I did my compressor settings years ago and feel perhaps they might need to be updated to keep up with the times. If I may ask what settings is everyone one using these days? Like what's the secret recipe?

Name: YouTube lastest
Description: No description
File Extension: mov
Estimated file size: 2.75 GB/hour of source
Audio Encoder
AAC, Stereo (L R), 44.100 kHz
Video Encoder
Format: QT
Width: 640
Height: 360
Pixel aspect ratio: Square
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: 30
Frame Controls On:
Retiming: (Fast) Nearest Frame
Resize Filter: Linear Filter
Deinterlace Filter: Better (Motion Adaptive)
Adaptive Details: Off
Antialias: 0
Detail Level: 0
Field Output: Progressive
Codec Type: MPEG-4 Video
Multi-pass: Off, frame reorder: Off

Pixel depth: 24
Spatial quality: 76
Min. Spatial quality: 25
Key frame interval: 24
Temporal quality: 50
Min. temporal quality: 25
Average data rate: 6.554 (Mbps)
Sharpen Edge
Amount: 16.700

Here is an example of one of my videos....
Baracole by Alexandre Tansman played by Jason Mullen - YouTube

Hi Michael.

This may or may not be helpful at all, but for some time now, I've just left all of the compressing "headaches" to YouTube. I upload the movie in 1080p and find that YouTube will then compress it into different resolutions (1080p, 540p, 360p or whatever). The quality of the codec I use depends on the length of the piece and how long it will take to upload, but I've found that, even if I upload an MP4 movie, YouTube does a very nice job of re-compressing (perhaps not to the standards of a hawk-eyed pixel peeper, but very acceptable to the general audience).

For what it's worth.

Thanks David I'll give that a try!

The amount of time it takes to upload a 1080p file in camera format is significant compared to the upload time for a file that's been compressed to something closer to web quality. It's like hours versus minutes depending on the length.

To answer your question, I generate 720p or 480p files using modified versions of Compressors h.264 presets. I vary the bit rate from 1500 to 5000 depending on the quality I am willing to upload. Even if you want to upload a 1080p file, I doubt you'd see any difference in the final output if the bit rate is above 6000. If it's just one file then meh. Long upload vs compression and short upload. But if you have a bunch of files, the upload happens in parallel with compression. YMMV