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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA continuous YouTube gaming stream’s upload use depends on its sustained encoder bitrate, not just its resolution. At YouTube’s recommended H.264 bitrate for 1080p60—17 Mbps—the video alone uses about 184 GB per day, or 5.51 TB over 30 days. Add recommended 128 kbps stereo audio and the estimate is about 185 GB per day and 5.55 TB per 30 days. These are decimal-unit calculations for the creator’s outgoing feed, not measured totals; actual network use varies with bitrate, transport overhead, retransmissions and other traffic.
What these 24/7 data estimates count
Here, “gaming VOD stream” means a live YouTube feed made from gaming footage that stays online around the clock. The estimates below are for the creator’s upload of one continuous feed. They do not multiply by the audience: YouTube receives the incoming feed and distributes viewer versions separately. YouTube says it transcodes a live stream into multiple output formats for viewers (YouTube encoder settings and live-streaming guidance).
If by “VOD” you mean watching a saved video later, these figures do not apply. Viewer playback data depends on the rendition selected or delivered adaptively and the time watched.
How much data does streaming 24/7 use per month?
For every sustained 1 Mbps of bitrate, a 24-hour stream uses about 10.8 decimal GB per day, or 324 GB over 30 days. Add the video and audio bitrates for an audio-inclusive estimate. The table uses YouTube’s currently listed recommended H.264 video bitrates; estimates are calculated from bitrate multiplied by time and exclude audio and variable transport overhead.
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| Format and YouTube H.264 recommendation | Video only per day | Video only per 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| 720p60 — 8 Mbps | About 86.4 GB | About 2.59 TB |
| 1080p60 — 17 Mbps | About 184 GB | About 5.51 TB |
| 1440p60 — 34 Mbps | About 367 GB | About 11.0 TB |
| 2160p60 — 50 Mbps | About 540 GB | About 16.2 TB |
YouTube’s recommendation varies by ingestion codec as well as resolution and frame rate. For 1080p60, its current table lists 12 Mbps for AV1 or H.265 and 17 Mbps for H.264. At 12 Mbps, video alone works out to about 129.6 GB per day and 3.89 TB over 30 days; with 128 kbps audio, about 131 GB per day and 3.93 TB per 30 days. Use the bitrate your encoder actually sustains rather than treating a resolution label as a data-use guarantee. The recommendations and settings are in YouTube’s encoder guidance.
Calculate your stream’s own upload use
Use the average bitrate in Mbps, including audio if you want an audio-inclusive estimate, and the number of seconds streamed:
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Decimal GB = bitrate in Mbps Ă— seconds Ă— 1,000,000 Ă· 8 Ă· 1,000,000,000
- Find the video bitrate configured in your encoder, in Mbps. If it varies, use a representative average for a better estimate.
- Add the audio bitrate for an estimate that includes the encoded audio feed. YouTube recommends stereo AAC at 128 kbps.
- Multiply by the number of seconds streamed and apply the formula. For a full day, multiply each Mbps by 10.8 to get approximate decimal GB.
- For a 30-day estimate, multiply the daily total by 30. Treat it as a planning figure, then check your actual usage if your connection has a strict cap.
These calculations use decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes and 1 TB is 1,000 GB. Binary GiB and TiB values are numerically lower.
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Why your actual data total can differ
- Audio and bitrate variation: Audio adds to video use, while variable bitrate can make the average differ from a nominal target.
- Network delivery: Transport overhead and retransmissions on a poor connection can increase accounted traffic. There is no universal overhead percentage that can be applied accurately to every setup.
- Restarts and other activity: Interruptions, reconnects, cloud sync, remote production calls, software updates and monitoring can all affect the total shown by an internet provider.
One publisher’s example estimates about 5.68 GB for a two-hour broadcast at 6 Mbps video plus 128 kbps audio with a 3% protocol allowance; that is an example, not a general overhead rule (Numbriva’s video-size calculator). If a cap is tight, leave room and monitor the connection’s actual usage.
Settings and monitoring that help keep the estimate useful
YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps, and a two-second keyframe frequency, not exceeding four seconds. It recommends testing with representative sound and movement before going live and monitoring stream health during the event. It also recommends using a speed test to check upload bitrate. See YouTube’s encoder settings.
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YouTube’s Live API health information can flag issues such as low video bitrate and video ingestion starvation. These are diagnostic signals about delivery, not a monthly data counter (YouTube Live API stream resource).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep a YouTube stream running without leaving a PC on
For a do-it-yourself setup, an encoder on a computer sends the configured feed to YouTube, so the computer and its network connection need to stay active for the stream to continue. Estimate the connection’s upload use from the actual sustained bitrate using the formula above; YouTube’s speed-test recommendation and live health indicators help check delivery.
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Common questions about data use
Does having more viewers use more of my upload data?
No. The estimates describe one creator feed sent to YouTube. Viewer delivery is separate.
Is a 1080p stream always the same size?
No. Codec and configured bitrate matter. YouTube’s current 1080p60 recommendations differ between H.264 and AV1/H.265, and an encoder’s actual sustained bitrate determines the estimate.
Do these numbers include everything my internet provider may count?
No. They estimate the encoded feed from bitrate and time. Transport overhead, retransmissions and unrelated device traffic can change the provider’s total.
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