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For a 4K 60fps YouTube Live stream, OBS can send either AV1 or HEVC (H.265), and YouTube recommends the same ingest bitrate for both: 35 Mbps. If your program is HDR, choose HEVC; YouTube’s guidance says AV1 is not supported for HDR. For SDR, use whichever codec your installed OBS setup supports reliably, then test the full prerecorded-playback-to-YouTube path before the event.
What AV1 and HEVC change—and what they do not
AV1 and HEVC are alternative video codecs for the live encoder feed OBS sends to YouTube. This comparison is about that outgoing feed, not necessarily the codec of the prerecorded file. The cited YouTube guidance does not establish a different ingest rule for prerecorded programs, nor does it document a special OBS workflow for looping them.
YouTube lists both AV1 and H.265 (HEVC) as supported RTMP/RTMPS video codec options. It recommends constant bitrate (CBR), supports up to 60 fps, and recommends a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. Once YouTube receives the stream, it transcodes the live feed into output formats for viewers on different devices and networks. YouTube’s encoder settings guidance describes those ingest requirements.
4K 60fps ingest settings
| Setting | AV1 | HEVC (H.265) | H.264 reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended bitrate at 4K / 2160p, 60 fps | 35 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| Minimum bitrate listed for 4K / 2160p, 60 fps | 10 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s published ingest recommendations and minimums, not guarantees of picture quality or a stable connection. The table is from the English YouTube Help page as retrieved on October 3, 2026; the page does not show a publication year. Do not treat a minimum as a recommended target. YouTube also specifies CBR, a maximum of 60 fps, and a recommended keyframe interval of two seconds (do not exceed four seconds). At 4K, its guidance says the option to improve for low latency is unavailable; normal latency is optimized for quality. See YouTube’s current encoder recommendations.
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Choosing between AV1 and HEVC
For HDR: choose HEVC
YouTube names HEVC as the video codec for HDR live streaming and says AV1 is not supported for HDR. If the prerecorded program and OBS output are intended to remain HDR, HEVC is the supported choice in the cited YouTube guidance. OBS 30.1 release notes also said YouTube did not support AV1 HDR at that time; that is a version-specific note, not a promise about every later setup. YouTube’s encoder guidance and the OBS 30.1 release notes document the distinction.
For SDR: use the encoder your system handles reliably
YouTube assigns AV1 and HEVC the same 4K60 recommended ingest bitrate, so its table does not favor one for bandwidth at that setting. OBS’s formats guide describes AV1 as generally offering improved quality per file size over HEVC, but that is not a controlled comparison of the same prerecorded program, encoder, preset, and scene. It is not a guarantee that your particular live feed will look better at the same bitrate.
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OBS says hardware AV1 encoders are available on recent AMD RX 7000, NVIDIA RTX 40-series, and Intel Arc GPUs; software AV1 encoding is possible but requires a high-end CPU for real-time compression. Encoder availability still depends on the hardware, operating system, drivers, and installed OBS output options. Check what your actual system exposes rather than assuming a codec will be available. OBS also characterizes HEVC as having good editing-software support and AV1 as less widely supported by editing software, which may matter if you will edit the source or archive afterward. See the OBS Audio/Video Formats Guide and the OBS NVIDIA NVENC guide.
Set up and test the prerecorded stream in OBS
There is no codec-specific recipe established for prerecorded playback. Configure the live encoder against YouTube’s ingest requirements, then verify the playback source and the whole output chain in your own setup.
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- Confirm encoder availability. In OBS, open Settings > Output, choose the streaming output mode you use, and inspect the encoder options. Select AV1 or HEVC only if it appears and is supported by your installed OBS build and system. OBS added AV1 and HEVC streaming over Enhanced RTMP in version 29.1, initially described as a YouTube beta feature; later compatibility depends on the current software and hardware. See the OBS 29.1 release notes and OBS’s 30.1 announcement.
- Set the video output. In Settings > Video, configure the output to 3840 × 2160 and 60 fps if that is the program’s intended delivery. Make sure the source can sustain real-time playback at the chosen frame rate; a 60 fps output setting cannot recover frames absent from a lower-frame-rate source.
- Set the stream encoder. In Settings > Output > Streaming, use CBR and a bitrate of 35,000 Kbps for the YouTube 4K60 recommendation. Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. YouTube says not to exceed 4 seconds. Avoid selecting the 10 Mbps minimum merely because it is listed: YouTube’s recommended target is 35 Mbps for AV1 and HEVC at 4K60.
- Connect OBS to the scheduled YouTube stream. Copy the stream key from the intended event in YouTube Live Control Room into OBS’s stream settings; keep it private. Confirm that the selected YouTube event and key correspond before going live.
- Run a private or otherwise appropriate test. Start playback and streaming early enough to inspect the Live Control Room preview. Check that the program starts and ends as intended, the video remains smooth, audio stays in sync, and any planned loop behaves correctly. Verify the encoder feed and uplink remain stable at the target settings and check playback on relevant viewer devices.
- Start the event with time to recover. YouTube recommends setting up the encoder ahead of time, starting at least 15 minutes before the event, previewing the feed, and testing the setup. Monitor the live preview rather than assuming a successful OBS connection proves that the program looks and sounds right. See YouTube’s live encoder setup tips and its stream testing guidance.
Troubleshooting common failures
- AV1 or HEVC is missing from the OBS encoder menu: the installed OBS build, operating system, GPU, driver, or encoder path may not expose it. Check the current OBS requirements and available output options; use the codec that is actually available rather than assuming a software or hardware encoder exists.
- YouTube rejects the codec or the stream does not connect: confirm OBS is using an RTMP/RTMPS-compatible YouTube path and that the stream key belongs to the selected event. OBS’s AV1/HEVC Enhanced RTMP support was introduced in version 29.1 and described then as a YouTube beta feature, so old builds or incompatible configurations may not offer the same path.
- The 4K60 feed buffers or drops frames: check encoder load, playback load, and available upload capacity. YouTube’s recommended ingest target for AV1 or HEVC is 35 Mbps; the internet connection needs headroom beyond the video bitrate for reliable delivery. Lowering the output resolution or frame rate can be a practical fallback if the system or uplink cannot sustain the target.
- HDR does not appear as expected: use HEVC for YouTube HDR and verify the source, OBS color configuration, and output are consistently configured for HDR. AV1 is not supported for HDR in the cited YouTube guidance.
- The stream connects but the prerecorded program is wrong: inspect source playback, audio routing and sync, scene selection, start/stop behavior, and looping or ending behavior. These are playback-chain checks; YouTube’s general encoder guidance does not define an OBS-specific prerecorded workflow.
- OBS looks correct but viewers report problems: inspect the Live Control Room preview and test real playback on the devices and network conditions relevant to your audience. YouTube transcodes the incoming feed, so viewer playback formats need not match the OBS encoder codec.
Copyright and YouTube channel considerations
A prerecorded program does not become exempt from YouTube’s copyright or channel monetization rules because it is sent as a live stream. Use footage, music, narration, and other material you own or are licensed to broadcast, and check that any license covers live streaming and the territories where viewers may watch. YouTube may interrupt or restrict a stream when rights are claimed. Separately, whether a channel can monetize depends on YouTube’s channel-level policies; using AV1 or HEVC does not establish eligibility or make reused material original. Review YouTube’s applicable copyright guidance and YouTube Partner Program monetization policies before scheduling a long-running program.
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