Discord's free tier enforces a 10MB file size limit on all attachments, including video. Nitro subscribers get 50MB (Nitro Basic) or 500MB (full Nitro). For the majority of users on the free tier, 10MB is a hard wall.
A 30-second 1080p video from a modern phone weighs 40-80MB. A 10-second gameplay clip recorded with OBS at 1080p can easily exceed 30MB. Getting these under 10MB requires real compression, not just a format conversion.
What actually works for Discord's 10MB limit
The most effective approach combines resolution reduction and quality adjustment:
Drop to 720p. On Discord, videos are typically watched in a small embedded player or on a phone screen. The difference between 1080p and 720p is invisible at these viewing sizes, but 720p has fewer than half the pixels, meaning dramatically smaller files.
Use CRF 28-32. For gameplay clips, tutorials, and most Discord content, CRF 28 looks perfectly fine. For longer clips that need to squeeze under 10MB, CRF 32 compresses more aggressively. Text in screen recordings may start to soften at CRF 32, but for most video content it is acceptable.
Trim the length. If compression alone is not enough, cutting unnecessary seconds makes a massive difference. Removing 5 seconds from a 30-second clip saves roughly 15-20% of the file size.
Codec choice for Discord
Discord supports both H.264 and H.265, but H.264 is the safer choice. Discord's embedded player handles H.264 reliably across all platforms, including the web client, desktop apps on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and mobile apps. H.265 may not play inline for all viewers.
What about Discord's built-in compression?
Discord does not compress video attachments. If your file exceeds the limit, Discord simply rejects it with an error message. There is no automatic resizing or quality reduction. You must compress the file yourself before uploading.
How to compress for Discord in your browser
The MediaBrew video compressor can handle this. Upload your video, select a compression preset that targets a smaller file size, or use the custom CRF slider. For Discord specifically, try 720p resolution with CRF 28 as a starting point. Check the resulting file size displayed by the tool. If it is still over 10MB, increase the CRF or trim the video shorter.
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