For someone watching in India, a 24/7 YouTube Live loop could use roughly 7.2 GB a day at low quality, 16.8 GB at medium, 24 GB at high, 72 GB at HD, or 168 GB at Ultra HD, using Jio’s general video estimates. For someone transmitting the loop, data use depends on the stream’s upload bitrate: a sustained 8 Mbps video stream transfers about 86.4 GB in 24 hours before audio and network overhead. These are two different directions of data use, and neither figure is a YouTube-specific guarantee.
Viewer data use: estimated by playback quality
Jio’s undated guidance, accessed in 2026, estimates video consumption of up to 0.3 GB per hour at low quality, 0.7 GB at medium, 1 GB at high, 3 GB at HD, and 7 GB at Ultra HD. Multiplying those hourly estimates by 24 hours and then by 30 days gives the following approximate totals:
| Playback quality | Jio estimate per hour | 24 hours | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Up to 0.3 GB | Up to 7.2 GB | Up to 216 GB |
| Medium | Up to 0.7 GB | Up to 16.8 GB | Up to 504 GB |
| High | Up to 1 GB | Up to 24 GB | Up to 720 GB |
| HD | Up to 3 GB | Up to 72 GB | Up to 2,160 GB |
| Ultra HD | Up to 7 GB | Up to 168 GB | Up to 5,040 GB (5.04 TB) |
These are extrapolations from Jio’s general video estimates, not measured YouTube Live traffic. Jio cautions that consumption can vary by app or website, including YouTube, and recommends checking the specific service for exact use. The estimates should therefore help with rough planning, not serve as a fixed allowance. See Jio’s video data-consumption estimates.
Broadcaster data use: calculate from upload bitrate
If you are transmitting a continuous loop, estimate the data sent from the encoder’s video and audio bitrates. A sustained 1 Mbps transfers 10.8 decimal GB in 24 hours. For a 30-day month, multiply the daily result by 30. YouTube’s recommended H.264 video bitrates for common settings, plus stereo audio, produce these approximate totals:
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| H.264 stream setting | Video bitrate | Video data per day | With 128 Kbps stereo audio | With audio over 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps | 86.4 GB | 87.8 GB | 2.63 TB |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps | 86.4 GB | 87.8 GB | 2.63 TB |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps | 151.2 GB | 152.6 GB | 4.58 TB |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | 183.6 GB | 185.0 GB | 5.55 TB |
YouTube lists the 128 Kbps stereo audio recommendation separately from video. The figures above use H.264 recommendations; the recommended bitrates differ for AV1 and H.265/HEVC, so these estimates do not apply universally. They are arithmetic estimates based on continuous transmission, not measured traffic, and exclude protocol overhead or downtime. YouTube’s live encoder settings provide the codec-specific recommendations.
How to estimate a different bitrate or runtime
- Add the video and audio bitrates in Mbps. Convert Kbps to Mbps by dividing by 1,000.
- Multiply the combined Mbps by 10.8 to estimate decimal GB transferred over 24 hours.
- Multiply the daily estimate by the number of days the stream actually runs. For a 30-day estimate, multiply by 30.
For example, 17 Mbps of video plus 0.128 Mbps of audio is 17.128 Mbps. At 10.8 GB per Mbps per day, that is about 185.0 GB per day and 5.55 TB over 30 days.
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Why viewer and broadcaster totals differ
A viewer downloads the playback; a broadcaster uploads the encoded feed. YouTube automatically transcodes a live stream into output formats for viewers, so the encoder’s upload bitrate is not the same as the download rate for every person watching. Do not use viewer estimates to budget a broadcaster’s upload connection, or broadcaster bitrate calculations to predict an individual viewer’s consumption.
For viewers, actual use depends on the playback quality selected and how the app handles playback. For broadcasters, it depends on codec, resolution, frame rate, video and audio bitrates, stream uptime, and network overhead. The calculations use decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes and 1 TB is 1,000 GB. A device or provider dashboard may use binary units or round differently.
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How to reduce data use while watching
Lower the playback quality in YouTube’s player when you are watching over mobile data, then check your device or provider’s data-usage meter to see actual consumption. Jio says quality can be changed from the player’s quality controls during playback. Jio’s instructions for managing video-streaming data describe the controls.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Running a loop without keeping a computer on
If you transmit your own prerecorded YouTube loop, you can run it from your own encoder or use a cloud service. StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. StreamNeo lists automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream and one flat price per slot for any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps. This operational choice does not reduce the data viewers use to watch the stream.
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