A 24/7 FFmpeg stream sends about 324 GB (decimal) per month for every 1 Mbps of sustained output bitrate, assuming a 30-day month. So a continuous 4.5 Mbps stream uses about 1.458 TB, while a 10 Mbps stream uses about 3.24 TB, before overhead, retries, or other server traffic. These figures estimate the VPS’s outgoing stream to YouTube—not viewers’ playback data.
Estimate monthly transfer from the FFmpeg bitrate
Use the bitrate FFmpeg actually sends, not resolution by itself. For a 30-day period, the calculation is:
Monthly decimal GB = bitrate in Mbps Ă— 2,592,000 seconds Ă· 8 Ă· 1,000
There are 2,592,000 seconds in 30 days. Dividing by eight converts megabits to megabytes; dividing by 1,000,000 overall converts the result to decimal gigabytes. In practical terms, each 1 Mbps running continuously transfers about 324 GB, or about 302 GiB, in 30 days. Decimal GB and TB use powers of 1,000; GiB uses powers of 1,024.
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- At 4.5 Mbps: 1.458 TB per 30 days (about 1,358 GiB).
- At 10 Mbps: 3.24 TB per 30 days.
- Double the sustained bitrate and the estimated transfer doubles for the same runtime.
A 31-day month has 744 hours, about 4.4% more runtime than a 30-day month. For a precise estimate, multiply the actual total output bitrate by the seconds the stream is running, then divide by eight and convert to the unit your VPS provider bills in.
Monthly estimates at YouTube’s recommended H.264 bitrates
YouTube’s official live encoder settings give recommended bitrates by resolution and frame rate. The following estimates apply the 30-day calculation above to those H.264 recommendations; they are arithmetic estimates, not measured VPS bills or guarantees.
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| H.264 live ingest setting | YouTube recommended bitrate | Estimated transfer per 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| 360p30 or 480p30 | 4 Mbps | About 1.30 TB |
| 720p30 or 720p60 | 8 Mbps | About 2.59 TB |
| 1080p30 | 10 Mbps | About 3.24 TB |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | About 5.51 TB |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps | About 6.80 TB |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps | About 11.02 TB |
| 2160p30 (4K) | 42 Mbps | About 13.61 TB |
| 2160p60 (4K) | 50 Mbps | About 16.20 TB |
These rows are specifically for H.264. YouTube lists AV1 and H.265 recommendations separately, so use the recommendation for the codec you actually configure rather than treating these figures as universal. The bitrate set in FFmpeg determines the estimate; resolution is only one factor in choosing a suitable bitrate.
What the VPS transfer count includes
The VPS sends one outgoing ingest stream to YouTube. YouTube says it transcodes the incoming stream into viewer formats; those viewer streams are delivered by YouTube, not sent individually from your VPS. As YouTube explains, “YouTube will automatically transcode your live stream to create many different output formats so that all of your viewers across many devices and networks can watch.”
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Your provider’s bill can still differ from the simple calculation. Actual counted transfer may include audio and container overhead, protocol behavior, reconnects and retries, other outbound server traffic, or provider-specific accounting. Confirm whether the VPS allowance counts outbound traffic, the billing-cycle length, and what happens when the allowance is exceeded—such as overage charges, throttling, or service limits. There is no single Indian VPS allowance or overage policy established here.
Configure and verify a continuous FFmpeg stream
Monthly transfer arithmetic does not guarantee that a stream will remain healthy. The encoder must sustain its configured bitrate and reach YouTube reliably. YouTube’s live encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), RTMP or RTMPS ingestion, and keyframes at a two-second frequency, not exceeding four seconds. It recommends audio at 128 Kbps for stereo or 384 Kbps for 5.1. RTMPS encrypts data through Google’s servers; YouTube recommends it.
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- Choose the output settings. Select the intended resolution, frame rate, codec, and sustained bitrate. Use the bitrate recommendation for that codec and video mode from YouTube’s encoder settings, and include the actual audio bitrate when assessing total output.
- Set the stream destination and key. In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream and obtain its ingest server address and stream key. Configure FFmpeg to send to the provided destination using RTMP or, preferably, RTMPS where available. Keep the key private; anyone who obtains it may be able to broadcast to your channel.
- Use CBR and a suitable keyframe interval. Configure a constant output bitrate and a two-second keyframe interval, ensuring it does not exceed four seconds. Keep the selected audio settings consistent with YouTube’s guidance.
- Test and monitor stream health. Start a test transmission and check YouTube Studio’s stream health before relying on an always-on broadcast. YouTube recommends running a speed test to test your upload bitrate. The VPS needs sustained network capacity for the configured stream, with margin for variation and other traffic.
- Check your transfer allowance against the runtime. Apply the formula to the actual bitrate and expected days online, then add headroom for non-stream traffic and operating interruptions. Verify the provider’s quota and excess-usage handling before choosing a VPS plan.
How much VPS capacity should you choose?
Plan around both transfer and sustained upload capacity. Transfer is the cumulative volume counted over a billing period; upload capacity is whether the server can continuously send the stream at the configured rate. A plan with a large monthly transfer allowance can still be unsuitable if its network connection cannot sustain the stream.
- Calculate with the actual FFmpeg output bitrate and the number of hours you expect to run.
- Include all outbound traffic the provider counts, not just the video stream.
- Read the provider’s exact allowance, reset date, and overage or throttling terms for the selected plan and region.
- Leave network headroom and test the stream under the intended settings; an arithmetic estimate cannot establish a provider’s real-world performance.
An Indian Council for Cultural Relations procurement document from around 2020 used 3.0–4.5 Mbps upload capacity for a 1.5 Mbps event-streaming target and noted that bandwidth depends on the combined bitrate of streams sent to a CDN. That is a historical, event-specific headroom example—not a current VPS standard or a monthly transfer allowance.
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DIY VPS or a managed cloud stream?
A VPS gives you direct control over FFmpeg settings and server logs, but you handle setup, Linux maintenance, transfer limits, and restart or recovery behavior. Compare the VPS’s full cost—including any transfer overages—with the time and controls you need. A managed service reduces server administration but may offer a different workflow and control surface; check its current terms and features before choosing.
Or let it run in the cloud
StreamNeo keeps a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos: upload a recording or make a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home. It streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot rather than quality tiers; if YouTube drops the stream, StreamNeo automatically recovers. The first day is free with no card.
Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. To try it, start a StreamNeo account.
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