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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFor a local recording of a continuous YouTube Live stream, estimate 10.8 decimal GB per day for every 1 Mbps of recorded bitrate. Use bitrate (Mbps) × hours × 0.45 = decimal GB, multiply by the days you plan to keep the recordings, and leave extra free space for bitrate variation and other files.
At YouTube’s recommended H.264 ingestion bitrates, a 24/7 local recording would use about 151.2 GB per day at 1080p30 (14 Mbps), or 86.4 GB per day at 720p60 (8 Mbps). Those are calculated estimates, not guaranteed file sizes.
First decide what you need to store
“Storage for a 24/7 channel” can mean two different things:
- The source-video library: add the sizes of the recordings used in the loop or schedule. A loop does not need 24 hours of unique footage; the same files can play repeatedly.
- A local archive of the outgoing stream: calculate storage from the bitrate actually written by your encoder and the total recording time.
YouTube recommends keeping a local archive as a backup. Its archive guidance says streams shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived, while streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. A continuous channel should not rely on one uninterrupted YouTube archive as its only retained copy. YouTube Help: Archive live streams
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Estimate local recording size
Use this formula for decimal gigabytes (GB, where 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes):
Recorded bitrate (Mbps) × runtime (hours) × 0.45 = approximate GB
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For example, 1 Mbps is 1,000,000 bits per second. Dividing by 8 gives bytes per second; multiplying by 3,600 seconds gives 450,000,000 bytes, or 0.45 decimal GB per hour. That is approximately 10.8 GB per day at 1 Mbps. Multiply the daily estimate by your retention period to plan an archive.
Estimated local recording space by bitrate
| Recorded bitrate | Approx. per hour | Approx. per day | Approx. 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mbps | 0.45 GB | 10.8 GB | 324 GB |
| 4 Mbps | 1.8 GB | 43.2 GB | 1.30 TB |
| 6 Mbps | 2.7 GB | 64.8 GB | 1.94 TB |
| 8 Mbps | 3.6 GB | 86.4 GB | 2.59 TB |
| 10 Mbps | 4.5 GB | 108 GB | 3.24 TB |
| 14 Mbps | 6.3 GB | 151.2 GB | 4.54 TB |
| 17 Mbps | 7.65 GB | 183.6 GB | 5.51 TB |
These are linear estimates based on the stated bitrate and duration. Your encoder’s actual output can differ because of audio, bitrate variation, and file/container overhead; check whether its displayed recording bitrate includes audio. The 30-day column is a calculated estimate, not a measured result.
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Choose a bitrate that matches the stream
Storage planning should start with the resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate you will actually record. YouTube’s official live-encoder recommendations list these H.264 examples: 6 Mbps for 720p30, 8 Mbps for 720p60, 14 Mbps for 1080p30, and 17 Mbps for 1080p60. At those example bitrates, the corresponding 24/7 estimates are:
- 1080p30, 14 Mbps: about 151.2 GB per day and 4.54 TB for 30 days.
- 720p60, 8 Mbps: about 86.4 GB per day and 2.59 TB for 30 days.
YouTube lists separate recommended values for AV1 and H.265. Do not apply an H.264 figure to another codec; use the matching codec row in YouTube’s live encoder settings. YouTube also transcodes live streams into multiple viewer formats, so calculate disk use from the recording bitrate your encoder writes—not from the number or quality of YouTube playback renditions.
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At the same runtime, doubling the recorded bitrate approximately doubles storage. A higher bitrate may support a higher quality target, but it also increases the space needed for every hour you retain.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan and verify the archive
- Check the recording bitrate. Find the actual bitrate in your encoder or recording software. If it reports video and audio separately, include both in your estimate.
- Calculate the runtime. Multiply bitrate in Mbps by hours recorded and by 0.45 to estimate decimal GB.
- Apply your retention period. Multiply the daily estimate by the number of days you intend to keep. For a different runtime, use the same formula rather than assuming a full day.
- Leave working space. Do not plan to fill a drive to its listed capacity. Allow for bitrate peaks, overhead, operating files, and other content.
- Check the recording itself. Confirm that the local archive file is growing and verify that it remains intact. YouTube’s live-streaming tips also recommend 20 percent upload-bandwidth headroom above the stream bitrate; that is a network-reliability allowance, not a disk-space allowance. YouTube live streaming tips and encoder settings
An external drive or another local storage device can hold source videos or archive copies. For a large archive shared across machines, network storage may be useful, but YouTube’s cited guidance does not require a NAS. Choose capacity from your bitrate and retention calculation rather than from the “24/7” label alone. YouTube also names the AJA HELO Plus as one optional H.264 encoder that can record to SD cards, USB storage, or network locations; it is an example, not a requirement for a software-based setup. YouTube Help: live encoders
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