How to Compress Video for Discord (Under 25 MB or 50 MB)
Discord's Upload Limits
Discord's free tier limits file uploads to 25 MB. Nitro Basic bumps this to 50 MB. Nitro subscribers get 500 MB. Most gamers recording clips in 1080p or 4K will blow past 25 MB in under 30 seconds. If you don't have Nitro, you need to compress.
Compress for Discord
Upload your clip to CocoConvert and set a target file size of 24 MB (leave a small buffer). The compressor converts to MP4 with H.264, adjusting quality to hit your target. For short clips under 30 seconds, you'll get decent 720p-1080p quality. For longer videos, expect lower resolution but still watchable results.
Optimizing Gaming Clips
Gaming clips compress well because most frames are similar. Reduce resolution to 720p — Discord can't play videos at native 1440p/4K anyway. Cut the FPS from 60 to 30 — the file size drops roughly in half. Trim to the exact highlight moment — every unnecessary second costs you quality on the frames that matter.
Better Alternatives for Long Videos
For clips longer than a minute, uploading to YouTube or Streamable and sharing the link is usually better. YouTube is free with no size limit. Streamable offers quick upload and direct embed in Discord. Medal.tv and Clips are popular for gaming highlights specifically.