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For YouTube Live, start with CBR, a 2-second keyframe interval, and the bitrate YouTube recommends for your actual resolution, frame rate, and ingest codec. In OBS, set canvas and output resolution deliberately, then test at the frame rate your content needs. For a local recording, configure recording quality separately if needed and use MKV to reduce the risk that an interrupted recording ruins the whole file.
Recommended OBS settings for YouTube Live
YouTube’s live guidance distinguishes ingest settings from settings for a finished video upload. The figures below are YouTube’s published live recommendations, not guaranteed results or a universal minimum; the current guidance was accessed October 3, 2026. Choose a quality your connection can sustain, then verify it with a test stream.
| Output resolution and frame rate | H.264 recommended bitrate | AV1/H.265 recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 42 Mbps | 30 Mbps |
| 2160p60 | 50 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
These are the recommended live video bitrates in YouTube’s encoder settings guidance. YouTube also publishes minimum rates; do not treat the recommendations above as minimums. A high bitrate cannot compensate for an unstable upload connection.
Set the live output in OBS
- Open Settings → Video. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution to the workspace resolution that fits your sources and scene layout. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution to the stream size you intend to deliver. They can match, but do not have to.
- Choose frame rate. Use 30 fps for less motion-intensive content or when system and connection headroom are limited; consider 60 fps for fast motion when your setup can sustain it. OBS notes 60 fps can be substantially more demanding, so test rather than assuming it will work.
- Open Settings → Output. Simple mode is a reasonable starting point. In Advanced mode, set the streaming encoder’s rate control to CBR and enter the bitrate from YouTube’s table for your selected codec, resolution, and frame rate.
- Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. YouTube recommends 2 seconds and says not to exceed 4 seconds. Its live guidance supports RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265, or AV1; it recommends RTMPS. Codec and encoder availability in OBS depends on your operating system and hardware.
- Configure audio. YouTube recommends stereo audio at 128 kbps and AAC or MP3. For SDR, its listed color space is Rec. 709.
- Connect OBS to your YouTube stream. In OBS, use the stream service/account connection or choose the custom RTMP option and enter the server and stream key provided by YouTube. Treat the key like a password: do not publish it or share it. Confirm the stream is set up in YouTube Studio before starting the encoder.
For OBS Video terminology and output behavior, see the OBS Studio overview. For hardware encoder availability and trade-offs, consult OBS’s hardware encoding guide. Modern hardware encoders usually reduce CPU work and can deliver very good quality with limited performance impact, but older generations can produce lower quality at a given bitrate. No encoder is best for every system; test the encoder options your OBS installation offers.
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Choose resolution and frame rate for your content and system
Resolution affects image detail and bitrate needs; frame rate affects motion smoothness and encoder workload. Select an output that your connection and computer can maintain, not simply the highest available option. Your canvas is the design workspace; changing it as a quick performance fix can complicate how sources fit and scale.
- Use 1080p60 when motion detail matters and your upload, encoder, and system can sustain YouTube’s recommended bitrate for the selected codec.
- Use 1080p30 when 60 fps adds little to the content or your system needs more headroom.
- Consider 720p30 or 720p60 if bandwidth or rendering capacity is constrained; choose between them based on motion and stability.
- Consider 1440p or 2160p only when the source, encoder, sustained upload capacity, and viewer benefit justify their higher bitrate and resource demands.
OBS explains that scenes use GPU resources and that complex compositions can affect performance. If OBS struggles, lower output resolution or frame rate and simplify costly scenes before changing Base (Canvas) Resolution. Only consider reducing the canvas in severely resource-constrained cases. See OBS’s encoding performance troubleshooting guide.
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Best OBS settings for recording a YouTube video
A local recording that you will edit and upload is a different workflow from a live stream. In OBS Settings → Output, switch Output Mode to Advanced to configure recording independently. You can select a separate encoder and quality target, but a second encoder or a recording quality different from “Same as stream” can add system load.
