 frames per second. We recommend uploading 16:9 aspect ratio stitched videos in 4K (3840x2160) resolution.
You can also create 360° videos using custom camera rigs and third party stitching software, such as Kolor Autopano.
Your video file needs to include certain metadata for 360° playback to be enabled. Follow these instructions to install an app that will add the necessary metadata into a new file for you.
Create a 360-enabled file with an app
- Download the 360 Video Metadata app for Mac or Windows.
- Un-zip the file, then open the 360 Video Metadata app. If you're on a Mac, you may need to right-click the app and then click Open.
- Select the video file.
- Select the checkbox for Spherical and click Save as. Do not select the "3D Top-bottom" checkbox. For more information, refer to upload instructions for virtual reality videos.
- Enter a name for the file that will be created.
- Save the file. A new file will be created automatically in the same location as the original file.
- Upload the new file to YouTube.
- Wait for the 360° effect to process. This may take up to an hour.
You can also add the metadata using a Python script.
Before publishing, you can verify that the file has 360° playback enabled by watching the video on your computer. It may take up to an hour for 360° playback to be available.
360° videos feature a pan button in the top left, and can be rotated using the WASD keys, so look for these features to confirm your video is in 360.