Live streaming software such as OBS asks for a video bitrate – the number of kilobits the encoder may spend each second. Too low and fast motion turns into blocks; too high and viewers buffer, or the platform rejects the stream. The right figure depends on how many pixels you send, how many frames per second, how complex the scene is and which platform receives it.
Each platform publishes guidance. Twitch’s guidelines suggest 6,000 kbit/s for 1080p at 60 fps, 4,500 for 720p60 and 3,000 for 720p30, and standard streams are capped around 6,000 kbit/s. YouTube accepts far more – its H.264 recommendations run from 4 Mbit/s for 480p to 50 Mbit/s for 4K at 60 fps, with lower figures for the more efficient HEVC and AV1 codecs. A self-hosted server has to upload a separate copy to every viewer.
The bits-per-pixel estimate (about 0.1 for typical gaming footage, 0.05 for talking heads) gives a sanity check for any resolution, including custom canvases. The upload figure adds the audio and a safety headroom (around 50%) because your connection must stay ahead of the encoder even during dips.
How to use the Streaming Bitrate Calculator
- Platform
- Video resolution
- Width
- Height
- Frames per second
- Bits per pixel (motion factor) — About 0.05 for static scenes, 0.1 for games, 0.15+ for very fast action.
- Your video bitrate (0 = use the recommendation)
- Audio bitrate
- Upload headroom
- Viewers (self-hosted)
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
The resolution preset (or your custom size) gives the pixel rate; multiplied by bits per pixel it gives the estimate. The platform preset gives the published recommendation, which you can override with your own bitrate. Upload = (video + audio) × (1 + headroom) × viewers for self-hosting.
Worked example
Streaming 1080p at 60 fps to Twitch: the pixel rate is 1,920 × 1,080 × 60 = 124.4 million pixels per second; at 0.1 bpp the estimate is 12,442 kbit/s, more than Twitch accepts, so the recommendation is its 6,000 kbit/s ceiling (≈ 0.048 bpp). With 160 kbit/s audio and 50% headroom you need (6,000 + 160) × 1.5 = 9,240 kbit/s ≈ 9.2 Mbit/s of upload, and an hour uses 6,160 × 3,600 ÷ 8 = 2.77 GB.
YouTube recommended video bitrates (H.264)
| Resolution | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p 60 fps | 14 Mbit/s | 50 Mbit/s |
| 2160p 30 fps | 11 Mbit/s | 42 Mbit/s |
| 1440p 60 fps | 8 Mbit/s | 34 Mbit/s |
| 1440p 30 fps | 7 Mbit/s | 21 Mbit/s |
| 1080p 60 fps | 6 Mbit/s | 17 Mbit/s |
| 1080p 30 fps | 5 Mbit/s | 14 Mbit/s |
| 720p 30/60 fps | 3 Mbit/s | 8 Mbit/s |
| 480p 30 fps | 0.4 Mbit/s | 4 Mbit/s |
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Platform | Choose one: Twitch, YouTube – H.264, YouTube – HEVC / AV1, Self-hosted / other |
| Video resolution | Choose one: 4K 2160p, 60 fps, 4K 2160p, 30 fps, 1440p, 60 fps, 1440p, 30 fps … |
| Width | In px |
| Height | In px |
| Frames per second | In fps |
| Bits per pixel (motion factor) | A number. About 0.05 for static scenes, 0.1 for games, 0.15+ for very fast action. |
| Your video bitrate (0 = use the recommendation) | In kbit/s |
| Audio bitrate | In kbit/s |
| Upload headroom | In % |
| Viewers (self-hosted) | A number |
What each result means
- Estimated bitrate from bits per pixel = [W]×[H]×[F]×[Bits per pixel (motion factor)]÷1000
- Bits per pixel at this bitrate = [Video bitrate used below]×1000÷([W]×[H]×[F])
Formula
Estimated bitrate (kbit/s) = width × height × fps × bits per pixel ÷ 1000 · Upload needed = (video + audio) × (1 + headroom) × viewers (self-hosted) · Data per hour = bitrate × 3,600 ÷ 8
Worked example
Inputs — Platform: Twitch; Video resolution: 1080p, 60 fps; Bits per pixel (motion factor): 0.1; Your video bitrate (0 = use the recommendation): 0 kbit/s; Audio bitrate: 160 kbit/s; Upload headroom: 50 %.
Results — Estimated bitrate from bits per pixel = 12,442 kbit/s; Platform recommendation = 6,000 kbit/s; Video bitrate used below = 6,000 kbit/s; Required upload speed = 9.24 Mbit/s; Data per hour of streaming = 2.772 GB; Bits per pixel at this bitrate = 0.048; Check = Bitrate looks reasonable for this resolution.
Key terms
- Bitrate
- Data spent per second of video or audio, in kbit/s.
- Bits per pixel (bpp)
- Bitrate ÷ (width × height × fps) – a measure of compression.
- Headroom
- Spare upload capacity kept free to absorb dips in speed.
- CBR
- Constant bitrate, the encoder mode platforms recommend for live streams.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use for 1080p 60 fps on Twitch?
6,000 kbit/s, the top of Twitch's standard guidance. Many streamers use 720p60 at 4,500 kbit/s for sharper motion.
What does YouTube recommend for 1080p60?
With H.264, 17 Mbit/s recommended and 6 Mbit/s minimum; with HEVC or AV1 about 12 Mbit/s.
How much upload speed do I need to stream?
About 1.5 × your total bitrate. A 6,000 kbit/s stream with 160 kbit/s audio needs roughly 9.2 Mbit/s of reliable upload.
How much data does streaming use?
6,160 kbit/s × 3,600 s ÷ 8 ≈ 2.8 GB per hour.
What is bits per pixel?
The bitrate divided by pixels per second. Around 0.1 gives good quality for game footage with H.264.
Should I stream at 1080p30 or 720p60?
For fast games with a 4,500–6,000 kbit/s limit, 720p60 usually looks better; for slow content 1080p30 gives more detail.
Why does a self-hosted stream need so much upload?
Without a platform's servers you send one copy per viewer, so 10 viewers need ten times the bandwidth.