Can you upload an MP3 directly to YouTube?
No. YouTube only accepts video formats such as MP4, MOV, WebM and AVI. Add a picture to the MP3 to make a video, then upload that.
Guide · free tool included
How to upload an MP3 or song to YouTube
YouTube only accepts video files, so the music needs a picture first. Here are the ways to do that, and the upload steps in YouTube Studio.
You can’t upload an MP3 to YouTube directly: YouTube’s help says audio files such as MP3, WAV or PCM can’t be uploaded to create a video. Turn the MP3 into a video first, with a still picture, cover art or a moving visualiser, then upload that file in YouTube Studio like any other video.
There are several ways to make that video: a video editor you may already have, a site that uploads to your channel for you, or a browser tool. This guide goes through the YouTube Studio steps, then the options for making the video, including converting the MP3 to MP4 in your browser here, and finishes with Content ID, which catches out many musicians uploading their own songs.
Upload the video in YouTube Studio
These steps start once you have a video file of the song (see “Ways to turn an MP3 into a video” below).
Open YouTube Studio
Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in to the channel you want to post on. Click CREATE in the top corner, then Upload videos.
Choose the video file
Drag the MP4 into the window or click to select it. YouTube starts uploading straight away and opens the details screen.
Add the details
Give it a title people would search for, such as “Artist – Song (Official Audio)”, a description with credits and links, and a thumbnail. Say whether it is made for kids, which YouTube requires.
Let the checks run
On Checks, YouTube looks for copyright matches. A claim here is common for songs that are also on streaming services; see the copyright section below before publishing.
Publish
On Visibility, choose Private, Unlisted or Public, or Schedule a time, then click SAVE.
Ways to turn an MP3 into a video
With a video editor you already have
Any editor can do it: put the picture on the timeline, stretch it to the length of the song, add the MP3 underneath and export. iMovie on a Mac and Clipchamp on Windows 11 are both free. It takes a few minutes and works for any length, but the result is a completely still picture unless you add movement yourself.
With a site that uploads for you
TunesToTube, a long-running free service, combines an audio file and an image and uploads the result to your channel after you sign in with Google. It saves a step, but you give it access to your YouTube account and, at the time of writing, free uploads carry its watermark.
In your browser, with a picture or a visualiser
- Open the MP3 on this site with Landscape selected and press Cover art in Text to add the artwork.
- Drag Clip start and Clip end on the timeline to cover the whole song (up to 10 minutes).
- Keep the Still cover look, or pick Visualiser or Vinyl in Templates for something that moves with the music.
- Press Export, choose 1080p, press Export video and Download video. Then upload the MP4 as above.
Nothing is uploaded until you upload it to YouTube yourself, there is no watermark, and you don’t give any site access to your channel. For songs longer than 10 minutes, use an editor or the FFmpeg command on the MP3 to MP4 page.
Settings YouTube recommends
YouTube re-encodes everything you upload, but a clean upload gives it more to work with. Its own recommendations for uploads include:
- Container and video: MP4 with H.264. 16:9 at 1080p is the standard for music uploads.
- Sound: AAC-LC at 48 kHz; for stereo, YouTube suggests 384 kbps.
- Frame rate: keep the frame rate it was made at. A still picture has no reason to be 60 fps; 30 fps is plenty.
The video made on this site is an H.264 MP4 with 192 kbps AAC: below YouTube’s suggested audio bitrate but comfortably good enough for most uploads. If you are uploading a studio master and want the most from it, the WAV to MP4 page covers what changes and what doesn’t.
Copyright, Content ID and Art Tracks
YouTube’s Content ID compares uploads with music that rights holders have registered. Uploading someone else’s song almost always gets a claim: the video may be blocked in some countries, or ads may run with the money going to the rights holder. Making it into a video doesn’t change that.
If it is your own music
- If your music is released through a distributor that also manages Content ID, your own upload can be claimed on your behalf. Most distributors let you add your channel to an allow list so your uploads are left alone; ask yours before publishing.
- Distributors usually deliver releases to YouTube as “Art Tracks”: a still of the cover art with the song, shown on an automatically created “Artist – Topic” channel. Your song may already be on YouTube this way.
- Your own upload is still worth doing for a visualiser, a lyric line in the description or a premiere on your own channel, where you control the title, description and comments.
Uploading a podcast, an interview or a talk rather than a song? The podcast on YouTube guide covers podcast playlists and RSS.
Uploading MP3s to YouTube: FAQs
How do I upload a song to YouTube with a picture?
Combine the song and the picture into an MP4 with an editor, an uploader service or this site, then in YouTube Studio click CREATE, Upload videos and select the file.
Can I upload music to YouTube from my phone?
Yes. Make the video on your phone (this site works in Safari and Chrome), save it, then upload it in the YouTube app or the YouTube Studio app.
Why did my song get a copyright claim?
Content ID matched it with registered music. If it is your own release, your distributor is probably claiming it for you; ask them to allow your channel. If it isn’t yours, the rights holder decides what happens to the video.
What is the best picture size for a music upload?
1920×1080 for the video. Square album art works too: tools like this one place it in the middle of a 16:9 frame over a soft-focus copy instead of black bars.
Is there a free MP3 to YouTube converter without a watermark?
Yes. Video editors such as iMovie and Clipchamp export without a watermark, and so does the MP3 to MP4 converter on this site.