Youtube Format IDs This article provides a detailed overview of YouTube's format IDs (also known as itags), explaining how they correspond to video codecs, resolutions, and framerates. It notes that format availability depends on factors like video age and popularity, and describes specific rules, such as HFR (High Framerate) videos lacking non-HFR 1080p+ variants and AV1 codecs being reserved for popular content. The document also clarifies that certain format IDs are linked across different streaming protocols (e.g., HTTPS and M3U8 HLS) and mentions recent YouTube developments like AI super-resolution and Premium-only formats. Note: This is all almost full YouTube ID informations. Original owner goes to AgentOak, modified version by Martin Eesmaa. See the credits and also special thanks in below. Before this gist has been forked, AgentOak made original gist on November 13 2019 and it was last updated on May 5 2021. From now on, this forked gist is maintained by Martin Eesmaa since 17 September 2022. I joined to yt-dlp Discord server on 3rd April 2026 with my Discord username: martineesmaa. Last updated: 03 April 2026 Also known as itag or format codes and way back they could be specified with the fmt parameter e.g. &fmt=22 used to be on website address bar after YouTube Video ID, deprecated? . Depending on the age and/or popularity of the video, not all formats will be available. - HFR stands for "High Framerate", which means up to 60 FPS, whereas non-HFR is limited to 30 FPS - Non-HFR 1080p+ H.264 and VP9 variants are not provided for HFR videos anymore - Same IDs are reused for 360° videos - 1440p+ H.264 variants are only provided for 360° videos anymore - At the moment, AV1 variants are only provided for popular videos - All AV1 variants can be HDR no separate non-HDR AV1 variants are offered - AV1 HFR High: High refers to the bitrate. These variants have ~3-4 times the bitrate of their normal counterparts. Additional side effect is providing AV1 HFR variants for low resolutions <=480p . These variants are rare even among videos with AV1 variants. Found on this video. - AV1 HFR 4320p: Format 571 has roughly 50% higher bitrate than 402. Sometimes only one of them is offered, sometimes both. Can be seen on this video. - VP8 can be found this video. - At format 356 & 712, it is the only YouTube premium video format and requires your YouTube account subscribed with Premium subscription to pass cookies file. Format 356 is connected to format 616 available on yt-dlp, not 356 of M3U8. - At format 214, some rare videos were encoded and it is linked from format 379 available on yt-dlp, not 214 of M3U8 can be found this video - For some marked parenthesis format like 271 means that it may be claimed by someone without video link, was old superseeded format from YouTube or something else. I honestly don't know yet... - Please take note that YouTube started to use AI for use super resolution announced it in late 2025, Q4 from low quality videos e.g. old nostalgia videos into high quality videos for some resolutions selected. For example source video resolution is 240p and it has extended resolutions up to 720p and after format adds suffix -sr . Example video Some rarely videos may get AV1 video codec for low views or/and upload date less than 24 hours for average 10 minutes duration video. It could be luck or/and conveniency for YouTube's quiet decision. Here is sample videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BizgNeskJ6o 20 hours ago and at least 50 views, reported on 26.06.2025, later it was deleted it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-X4DJxT6gY 4 years ago and unlisted video, got couple months to get AV1 Those duplicate video IDs of m3u8 as Apple Native HLS are linked to common numbers, not a rare numbers. 270 m3u8 == 137 https are same video quality, but different protocol. Thanks, dtlnor for explanation of equalation video IDs. Also even special thanks, gamer191 to report linked M3U8 codes to common codes. 