YouTube profile picture: renders at 98×98, 15 MB cap

YouTube expects a file that renders at 98×98 px at 1:1 (Studio crop square), 15 mb maximum, in JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG (no animated GIFs). Practical upload: a sharp square. 800×800 is the Official Artist Channel rule, not this one. YouTube Help, “Manage your channel branding,” checked 2026-10-19, does not publish 800×800 or a 4 MB profile cap. “Set your artist avatar” asks Official Artist Channels for 800×800 at 1:1. The banner is separate: minimum 2048×1152, recommended 2560×1440, 6 MB or smaller.

YouTube Studio gives you a crop square before you publish. Keep the face inside that square with a little headroom. The branding article does not publish a circle-mask diagram.

Yes. The output is a realistic likeness of you, not a cartoon or filter. Pick a Foundations or Corporate style and the photo reads as a normal studio shoot.

Yes — your face, hair, and skin tone stay locked. Only clothing, lighting, and background change.

Most headshots are ready in 5 to 15 seconds. You can iterate, then "Edit with words" for tweaks, all in under a minute.

Not for a normal channel. YouTube Help, “Manage your channel branding,” checked 2026-10-19, says the profile picture should render at 98×98 px and must not exceed 15 MB. It does not publish 800×800 or a 4 MB cap. “Set your artist avatar” is a different article and asks Official Artist Channels for an 800×800 image at 1:1.

The same branding article treats the banner as a separate file: minimum 2048×1152 px at 16:9, recommended 2560×1440, 6 MB or smaller. At the minimum size, the safe area for text and logos is 1235×338 px. Do not stretch a headshot to fill the banner.