Platforms
YouTube Bitrate Calculator
Get YouTube’s recommended bitrate for your upload or live stream, the file size it produces, and the OBS settings for going live.
Upload bitrate for YouTube
The bitrate to export at before uploading, and how big the file will be.
YouTube’s recommended video bitrate
8Mbps
- In kbps
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- Audio (stereo AAC)
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- File size
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- Per minute
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Export as H.264 in MP4 with variable bitrate, AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz, and the same frame rate you recorded at.
Live stream settings for YouTube
Most games, IRL, vlogs, music
Video bitrate to set
—kbps
Required upload speed
—Mbps
- Output
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- Audio
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- Upload used
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- Data per hour
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Settings → Output (Output Mode: Advanced) → Streaming
- Video Encoder
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- Rate Control
- CBR
- Bitrate
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- Keyframe Interval
- 2 s
- Preset
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- Audio Bitrate
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Settings → Video
- Base (Canvas) Resolution
- Your monitor’s resolution
- Output (Scaled) Resolution
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- Downscale Filter
- Lanczos
- Common FPS Values
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YouTube upload bitrates
Video bitrate in Mbps. Standard frame rate is 24–30 fps; high is 48–60 fps. Audio: mono 128 kbps, stereo 384 kbps, 5.1 512 kbps.
| Resolution | SDR standard | SDR high | HDR standard | HDR high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K | 35–45 | 53–68 | 44–56 | 66–85 |
| 1440p | 16 | 24 | 20 | 30 |
| 1080p | 8 | 12 | 10 | 15 |
| 720p | 5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 9.5 |
| 480p | 2.5 | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| 360p | 1 | 1.5 | n/a | n/a |
YouTube live stream bitrates
H.264, in Mbps. CBR, 2-second keyframes, AAC audio at 128 kbps.
| Resolution | 30 fps | 60 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 4K | 30 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| 1440p | 15 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 1080p | 10 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 720p | 4 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I upload to YouTube?
YouTube recommends about 8 Mbps for 1080p at 24–30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48–60 fps, rising to 35–45 Mbps and 53–68 Mbps for 4K. Uploading a little above these figures is fine: YouTube re-encodes every video anyway.
What bitrate should I stream to YouTube at?
YouTube lists 10 Mbps for 1080p30 and 12 Mbps for 1080p60 with H.264, and 4 and 6 Mbps for 720p30 and 720p60. HEVC and AV1 can use less.
Why does YouTube recommend a higher bitrate for HDR?
HDR carries more colour and brightness information per pixel, so it needs more data for the same quality. YouTube’s HDR figures are roughly 25% higher than SDR.
Does uploading in 4K improve quality?
Often, yes. Higher-resolution uploads tend to get more bitrate and better codecs on playback, so even 1080p viewers can see a cleaner picture from a 1440p or 4K upload.
Related calculators
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OBS Bitrate Calculator
The OBS output and video settings for your upload, platform and encoder. Open calculator -
Video File Size Calculator
File size from video and audio bitrate and length, or from resolution. Open calculator -
Twitch Bitrate Calculator
The best Twitch setting for your upload, within the 6,000 kbps limit. Open calculator
Independent tool. Not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube, Twitch, Discord, OBS Studio or Streamlabs; logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify each platform.
