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For a standard SDR YouTube Live stream from OBS, use AMD AMF with CBR, a 2-second keyframe interval, and a bitrate matched to your chosen resolution and frame rate. For example, YouTube recommends 17 Mbps for H.264 at 1080p60 and 14 Mbps at 1080p30. These are ingest recommendations, not guarantees of picture quality or uninterrupted delivery; your upload connection must sustain the bitrate reliably.
Recommended OBS settings for AMD AMF
For conventional SDR streaming, start with H.264 and configure the encoder to meet YouTube’s live ingest guidance. OBS labels and available options can vary with its version, GPU, driver, and operating system, so choose the AMD hardware encoder actually available in your installation.
- Rate control: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds. YouTube says keyframes should be two seconds apart and must not exceed four seconds.
- Bitrate: Use YouTube’s recommended H.264 ingest bitrate for your output resolution and frame rate, subject to what your upload connection can sustain reliably.
- Resolution and frame rate: Set these to the output you intend to broadcast. Bitrate recommendations differ between frame rates, including at the same resolution.
- Protocol: YouTube recommends RTMPS for live input.
YouTube supports live input using RTMP/RTMPS and lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 among its video codecs. This standard SDR setup uses H.264; other codecs depend on your hardware, OBS build, and intended YouTube ingest workflow. YouTube’s live encoder settings has the platform’s current requirements and bitrate table.
Choose a bitrate for your resolution and frame rate
The following figures are YouTube-published recommended H.264 ingest bitrates in the current live encoder settings table, accessed in 2026. They are recommendations for the listed modes, not a promise about visual quality or stable delivery on every connection.
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| Output | YouTube recommended H.264 bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps |
| 2160p30 (4K) | 42 Mbps |
| 2160p60 (4K) | 50 Mbps |
YouTube also publishes lower minimums and recommendations for other output modes; consult its full table rather than extrapolating from these examples. YouTube advises choosing a reliable quality that fits the upload connection and recommends running a speed test. See YouTube’s full live encoder settings table.
Set up and validate the stream
- Create or select the broadcast in YouTube Studio. Open the Live Control Room, create or select the stream, and copy its server URL and stream key. Keep the key private; anyone who has it may be able to broadcast to your channel.
- Connect OBS to YouTube. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, select YouTube as the service if available, then enter or connect the stream key. If using a custom server option, use YouTube’s server URL and recommended RTMPS workflow. Exact labels can differ by OBS version.
- Select the AMD encoder. Open Settings > Output, set Output Mode to Advanced if needed, and select the available AMD hardware encoder for streaming. For a conventional SDR broadcast, use H.264 unless your target YouTube ingest workflow and local hardware support another codec.
- Apply live rate control. In the streaming encoder settings, choose CBR, set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds, and enter the YouTube-recommended bitrate for the output resolution and frame rate you selected. Avoid choosing a bitrate your upload connection cannot sustain reliably.
- Match the output mode. In OBS’s video settings, set output resolution and frame rate to the broadcast mode you intend to send. Check that the bitrate corresponds to that exact combination in YouTube’s table.
- Run a representative private or unlisted test. Include audio and movement similar to the real program. During the test, monitor YouTube’s stream health and OBS Statistics for dropped frames or encoder overload. YouTube explicitly recommends testing with representative audio and movement, then monitoring stream health during the event. YouTube testing and stream-health guidance.
CBR or CQP for AMD AMF?
For YouTube live ingest, use CBR: YouTube’s live guidance calls for constant bitrate, with the bitrate chosen for the stream’s output mode. CQP/CQ is not a substitute for that live bitrate target.
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OBS’s Advanced Recording Settings Guide documents AMD recording settings including Rate Control CQP, CQ 16–23, a 2-second keyframe interval, Quality preset, High profile, and Max B-frames 0. Those are recording guidance, not YouTube’s live recipe. In particular, CQ 16–23 is a quality-control range, not a live bitrate recommendation. OBS does not establish one universally best AMF streaming preset for every GPU and version.
HDR is a separate workflow
Do not apply the SDR H.264 baseline unchanged to HDR. YouTube’s OBS HDR instructions describe an HEVC setup with a hardware HEVC encoder, Main 10 profile, P010 color format, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color space; YouTube recommends HLG in those instructions. The required options and compatible hardware must be available in your GPU, driver, and OBS build. Follow YouTube’s HDR setup and the relevant stream-key protocol requirements for that workflow: YouTube’s HDR live-streaming instructions.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- YouTube reports an incorrect or unstable bitrate: Confirm the encoder is set to CBR and the entered value matches the selected resolution and frame rate in YouTube’s H.264 table. Check that the upload connection can sustain it; run a speed test and, if necessary, select a lower output mode with its corresponding recommendation.
- Keyframe warning: Set the interval to 2 seconds. YouTube’s guidance says keyframes should be two seconds apart and not exceed four seconds.
- Dropped frames in OBS: These can indicate network delivery trouble. Compare the bitrate with reliable upload capacity and check OBS Statistics and YouTube stream-health messages during a representative test.
- Encoder overload or missing AMD options: Encoder choices and controls depend on the installed OBS build, compatible GPU, and driver. Check OBS’s AMD AMF documentation and compatible-GPU information; do not assume every system exposes the same labels or codecs. OBS AMD encoder guidance.
- HDR settings are unavailable or the picture looks wrong: Verify the GPU and encoder expose the required HEVC Main 10 and color-format options, then follow YouTube’s HDR workflow rather than mixing it with SDR settings.
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