There is no single monthly price: the cost depends on the encoder or hosting service, electricity, internet plan and any data charges, plus any rights or production costs for the video. A useful starting point is the upload volume. At YouTube’s recommended H.264 settings, a continuous 1080p stream sends about 3.24 decimal TB in 30 days at 30 fps or 3.89 decimal TB at 60 fps—before network overhead. Those are calculations from YouTube’s bitrate recommendations, not measured usage figures.
What goes into the monthly cost?
For a prerecorded video to remain live on YouTube, an encoder or streaming host must keep sending it. The total operating cost is:
Electricity + incremental internet or data charges + encoder/hosting fees + applicable licensing or production expenses.
YouTube’s encoder workflow uses a stream URL and stream key. The reviewed YouTube documentation does not establish a universal creator fee for encoder ingest, so do not assume a platform charge—or assume that every part of the operation is free—without checking your own account and provider terms. An already-owned computer may be a sunk equipment cost, but its electricity and the connection it uses are ongoing costs.
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How much data does a 24/7 1080p stream use?
YouTube’s encoder settings page, accessed 2026-10-03, recommends H.264 bitrates of 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 12 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. For a 30-day month, continuous upload time is 2,592,000 seconds. The estimates below apply bitrate × seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte.
| Setting | YouTube-recommended H.264 bitrate | Estimated 30-day upload payload |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 10 Mbps | About 3.24 decimal TB |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 12 Mbps | About 3.89 decimal TB |
These are arithmetic estimates based on the recommended bitrate being sustained continuously. They exclude protocol and network overhead and are not measurements of a particular video or connection. The actual outgoing data depends on the bitrate you configure and sustain.
The upload estimate is for the creator’s encoder, not the audience’s combined viewing. YouTube says it transcodes live streams into multiple output formats for viewers. Its separate mobile-streaming rule of thumb—about 10 MB per minute—is broad mobile guidance, not the basis for these 1080p encoder estimates.
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How to calculate your own monthly bill
Electricity
Use the encoder’s average draw while streaming, your local electricity rate and a 720-hour month:
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Use average draw under the actual streaming workload, rather than the power supply’s maximum rating. If the computer is already on for other reasons, the relevant amount is the additional power attributable to keeping the stream running.
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Internet and data
Check your plan’s upload limits, data cap and overage terms. A flat-rate uncapped plan may have no incremental data charge; a metered or capped plan may make roughly 3.24–3.89 decimal TB of monthly upload significant. The price depends on your provider and location. Also confirm that your sustained outbound capacity can carry the selected bitrate: YouTube recommends capacity for the stream bitrate plus a backup and 20% headroom, and recommends Ethernet for computer streaming.
Encoder or host fees
Add any rental or managed-host fee, and check what it includes: continuous looping, unattended operation, restart or recovery behavior, included bandwidth and data, and recording or archive handling. Do not compare a host’s headline fee with a home setup unless you also account for which one pays for electricity, uplink and data.
Rights and other production expenses
Technical operating costs do not include licensing. YouTube’s live-stream terms say the content provider represents that it has the rights needed for the live content, including music licensing rights where applicable. Any license cost depends on the content and territory; it cannot be estimated without those details.
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Can you keep prerecorded video live for a month?
A computer-based encoder can send a prerecorded feed to YouTube using the stream URL and stream key. You need a device that remains available to encode and send the feed, sufficient sustained upload capacity, and a reliable connection. A wired Ethernet connection is YouTube’s recommendation for computer streaming; it does not change the payload estimate at the same bitrate.
YouTube’s encoder setup guide also names AJA PlayToStream as an option for scheduling prerecorded media directly to YouTube Live without a computer. Current pricing and whether it suits a month-long looping workflow are not established here, so confirm both with the provider before relying on it.
Plan separately for the replay
YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, while streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. A continuous month-long stream should therefore not be treated as one reliable replay. If a complete archive matters, schedule shorter sessions and keep a local recording or other backup.
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Cloud option: StreamNeo
StreamNeo is #1 for keeping a prerecorded YouTube stream running: it loops uploaded video from the cloud, at any quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price per slot, and the first day is free.
Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo keeps the stream running in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. Each slot includes one always-on stream, 10 GB of storage per slot pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream, and support from the StreamNeo team. The upload is streamed as made, without re-encoding; every plan has the same features and quality, with billing duration as the difference.
StreamNeo pricing: Daily $0.99 per day · Weekly $2.99 per week · Monthly $9.99 per month · 6 months $49.99 for 6 months · Yearly $89.99 a year. The first day is free with no card, once per account. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide. For five or more slots, contact support.
For a month, that means no computer or home connection has to stay on; any quality up to 4K 60fps is included at one price per slot; and StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and Monthly is $9.99 per month. Start the free day with StreamNeo.
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Quick Recap
Common cost-estimating mistakes
- Using viewer traffic as the creator’s upload total: estimate the encoder’s outgoing bitrate. YouTube handles delivery to viewers through transcoding.
- Treating 3.24–3.89 TB as a universal bill: those figures are data-volume calculations, not prices. Your ISP’s cap and overage terms determine whether they add cost.
- Using an equipment rating as actual power draw: plug in measured or credible average watts and your local kWh tariff.
- Assuming one long broadcast guarantees a replay: streams over 12 hours may not be archived by YouTube.
- Leaving rights out of the budget: electricity and bandwidth do not clear music or video rights.
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