602 mp4 256x144 12 │ ~ 9.28MiB 87k m3u8 │ vp09.00.10.08 87k video only 269 mp4 256x144 24 │ ~ 18.55MiB 175k m3u8 │ avc1.4D400C 175k video only 603 mp4 256x144 24 │ ~ 16.62MiB 156k m3u8 │ vp09.00.11.08 156k video only 229 mp4 426x240 24 │ ~ 34.72MiB 327k m3u8 │ avc1.4D4015 327k video only 604 mp4 426x240 24 │ ~ 30.72MiB 289k m3u8 │ vp09.00.20.08 289k video only 230 mp4 640x360 24 │ ~ 86.22MiB 812k m3u8 │ avc1.4D401E 812k video only 605 mp4 640x360 24 │ ~ 60.27MiB 567k m3u8 │ vp09.00.21.08 567k video only 231 mp4 854x480 24 │ ~144.25MiB 1358k m3u8 │ avc1.4D401E 1358k video only 606 mp4 854x480 24 │ ~ 98.31MiB 926k m3u8 │ vp09.00.30.08 926k video only 232 mp4 1280x720 24 │ ~280.39MiB 2640k m3u8 │ avc1.4D401F 2640k video only 609 mp4 1280x720 24 │ ~181.03MiB 1705k m3u8 │ vp09.00.31.08 1705k video only 311 mp4 1280x720 60 │ ~ 1.14GiB 4842k m3u8 │ avc1.4D4020 4842k video only 270 mp4 1920x1080 24 │ ~498.55MiB 4694k m3u8 │ avc1.640028 4694k video only 614 mp4 1920x1080 24 │ ~312.21MiB 2940k m3u8 │ vp09.00.40.08 2940k video only 617 mp4 1920x1080 60 │ ~ 1.52GiB 6443k m3u8 │ vp09.00.41.08 6443k video only 312 mp4 1920x1080 60 │ ~ 1.89GiB 7987k m3u8 │ avc1.64002A 7987k video only 620 mp4 2560x1440 24 │ ~928.71MiB 8745k m3u8 │ vp09.00.50.08 8745k video only 623 mp4 2560x1440 60 │ ~ 3.85GiB 16287k m3u8 │ vp09.00.50.08 16287k video only 625 mp4 3840x2160 24 │ ~ 1.94GiB 18661k m3u8 │ vp09.00.50.08 18661k video only 628 mp4 3840x2160 60 │ ~ 8.27GiB 35007k m3u8 │ vp09.00.51.08 35007k video only Examples of two videos: Formats of 228, 779, 780 and 788 were rarely encoded to some YouTube videos, the video resolution is 1080x608 and always under 30 FPS: But for format 228 is 72p quality and only 6 FPS. Sample video link here. Second sample video link of format 228 here Third sample video link of format 787 here Thanks to @GammaBoost for finding three formats 779,780,788 Thanks to @aokin1999 for finding a format 228 Thanks to @jthievre for finding a format 787 - Surround audio can be found on some demo videos - YT Music: These formats are offered on Youtube Music. Format 141 is only available to Premium users with High Quality option - Format 327, 338: These have been found on this Stereo 3D video - Format 325: You can find out one video link here - Format 773: IAMF uncompressed audio track is compressed into Opus audio codec and can play with three groups of Stereo, Surround 5.1 and Binaural for up to 18 channels 7.1.4 . You can find out video link here - Format 774 at YT Music: Some music have available high quality of Opus up to 256 kbps to Premium users, music link here and also bypassing is no longer possible to download for non premium users unless you're subscribed to YouTube Premium and can download format available by extra arguments of cookies from browser or the authentication. - Format 599, 600: Since February 2025, YouTube restricted these two formats only limit access to mobile web with POT token, please add this argument from command: --extractor-args "youtube:player client=mweb;formats=missing pot" Thanks, gamer191 - DRC Optional: Only formats of 139, 140, 249, 250, 251, 599 and 600 were using DRC normalization sound for some videos. - Format 139, 338: Default yt-dlp without argument when using -F or--list-formats does not show up, so please add this argument to show available formats:--extractor-args "youtube:player client=all" . Deprecated note this is old note : - Since February 2025, YouTube discontinued see the current top formats of 599 and 600 due for every video uploaded. - Format 17: Allows for old mobile phones eg. cell phones to watch all videos. The video can have 7.5 & 12 fps only. - Format 18: Some videos are encoded with audio bitrate of 128 kbps for shorter lengths, most of them are with 96 kbps if most lengths or less views. - Always limited to 30 FPS - GDrive: These formats are offered for Google Drive video previews. Note that the video player on GDrive displays incorrect codecs on rightclick - stats - Format 22: Available for most videos, except music and music videos not limited to official music channels - Starting since May 2024, the Format 17 is removed for every mobile YouTube videos uploaded. - Later since 21 June 2024, the Format 22 is also removed for every YouTube HD videos uploaded. - Non-HFR variants are limited to 30 FPS, HFR to 60 FPS - Non-HFR variants for 720p and 1080p may not be offered if HFR is available - Livestreams are also offered through DASH video H.264, VP9 and DASH audio AAC streams - Both audio codecs of MPEG-TS are limited sample rate to 44.1 Khz for streaming a live broadcast. - Also videos without live broadcasting can play formats for acting user agent Safari Web. bestvideo ext=webm +251/bestvideo ext=mp4 + 258/256/140 /bestvideo ext=webm + 250/249 /best AAC Surround 384 / Opus 160 / AAC 192 / AAC Surround 192 / AAC 128 / Opus 70 / AAC 96 / Opus 50 / AAC 48 258/251/22/256/140/250/18/249/139 bestvideo+bestaudio/best yt-dlp --download-archive yt-dlp.list --ignore-errors --write-info-json --add-metadata --write-sub --sub-lang en,de,ja --write-thumbnail --embed-subs -f "