How to Compress Videos to Smaller Size in Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro tends to export videos that are often too large for easy online sharing. For example, WhatsApp allows a maximum video file size of 16MB, while Instagram permits uploads of up to 650MB from mobile devices. Basic Plan members on Vimeo are restricted to 500MB per week for video uploads. If you're wondering whether Premiere Pro can resize videos, the answer is affirmative.

You can follow this guide on how to export videos with smaller file sizes in Premiere Pro if you find yourself dealing with excessively large video files from the editing program.

Suggested reading => Top 10 Free Video Compression Software better than Premiere Pro.

Part 1. [Tutorial] How to Compress Video in Premiere Pro without Losing Quality

Step 1. Open the export window

In Premiere Pro, click file > export > media. The Export Settings window should appear. In the window, you can do export settings to compress video file size in Premiere Pro.

Step 2. Adjust export settings to make video size smaller in Premiere Pro

Use one or more of the following ways to export smaller file sizes in Premiere Pro.

1. Choose a more efficient codec format. H.264 format keeps a good balance between file size and quality and has great compatibility. H.264 is recommended for video exports through Premiere Pro.

2. Set the bitrate to VBR, 2 pass. Adobe uses 1 pass VBR by default. The 2 pass VBR enables Premiere Pro to reduce video size without losing quality. The export process might take a longer time to complete using 2 pass VBR. CBR option has the fastest speed but the lowest quality.

3. Lower the bitrate. The lower the bitrate, the smaller the file size the video will have. On the export settings, there's a Target Bitrate slider. Adjust the target bitrate gradually and check the estimated file size at the left bottom of the window until the file size is around what you want. The estimated file size changes as you adjust the bitrate.

4. Reduce video resolution or change video size. Lower down the video resolution or resize the video to make video file size smaller in Premiere Pro. To do it, go to Sequence > sequence settings, select Frame Size under Video section, and Width and Height under Video Previews. Set width and height to resize video for smaller file size according to your needs. You can crop video in Premiere Pro to cut out unwanted frames, however, it doesn't influence the video size too much.

Step 3. Export compressed video files from Premiere Pro.

Once you're finished editing, click "Export" to create a smaller version of your video. This compressed video is perfect for sharing on social media. If you'd like to upload directly, choose the platform (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) from the "Publish" tab. Add any tags or descriptions you want, and hit "Export" again. Adobe Premiere Pro will then upload your video for you.

Suggested reading => How to Change Video Size in Adobe Premiere Pro

Part 2. Compress Video Size for Whatsapp in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro has 1080p presets for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, but no presets for Whatsapp. It means you can't use direct presets for Whatsapp. To compress video file size for Whatsapp in Premiere Pro, use export as Adaptive Low Bitrate preset in the export dialog box. Adaptive Low Bitrate preset will make the video smaller and more friendly for sharing to Whatsapp. Whatsapp doesn't support high-bitrate video file sharing.

There's a setting in Premiere Pro to export videos for WhatsApp. It balances video quality and file size, but it might not always be small enough for WhatsApp. For even smaller files, you'd need stronger compression software. Here's how to use the setting in Premiere Pro:

1. Export as Adaptive Low Bitrate preset in the export dialog box.
2. On the export settings window, click on the Preset, select Match Source - Medium Bitrate.

Suggested reading => How to Compress Video Size with VLC Media Player.

Part 3. Video Tutorial - How to Compress Video in Premiere Pro

If you are a visual learner, here's a video tutorial on how to compress video file size in Adobe Premiere Pro without losing quality. In the video tutorial, you will learn how to import and open your video, how to set the average video bitrate, and export video in smaller file size in Adobe Premiere Pro. It's the most viewed video tutorial about compressing video with Adobe Premiere Pro. By following the tutorial, some users compressed 500MB to 50MB, 1GB to 128MB with Premiere Pro. The used version is Adobe Premiere Pro 2019.

• From 00:22, Lower Bitrate in Premiere Pro
• From 00:36, Applying a High Bitrate Preset
• Fom 00:45, Reduce Size Further with Premiere Pro
• Fom 00:55, Tareget Bitrate

Part 4. FAQs about How to Compress Video in Premiere Pro

1. Can Adobe Premiere Pro compress video?

Yes. Adobe Premiere Pro can export video in smaller file size for email or web sharing such as uploading to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites. Though Premiere Pro is a professional video editing software, the program can reduce video size in export settings.

2. How do I compress video size without losing quality in Premiere Pro?

You can try the Bitrate Settings under Export Settings in Premiere Pro. The 2-pass VBR ensures the best video quality. However, the export speed will be slow. On the other hand, scale video frame size also helps export smaller file sizes without losing quality in Premiere Pro.

3. How do I reduce the size of a video in Premiere Pro?

To reduce video size in Premiere Pro, you can set Premiere Export settings, including bitrate, video frame size, change video codec format, etc. The estimated video file size is displayed at the bottom of the Export Settings window in Premiere Pro.

4. How to make video size smaller in Premiere Pro?

To export video in smaller file size in Premiere Pro, you can tweak some settings, such as video codec, passes, and bitrate. If you compress video in Premiere Pro for YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo, try presets offered by Premiere Pro. It's quite easy and straightforward and you don't need to figure out complicated settings. If the export video file is still large, go to adjust the bitrate yourself.

5. Premiere Pro file size too big?

Premiere Pro Videos Too Big? Try This:

• Export Settings: Adjust settings like frame rate, resolution, and format (H.264 is good). Look for the "Level" options in the Video tab.
• Separate Compression Software: Premiere Pro isn't the best for shrinking videos. Consider tools like Winxvideo AI or Handbrake for further size reduction.

6. Unsupported compression in file Adobe Premiere Pro

If you see an "unsupported compression type" error when trying to import MP4, MTS, etc., try these fixes:

• Clear the Media Cache: This might be corrupted. Look for "Media Cache" settings in Premiere Pro and clear it.
• Check Codecs: Make sure Premiere Pro has the necessary files to handle the video format. Reinstalling Premiere Pro might fix this.
• Try Again: After cleaning or reinstalling, try importing your videos again.