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YouTube accepts a bunch of different formats, but 16:9 is still the standard and works best on pretty much all devices. It's the classic widescreen format you see in most modern videos. But if you want to optimize for mobile viewers - and you should, because a lot of people watch YouTube on their phones - then 9:16 (portrait) or at least something closer to 1:1 makes sense. YouTube does auto-adjust your videos, but if you film in the right format from the start, you'll save yourself black bars and quality loss.
As for the technical specs: Your videos should be at least 1080p (Full HD), ideally 4K if you have the raw files. Bitrate matters - for 1080p you roughly need 4-8 Mbps, for 4K more like 15-25 Mbps. YouTube compresses everything again anyway, but if you upload with good quality, the final result looks way better. File formats like MP4 with H.264 codec work reliably and are preferred by YouTube.
One more practical thing: Portrait videos (Shorts, TikTok-style) are booming right now, but if you're making longer content, stick with 16:9. It's just the most familiar format for longer viewing. And if you're unsure - YouTube has exact specs on their Creator page where you can check all the current requirements.
It really depends on what you want to upload. For most content, MP4 with H.264 codec and AAC audio works best - YouTube likes that format and it's compatible everywhere. The resolution should be at least 1080p if you want to upload something decent. 30 or 60fps are standard, depending on whether you have fast action or more calm scenes. The file size shouldn't get too wild, otherwise the upload takes forever.
With frame rate and resolution, I'd advise you to stick with what you shot in - if you recorded in 4K, upload 4K as well. YouTube compresses it again anyway, but with better source material your viewers will catch more detail. It's also important to pay attention to frame rate: if you shot at 24fps, keep it that way, don't just scale it up to 60.
One more tip: pay attention to the aspect ratio. 16:9 is standard and displays correctly everywhere. Portrait (9:16) works for Shorts, but for normal videos you need widescreen. And before you upload - test your video somewhere locally to make sure the colors and sound are right. YouTube can sometimes throw surprises at you during compression.
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