How Much Storage Does Video Editing Really Need?
Storage space fills up faster than expected once you start editing video. It might seem like transferring the raw footage is enough, but proxy files, editing caches, intermediate renders, and final exports all pile up on top of it. This calculator takes footage length, resolution, and frame rate and returns both the raw footage size and the recommended working space for the entire editing process.
Resolution and Frame Rate Drive File Size
For the same duration, file size grows exponentially as resolution increases. A 1080p 30fps clip runs about 75MB per minute, while 4K 30fps reaches around 340MB, and 8K 30fps can hit 750MB. Bumping the frame rate to 60fps adds roughly another 1.5x on top of that.
Why You Need Extra Buffer Space
Editing software automatically generates proxy files and caches beyond the raw footage, and goes through multiple rounds of rendering and export. As a result, the actual storage required often reaches 2-3 times the raw footage size. To avoid a failed render mid-project due to insufficient space, it's safer to reserve at least 2.5 times the raw footage size in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Proxy files, caches, and renders add up, so we recommend about 2.5x the raw footage size.
For the same duration, 4K takes roughly 4-5 times more space than 1080p.
Yes — this uses average H.264 bitrates; codec and software settings can change actual size.