Choose a recording quality target
OBS’s Advanced Recording Settings guide provides encoder-specific examples for quality-based recording:
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These are OBS baselines, not universal prescriptions. In these examples, a lower number prioritizes quality and generally produces larger files. Choose an available encoder, make a short test recording, and check both playback and system performance. Do not copy these quality-based recording controls into the live stream’s CBR setup.
OBS also offers recording presets such as Same as stream, High Quality, Indistinguishable, and Lossless. Higher-quality modes may require more resources or disk space. OBS describes lossless files as extremely large—about 7 GB per minute in its guide—an approximate guide figure, not a guaranteed file size for every recording.
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Use a recovery-friendly recording format
OBS recommends MKV because an unexpected stop is less likely to corrupt the entire recording. If your editor or upload workflow needs MP4, use OBS’s remux feature after recording to convert the MKV container to MP4. This preserves the safer recording workflow while providing a more widely accepted delivery container. Details are in the OBS Standard Recording Output Guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse live bitrate with upload bitrate
The bitrate for sending a live feed to YouTube is not the same as the recommended encoding bitrate for uploading a completed video. For SDR finished-video uploads, YouTube’s separate upload encoding recommendations list 8 Mbps for 1080p at standard frame rates and 12 Mbps at high frame rates; for 720p, they list 5 Mbps and 7.5 Mbps, respectively. The guide recommends BT.709 for SDR. Use that upload guidance when encoding the finished file, not the live ingest table.
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Preflight before you go live
- Check sustained upload capacity. Run a speed test and leave headroom rather than setting OBS to consume all measured upload bandwidth. YouTube advises choosing a quality your connection can reliably support.
- Test a representative scene. Use the motion, overlays, capture sources, and audio you expect to use during the actual event. A static desktop scene is not a useful substitute for a fast-moving game or a complex live production.
- Start a private or unlisted test if appropriate. Confirm the stream reaches YouTube and that audio, color, framing, and motion look right at the intended output settings.
- Watch OBS statistics and YouTube stream health. Check for dropped frames, rendering lag, encoding lag, and YouTube’s health warnings. A clean local preview does not prove viewers have a stable feed.
- Adjust one variable at a time. If the computer is struggling, reduce frame rate or output resolution and simplify scenes. If viewers buffer while OBS renders normally, investigate upload stability and bitrate.
YouTube’s live guidance recommends testing before an event with representative motion and audio, and monitoring stream health during the broadcast. The guidance and bitrate table can change; check the current YouTube live encoder settings page before a high-stakes stream.
Troubleshoot common streaming problems
| Symptom | Likely area to check | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| OBS reports rendering or encoding pressure | GPU/CPU load, scene complexity, output size, or frame rate | Try 30 fps instead of 60, lower Output (Scaled) Resolution, simplify costly scenes, or reduce expensive source sizes. Avoid changing canvas resolution first unless resources are severely constrained. |
| Viewers report buffering, but OBS appears to render normally | Upload stability or bitrate exceeding reliable sustained capacity | Recheck upload capacity, reduce bitrate or output quality, then run another representative test and monitor YouTube stream health. |
| Stream looks soft or blocky | Bitrate may be too low for the chosen resolution, frame rate, or motion; connection may not sustain the target | Use YouTube’s recommendation for the exact codec and output mode if the connection can sustain it. Otherwise reduce resolution or frame rate rather than forcing an unstable bitrate. |
| Recording is large or stresses the system | Separate high-quality encoder workload, quality target, or Lossless mode | Use a less demanding quality target, record at a lower output resolution or frame rate, or choose Same as stream if the resulting quality is acceptable. |
| Recording will not open after OBS stopped unexpectedly | Container may not have finalized cleanly | Record to MKV for future sessions. If the file is MKV and your editor needs MP4, remux it in OBS after a successful recording. |
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