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Choose the bitrate from YouTube’s recommended settings for your stream’s codec, resolution, and frame rate—not from the fact that it will run 24/7. For H.264, YouTube recommends 14 Mbps for 1080p30 or 17 Mbps for 1080p60. Use CBR, set a 2-second keyframe interval, and make sure your connection can sustain the feed with 20% upload headroom.
Choose the bitrate for your video format
YouTube’s live-encoder guidance does not prescribe a separate bitrate for continuous streams. Match the row below to the codec, resolution, and frame rate you plan to send. Each cell gives the minimum and recommended bitrate, in Mbps, in that order. The recommended figure is a starting point, not a guarantee that your connection will remain stable. YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate guidance lists these values.
| Resolution and frame rate | AV1 or H.265: minimum / recommended | H.264: minimum / recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p60 | 10 / 35 Mbps | 14 / 50 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 8 / 30 Mbps | 11 / 42 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 6 / 24 Mbps | 8 / 34 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 5 / 15 Mbps | 7 / 21 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 4 / 12 Mbps | 6 / 17 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 4 / 10 Mbps | 5 / 14 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 2 / 6 Mbps | 3 / 8 Mbps |
| 720p30 | 2 / 6 Mbps | 3 / 8 Mbps |
| 480p30 | 0.3 / 3 Mbps | 0.4 / 4 Mbps |
| 360p30 | 0.3 / 3 Mbps | 0.4 / 4 Mbps |
Is 8,000 kbps enough for 1080p?
It is below YouTube’s recommended H.264 bitrate for both 1080p30 and 1080p60: those recommendations are 14 Mbps and 17 Mbps, respectively. The table’s minimum figures are 5 Mbps for H.264 1080p30 and 6 Mbps for H.264 1080p60. Whether a lower-than-recommended rate is acceptable depends on the feed and your quality needs; YouTube advises choosing a bitrate your connection can sustain.
Set the encoder’s companion settings
Bitrate is only one part of the outgoing feed. Use YouTube’s recommended live-encoder settings as a matched configuration:
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#1 Best Overall
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- Bitrate mode: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Keyframes: 2-second interval recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds.
- Video codec and frame rate: YouTube supports H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and AV1, with frame rates up to 60 fps.
- Protocol: RTMPS is recommended; it encrypts the feed in transit to Google’s servers.
- Audio: AAC or MP3. For RTMP/RTMPS, YouTube supports 5.1 surround only with AAC. Its recommended audio bitrates are 128 Kbps for stereo and 384 Kbps for 5.1.
- Advanced video settings: square pixels, progressive scan, two B-frames, one reference frame, CABAC, Rec. 709 for SDR, and 8-bit SDR.
These are encoder settings for the feed you send. YouTube transcodes the incoming stream into multiple playback formats for viewers, so you do not set a separate encoder bitrate for each viewer’s device.
Calculate the upload capacity you need
Plan for more than the encoder’s target bitrate. YouTube recommends leaving 20% upload headroom beyond the total bitrate. If you send both a primary and a backup stream, count both when calculating that total. YouTube’s guidance on internet speed requirements covers this network margin.
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- Choose the recommended video bitrate for your codec, resolution, and frame rate.
- Add the audio bitrate and any other outgoing stream bitrate to find the total outbound bitrate.
- Allow 20% more upload capacity than that total. For example, a single H.264 1080p30 video feed at 14 Mbps needs at least 16.8 Mbps of upload capacity after applying the 20% margin, before adding audio. This is a planning calculation, not a guarantee of stability.
- Run an upload speed test and check that the connection can sustain the planned rate. Other traffic on the connection can reduce the capacity available to the stream.
Test and monitor a continuous broadcast
A 24/7 stream does not need a special bitrate, but it does need a connection and encoding setup that can be maintained continuously. YouTube recommends testing before going live with representative sound and movement, then monitoring stream health during the broadcast. Its guidance says, “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.”
- Test the actual codec, resolution, frame rate, audio, and bitrate you intend to use.
- Use a speed test as one check, then verify the real feed before relying on it. A speed-test result alone does not establish that a continuous broadcast will remain stable.
- Watch YouTube’s stream-health indicators while live and respond to connection or encoding problems rather than assuming the initial test guarantees long-term stability.
YouTube’s published guidance sets bitrate recommendations by format; it does not establish a universal hardware endurance standard, uptime design, or restart procedure for 24/7 broadcasts. A dedicated hardware encoder is optional: YouTube describes both software applications and standalone hardware as encoder choices. YouTube’s overview of live encoders explains the distinction.
Rank #3
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