You might be pressed for time, or that YouTuber on the video is simply speaking so, so, slowly- and that brought you here, to the playback speed calculator. Whatever your reason, you need to speed up that piece of digital media: the YouTube video, the Spotify podcast, the newest episode on Netflix, or maybe even a TikTok. What is 59 mins in 1.5 speed? How long is a 2-hour video at 2x speed? We have those answers here.
If you’re adjusting the speed of an audiobook, we have a dedicated audiobook speed calculator just for that purpose!
Our video speed calculator determines the actual viewing or listening time of a media file after adjusting its speed. It can be used for videos, lectures, podcasts, TV series, and online courses to measure duration changes caused by faster or slower playback settings, such as 0.75x, 1.25x, 1.5x, or any other speed. On top of finding the new duration, it will also tell you how much time you will save on listening to your file!
What the video speed calculator is for?
We created this tool to let you calculate the video time with the adjusted playback speed. You can use it to answer the following questions:
- How much time will I save if I listen to my content at 1.25x speed?
- If I only have limited time to watch (or listen to) a long-form piece of media, what playback speed do I need to fit within the allotted time?
- Is the playback speed at which I want to play my piece of media still good enough for me to understand the content?
How to use the playback speed calculator
To calculate the video time with playback speed, follow these steps:
- Enter original media length in hours and minutes. Alternatively, you can choose different units (for example, minutes and seconds for shorter pieces of media, such as short YouTube videos).
- Select your playback speed multiplier (e.g., 1.25x, 1.5x, 2x). A value above 1 indicates speeding up; a value below 1x indicates slowing down. For example, write 1.5x to use our tool as the 1.5 speed calculator.
- That’s it! The playback speed calculator will compute the adjusted duration of your piece of media. It will also inform you what is the time you saved (or added) due to different playback settings.
Playback speed doesn’t change the file size of your digital media — it simply speeds it up or slows it down. For more information on this, visit our video file size calculator.
The formula for playback speed
This playback speed time calculator is based on a simple relationship between the duration of your media file and the speed at which you’re watching or listening. Basically, the higher the playback speed, the shorter the new time.
You can express this relationship with a formula:
new duration = original duration / playback speed multiplier
The time saved is a simple difference between the two values:
time saved = original duration - new duration
For example, you could be watching an online course that takes 1 hour 20 minutes at a playback speed of 1.25x. Then, the new duration will be calculated as:
1 h 20 min / 1.25 = 1 h 4 min
The time saved is the difference between the two:
1 h 20 min - 1 h 4 min = 16 min
What is 40 min on 1.5 speed? New duration at different playback speeds
Original duration | 0.75x | 1x | 1.25x | 1.5x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
15 min | 20 min | 15 min | 12 min | 10 min |
30 min | 40 min | 30 min | 24 min | 20 min |
45 min | 1 h | 45 min | 36 min | 30 min |
1 h | 1 h 20 min | 1 h | 48 min | 40 min |
1 h 15 min | 1 h 40 min | 1 h 15 min | 1 h | 50 min |
1 h 30 min | 2 h | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 12 min | 1 h |
1 h 45 min | 2 h 20 min | 1 h 45 min | 1 h 24 min | 1 h 10 min |
2 h | 2 h 40 min | 2 h | 1 h 36 min | 1 h 20 min |
For example, you can see from the table above that 1 hour at 1.5 speed is 40 min. Still, it is much easier to just use our 1.5 speed calculator for this purpose!
Can you still understand the content at 1.5 speed or more?
Speeding up playback changes how your brain handles incoming information. At slightly higher speeds, for example, 1.25x or 1.5x, most people still follow along quite comfortably. The drop in understanding shouldn‘t be noticeable, and you don’t need a lot of effort to still understand the content. This is especially true for podcasts or recordings of natural conversation.
At higher speeds, such as 1.75x or 2x, you need to focus more intently to parse the meaning of the content. Sometimes, it will still be perfectly possible to follow along, especially in the case of slower speakers. However, if the speed has been quite fast to begin with, or if you’re dealing with difficult topics (for example, an online course on a tough subject), you will need to make frequent pauses or slow down altogether.
FAQs
How do I change the playback speed on Youtube?
To change the playback speed on YouTube:
- Open a YouTube video.
- Click the settings icon in the video player.
- On the YouTube mobile app, you need to tap the video first and then select the settings icon or three-dot menu.
- Select playback speed — it can be either slower or faster.
Usually, 1.25x-1.5x is used for faster lectures or tutorials, while 0.5x-0.75x is helpful in language learning or music practice.
How much time do you save at 1.25 speed?
At 1.25x speed, you save 20% of the time, even though the playback is 25% faster. Use the playback speed calculator or the table below for specific media duration savings.
Original duration | New duration | Time saved at 1.25 speed |
|---|---|---|
30 min | 24 min | 6 min |
1 hr | 48 min | 12 min |
1 hr 30 min | 1 hr 12 min | 18 min |
2 hr | 1 h 36 min | 24 min |
How much is 59 mins in 1.5 speed?
A 59-minute playback takes about 39 min 20 sec at 1.5x speed. To find what 59 mins in 1.5 speed is, use the following formula:
new duration = 59 min / 1.5 ≈ 39.33 min ≈ 39 min 20 sec
How much is 40 min on 1.5 speed?
A 40-minute video takes approximately 26 min 40 sec to watch at 1.5× speed. To calculate 40 min on 1.5 speed playback, divide the original duration by the playback speed:
new duration = 40 min / 1.5 ≈ 26.67 min ≈ 26 min 40 sec
How long is a 2 hour video at 2x speed?
At 2x playback speed, a 2-hour video takes exactly 1 hour to watch. You can find it by dividing the original duration by the playback speed:
2 hr / 2 = 1 hr
At 2x speed, the time is cut in half, making the calculation very simple. For other playback speeds that are less intuitive, an online playback speed calculator may be helpful.
How do I calculate 1 hour at 1.5 speed?
To calculate 1 hour at 1.5x speed, follow the steps below:
-
Convert hours to minutes:
1 hr = 60 min -
Divide by the playback speed:
60 min / 1.5 = 40 min -
The adjusted viewing time is 40 min.
-
Use an online 1.5 speed calculator for more complex media durations.