Tool
Stream Bitrate Calculator
Pick your stream settings and enter your upload speed. You'll get the platform's recommended bitrate and whether your connection can handle it.
1080p · 60 fps · H.264
- Recommended
- 17 Mbps
- Minimum
- 6 Mbps
Video bitrate, YouTube's figures. Add 128 kbps for stereo audio.
Streaming to Twitch?
Twitch sets its own bitrate limits and updates them from time to time, so the figures here are YouTube's only. Check Twitch's broadcasting guidelines before you go live. We don't repeat figures here that we couldn't confirm from Twitch itself.
Reference
YouTube's recommended live bitrates
| Setting | H.264 min | H.264 recommended | HEVC / AV1 min | HEVC / AV1 recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2160p · 60 fps | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| 2160p · 30 fps | 11 Mbps | 42 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 30 Mbps |
| 1440p · 60 fps | 8 Mbps | 34 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 1440p · 30 fps | 7 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| 1080p · 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps | 4 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 1080p · 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 720p · 60 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 720p · 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 480p · 30 fps | 400 kbps | 4 Mbps | 300 kbps | 3 Mbps |
| 360p · 30 fps | 400 kbps | 4 Mbps | 300 kbps | 3 Mbps |
Source: YouTube Help, live encoder settings, checked 2026-11-13. The 25% upload headroom is our rule of thumb, not a platform figure: speed tests run optimistic and other traffic shares your connection.