Guides

How to compress a video for Discord (under 10 MB)

Updated 30 September 2026

Tool for this guide: Compress video

Short answer: Discord lets free accounts upload files up to 10 MB. Open the video compressor, choose Target size, enter 9.5 MB and, for anything longer than about a minute, set the resolution to 720p or 480p.

Discord upload limits

Servers with boosts can raise the limit for everyone in that server. If your upload fails with "Your files are too powerful", the file is over the limit for your account or that server.

Why aim for 9.5 MB, not 10 MB

A target size is an estimate. Aiming slightly under the limit leaves room for small differences, so you don't have to compress twice.

Step by step

1. Open the video compressor and add your clip.
2. Choose Target size and type 9.5.
3. Under Resolution, pick 720p for clips up to a minute or two, or 480p for longer ones.
4. Compress and download the MP4, then drag it into Discord.

The video is processed in your browser, so it isn't uploaded to us.

How long a clip fits in 10 MB?

File size is roughly bitrate × length. At 10 MB you have about 80 megabits to spend in total:

For game clips with a lot of fast motion, go one step lower than the table suggests.

Make it smaller without losing quality

• Trim the clip first. Every second you cut frees up bitrate for the rest.
• Record at a lower resolution next time. Screen recordings at 1080p or 1440p are much bigger than Discord needs.
• Turn it into a GIF only for very short loops. A video to GIF is often bigger than an MP4 for anything over a few seconds.

When it still won't fit

For long recordings, upload the video to cloud storage or a video site and share the link in Discord. Discord shows a preview for most video links.