Streaming Bitrate Recommender for YouTube, Twitch, Facebook

YouTube video bitrate5 to 14 Mbps

YouTube minimum to recommended (H.264)

YouTube lists a minimum of 5 Mbps and a recommended 14 Mbps for H.264. For H.265 or AV1 it lists a minimum of 4 Mbps and a recommended 10 Mbps.

Audio: 128 kbps for stereo (AAC or MP3); 384 kbps for 5.1 surround
Keyframe interval: 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds
Rate control: CBR (constant bitrate)
Video codec: H.264; H.265 (HEVC) and AV1 are also listed
Protocol: RTMP or RTMPS (RTMPS recommended)

Source: YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions. Figures as of October 2026; platforms can change them.

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What the bitrate recommender does

Bitrate is the amount of data per second in your video, measured in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). Resolution, frame rate, codec and content all affect how much bitrate a picture needs. Platforms publish encoder guidelines so that the ingest server, the transcoder and the CDN can deliver your stream to viewers reliably.

This tool shows what each platform's own documentation lists, so you do not have to find and compare several help pages. It does not invent recommendations: every number comes from the sources at the bottom of the page, checked on October 3, 2026.

How to use it

Choose the platform you stream to.
Choose your resolution and frame rate. The options change per platform, because each platform documents different settings.
Copy the video bitrate, audio, keyframe interval and rate control into your encoder, such as OBS Studio.

When you stream to several platforms with one encode, pick a bitrate that every destination accepts. For example, a value that sits inside Facebook's documented range for your resolution and at or above YouTube's listed minimum. The guide to streaming to YouTube, Twitch and Facebook at once explains how to choose, and the bandwidth calculator shows the upload speed you need.

Bitrate, keyframes and rate control in plain words

CBR (constant bitrate) keeps the data rate steady. Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Kick document CBR, and Kick does not support VBR.
Keyframe interval is the time between full frames (I-frames). Most documented platforms ask for 2 seconds. A long or irregular interval can make ingest or playback fail.
Video codec is how the picture is compressed. H.264 is documented by every platform in the tool. YouTube also lists H.265 and AV1.
Ingest protocol is how your encoder sends the stream: RTMP, RTMPS (RTMP over TLS) or SRT to a relay. See RTMP vs SRT.
Upload speed must exceed your total bitrate with headroom. The platforms' viewers are served by their own CDN and transcoding, which is separate from your upload.

Common problems

Bitrate above your real upload speed. Causes dropped frames and buffering. Run a speed test at the time you stream and leave headroom.
VBR on a CBR-only platform. Kick states VBR is not supported, and Twitch recommends CBR.
Keyframe interval above the limit. YouTube and Facebook say not to exceed 4 seconds.
Wrong codec. Kick does not support H.265. Facebook's Live API accepts H.264 video with AAC audio.
Frame rate mismatch. LinkedIn's table lists 30fps.

Platforms not listed

We only list platforms whose official documentation we could read and verify. TikTok is not included because we could not verify its encoder or bitrate settings from TikTok's own documentation. For any platform not shown, follow the values the platform gives you.

Reference table

Compiled from the official pages listed under Sources, checked October 3, 2026.
Platform	Resolution and frame rate	Video bitrate
YouTube	4K (2160p) at 60fps	14 to 50 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	4K (2160p) at 30fps	11 to 42 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	1440p at 60fps	8 to 34 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	1440p at 30fps	7 to 21 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	1080p at 60fps	6 to 17 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	1080p at 30fps	5 to 14 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	720p at 60fps	3 to 8 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	720p at 30fps	3 to 8 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	480p at 30fps	0.4 to 4 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
YouTube	360p at 30fps	0.4 to 4 Mbps (youtube minimum to recommended (h.264))
Twitch	1080p at 60fps	6,000 kbps (twitch recommended bitrate)
Twitch	1080p at 30fps	4,500 kbps (twitch recommended bitrate)
Twitch	720p at 60fps	4,500 kbps (twitch recommended bitrate)
Twitch	720p at 30fps	3,000 kbps (twitch recommended bitrate)
Facebook Live	1080p at 60fps	4,500 to 9,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Facebook Live	1080p at 30fps	3,000 to 6,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Facebook Live	720p at 60fps	2,250 to 6,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Facebook Live	720p at 30fps	1,500 to 4,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Facebook Live	480p at 30fps	600 to 2,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Facebook Live	360p	400 to 1,000 kbps (facebook documented range)
Kick	Up to 1080p at 60fps (Kick's maximum)	1,000 to 8,000 kbps (kick documented range (x264))
LinkedIn Live	720p at 30fps (recommended)	3.5 Mbps (linkedin recommended video bitrate)
LinkedIn Live	1080p at 30fps (maximum)	Up to 6 Mbps (linkedin maximum video bitrate)

Sources (checked October 3, 2026)

These are the platforms' published figures as of October 2026. They can change, and your own results depend on your network, encoder and content.

Bitrate recommender FAQ

What bitrate should I use for YouTube?

YouTube publishes a minimum and a recommended bitrate for each resolution and frame rate. For H.264 at 1080p and 30fps it lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended. Pick the platform and resolution in the tool to see the full figures.

What bitrate should I use for Twitch?

Twitch's Broadcasting Guidelines list one recommended bitrate per setting, for example 6,000 kbps for 1080p at 60fps and 4,500 kbps for 1080p at 30fps, with CBR and a 2-second keyframe interval.

What is the Facebook Live bitrate range?

Facebook documents a range for each resolution. For 1080p at 30fps it is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps, and for 720p at 30fps it is 1,500 to 4,000 kbps.

What does Kick support?

Kick's help center lists H.264 with CBR, a 2-second keyframe interval, bitrates from 1,000 to 8,000 kbps for its recommended x264 settings, a maximum of 1920x1080 and a maximum of 60fps.

What is a keyframe interval and why 2 seconds?

A keyframe (I-frame) is a complete image that later frames build on. The interval is the time between keyframes. YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Kick and LinkedIn all document 2 seconds.

Should I use CBR or VBR for live streaming?

Several platforms document CBR, and Twitch explains that VBR can drop sharply in quiet scenes and spike in busy ones, which can cause buffering. Kick does not support VBR.

What bitrate should I use if I stream to several platforms?

Choose one that all destinations accept, because a relay sends the same encode to each. Check each platform's range in this tool, then use the bandwidth calculator to confirm your upload speed can carry it.

Why is TikTok not listed?

We only include values we could verify from a platform's official documentation, and we could not verify TikTok's encoder settings that way.

Have questions that aren't listed here? Talk to the team