The Tool Desk
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Choose a bitrate for your output
YouTube’s figures are for the encoder-to-YouTube ingest feed. YouTube transcodes that feed for viewers, so the ingest bitrate is not a promise about each viewer’s playback bitrate. Use the row for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you will actually send.
| Ingest format | YouTube recommended bitrate | YouTube minimum bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| H.264, 1080p30 | 10 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| H.264, 1080p60 | 12 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| AV1 or H.265, 1080p30 | 10 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| AV1 or H.265, 1080p60 | 12 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| H.264, 720p30 or 720p60 | 6 Mbps | See YouTube’s table |
The figures above reflect YouTube Help’s current English-language encoder guidance accessed in 2026. The H.264 minimums are higher than the listed recommendations in these rows; do not treat the columns as interchangeable. YouTube’s full table also covers 360p through 2160p and other frame rates. Check YouTube’s live encoder settings for the exact row and column before configuring a different format.
Make sure your sustained upload capacity can carry the video target plus audio and network overhead. YouTube recommends a reliable connection and an upload-speed test; a connection that only briefly reaches the target may still produce an unstable stream.
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Match YouTube’s encoder requirements
YouTube lists RTMP and RTMPS ingest, recommends RTMPS, and supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video codecs, with frame rates up to 60 fps. Its listed bitrate mode is CBR. The platform recommends a two-second keyframe frequency and says not to exceed four seconds.
- Use progressive scan and square pixels.
- For the listed video encoding guidance, use two B-frames, one reference frame, and CABAC; use Rec. 709 for SDR.
- For audio, YouTube recommends AAC stereo at 128 Kbps, or AAC 5.1 at 384 Kbps. AAC or MP3 are listed audio codecs.
Codec choice depends partly on what your FFmpeg build and available encoder hardware or software can actually produce. Do not apply one codec’s bitrate row to another codec.
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Configure FFmpeg for H.264 CBR
Example: 1080p30 over RTMPS
This is a starting example for an H.264 1080p30 feed. Replace the input, stream key, and audio or input options to match your production. The stream key is a credential: do not publish it, commit it to a repository, or share command logs containing it.
ffmpeg -re -i INPUT
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune zerolatency
-b:v 10M -minrate 10M -maxrate 10M -bufsize 20M
-x264-params "nal-hrd=cbr:force-cfr=1"
-r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "rtmps://a.rtmps.youtube.com/live2/STREAM_KEY"Here, the 10 Mbps video target matches YouTube’s H.264 1080p30 recommendation. The GOP setting of 60 frames is two seconds at 30 fps. Audio is configured separately at 128 Kbps.
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Adjust the keyframe interval for frame rate
Set the GOP length to approximately two seconds of output frames: use -g 60 at 30 fps and -g 120 at 60 fps. A value of 60 is not a two-second interval at every frame rate. Keep the output frame rate consistent with the resolution and frame-rate row you selected.
Understand bitrate and buffer options
In FFmpeg, -b:v sets the video bitrate, -maxrate sets a maximum rate-control tolerance, and -bufsize sets the rate-control buffer size in bits. FFmpeg’s documentation notes that maxrate requires bufsize; minrate is most useful when configuring CBR. With libx264, nal-hrd=cbr signals HRD CBR and requires a VBV buffer size. The example’s 20M buffer is a chosen setting, not a YouTube-mandated value.
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Do not set a different -maxrate and then describe the result as strict CBR. These options configure encoder rate control, and exact behavior depends on the encoder and FFmpeg build. FFmpeg options and supported encoders vary by build. The libx264 documentation also notes that CBR HRD signaling is not allowed in an MP4 container; the example sends an FLV stream to RTMPS, not an MP4 file.
Run a preflight test and monitor the live feed
- Choose the actual output format. Confirm resolution, frame rate, and ingest codec, then select the matching YouTube recommendation. Check that your sustained upload connection can support video, audio, and overhead.
- Set the rate control and GOP. Configure CBR around the selected target bitrate and use a two-second GOP based on the output frame rate.
- Test safely before the event. Use a private or otherwise safe test with audio and movement similar to the planned stream. Review YouTube’s stream health and encoder warnings, and lower or adjust settings if the computer or uplink cannot sustain them.
- Monitor during the event. Watch stream health and review any messages rather than assuming that a successful connection means the feed is stable.
YouTube Help specifically advises testing with audio and movement similar to what will appear in the stream. A static desktop or silent test may not expose problems that appear with real content.
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Troubleshoot common CBR problems
- Unstable stream or health warnings: The uplink may not sustain the chosen target plus audio and overhead, or the encoder may be overloaded. Test under representative conditions, check upload capacity, and reduce the output target or frame rate if necessary.
- Unexpected keyframe interval: The GOP value may have been chosen without accounting for frame rate. Set it to about twice the output frames per second: 60 frames at 30 fps, 120 at 60 fps.
- FFmpeg rejects CBR parameters: Confirm that the selected encoder supports the options and that VBV buffer settings are present for libx264 HRD CBR. Encoder support differs among builds.
- MP4 output conflicts with HRD CBR signaling: The libx264 documentation says CBR HRD signaling is not allowed in an MP4 container. For a live RTMP/RTMPS feed, use a streaming output format such as the FLV muxer shown in the example, rather than assuming the same signaling applies to MP4 recording.
- Stream connects but content is wrong: Verify the input, audio mapping, output resolution and frame rate, and the stream key in the command. Keep the key private and replace it if exposed.
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Quick Recap
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