Time and Data CalculatorsHow much storage do photos, music and videos need? Examples with counts
File sizes vary a lot. This page uses round example sizes and shows how many files fit, so you can scale to your own.
The sizes used
These are example sizes, not measurements of any product. Check a few files of your own and replace them in the calculator.
| Kind of file | Example size |
|---|---|
| Phone photo | 3 MB |
| Song (MP3, 4 minutes) | 4 MB |
| One minute of HD video | 60 MB |
| One minute of 4K video | 350 MB |
| Document (PDF, 10 pages) | 0.5 MB |
How many fit
Best-case numbers, calculated when the page was built from the example sizes above, using decimal units, and not counting the system or apps.
| Kind | 64 GB | 128 GB | 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone photos (3 MB) | 21,333 | 42,666 | 85,333 | 170,666 | 333,333 |
| Songs (4 MB) | 16,000 | 32,000 | 64,000 | 128,000 | 250,000 |
| Minutes of HD video (60 MB) | 1,066 | 2,133 | 4,266 | 8,533 | 16,666 |
| Minutes of 4K video (350 MB) | 182 | 365 | 731 | 1,462 | 2,857 |
What to take from the table
- A phone with 128 GB does not offer 128 GB to you: the system and apps use some, so assume 20 to 30 percent less.
- Video fills storage quickly. An hour of 4K video is about 21 GB with the example size.
- Photos and music need far less than video.
- Backups matter more as the numbers grow.
How to plan
- Look at the average file size in your own library.
- Multiply by the number of files you expect each year.
- Add 20 percent for growth and free space.
- Pick the next capacity above that.
Save space
Delete duplicates, turn off the setting that keeps both the original and an edited copy if you do not need it, and move old videos to a backup drive or a cloud service. Lower the video quality for casual clips.
Common mistakes
- Buying exactly the capacity that you calculate. Leave room.
- Forgetting that the same drive shows less in the system than on its label.
- Using one phone's file sizes for another's. Cameras differ.
How many photos fit on 256 GB?
With 3 MB each, about 85,000 in the best case. In practice, fewer, once the system and apps take their share.
Is cloud storage the same as a drive?
No. Cloud storage has its own limits and plans. See the provider.
This is an independent guide. It is not connected with the IERS, BIPM, IANA, NIST or any company named here. Facts were read on 14 November 2026 from the sources named on each page; calculated values come from Python.