There is no single best bitrate for every YouTube Live stream. Match the bitrate to the resolution and frame rate you send to YouTube, then select the recommendation for your encoder’s video codec. For example, YouTube recommends 14 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps with H.264, or 10 Mbps with AV1 or H.265. Your upload connection must sustain the stream, too.
Recommended YouTube Live bitrate by resolution and frame rate
The table shows YouTube’s published live-stream ingestion values, checked October 3, 2026. Each cell gives the minimum followed by the recommended bitrate in Mbps. Choose the column matching the codec your encoder sends to YouTube. YouTube groups AV1 and H.265 together in this table; it does not provide a separate H.265 column.
| Ingest resolution and frame rate | AV1 or H.265 Minimum / recommended |
H.264 Minimum / recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p (4K), 60 fps | 10 / 35 Mbps | 14 / 50 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K), 30 fps | 8 / 30 Mbps | 11 / 42 Mbps |
| 1440p, 60 fps | 6 / 24 Mbps | 8 / 34 Mbps |
| 1440p, 30 fps | 5 / 15 Mbps | 7 / 21 Mbps |
| 1080p, 60 fps | 4 / 12 Mbps | 6 / 17 Mbps |
| 1080p, 30 fps | 4 / 10 Mbps | 5 / 14 Mbps |
| 720p, 60 fps | 2 / 6 Mbps | 3 / 8 Mbps |
| 720p, 30 fps | 2 / 6 Mbps | 3 / 8 Mbps |
| 480p, 30 fps | 0.3 / 3 Mbps | 0.4 / 4 Mbps |
| 360p, 30 fps | 0.3 / 3 Mbps | 0.4 / 4 Mbps |
Source: YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions. The page retrieved for this article showed no publication or revision date. These figures are for live-stream ingestion, not for uploading a finished video.
How to read the recommendations
- 1080p at 30 fps: 14 Mbps recommended for H.264; 10 Mbps for AV1 or H.265.
- 1080p at 60 fps: 17 Mbps recommended for H.264; 12 Mbps for AV1 or H.265.
- 720p at 30 or 60 fps: 8 Mbps recommended for H.264; 6 Mbps for AV1 or H.265.
- 4K at 60 fps: 50 Mbps recommended for H.264; 35 Mbps for AV1 or H.265.
Minimum is not the same as recommended. A higher listed recommendation is not a guarantee of stability or a requirement to use that quality: YouTube advises choosing a quality your connection can sustain.
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Choose the right resolution, frame rate, and codec
Use the resolution you actually send to YouTube
Base the choice on the encoder’s output, also called the ingest resolution—not the resolution of the original recording or the quality YouTube may make available to viewers later. If your encoder sends 1080p, use a 1080p row even if the source file is 4K.
Use the matching frame-rate row
Choose 30 or 60 fps according to the outgoing stream. Fast motion can benefit from 60 fps, but it needs more bitrate at many resolutions. If the content and setup do not call for 60 fps, sending 30 fps may reduce bandwidth demands.
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Use the codec your encoder sends
H.264 has its own column; AV1 and H.265 (HEVC) use the grouped column in YouTube’s table. Do not apply an AV1/H.265 recommendation to an H.264 stream. YouTube lists H.264, H.265, and AV1 as supported video codecs for RTMP/RTMPS streams, with separate HDR guidance below.
Set the encoder for a reliable stream
YouTube’s encoder guidance for RTMP/RTMPS includes these settings and support notes:
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- Protocol: RTMP or RTMPS; YouTube recommends RTMPS.
- Video bitrate mode: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds.
- Frame rate: up to 60 fps.
- Audio: AAC or MP3. For 5.1 surround over RTMP/RTMPS, AAC is the supported option.
- Picture format: square pixels and progressive scan.
- Other video settings: 2 B-frames, 1 reference frame, and CABAC.
- SDR color: Rec. 709 and 8-bit SDR.
- HDR: 10-bit HDR; YouTube recommends H.265 for HDR and says AV1 is not supported for HDR.
For 2160p (4K), YouTube does not offer the “improve for low latency” option; its documented settings optimize these streams for quality at normal latency.
Check upload capacity before going live
Your total outgoing stream bitrate must fit within available upload bandwidth. YouTube recommends leaving 20% headroom above the stream bitrate; the retrieved streaming-tips page gives no publication date for that guidance. Shared connections can reduce the bandwidth available to your stream, and upload speed may be lower than download speed.
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- Measure upload speed. Use a speed test that reports upload capacity, not just download speed.
- Leave room for variation. Compare available upload bandwidth with the total stream bitrate and preserve YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom. If the connection cannot sustain the target reliably, choose a lower resolution, frame rate, or bitrate.
- Test realistic content. Include audio and movement similar to the actual stream; a static screen is not a representative test for a high-motion broadcast.
- Watch stream health. Monitor YouTube’s stream-health indicators during the test and live event, especially if other people or devices share the connection.
For computer streaming, YouTube recommends an Ethernet connection. It also recommends testing audio, video, and equipment with an unlisted live stream before the event. Ethernet is a setup option, not a requirement to buy a particular cable or brand.
Sources: YouTube Help: Streaming tips and YouTube Help: Filming tips – Live. The retrieved pages showed no publication or revision dates.
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Troubleshoot bitrate and stream-quality problems
- Connection or stream-health warnings: The upload connection may not sustain the configured bitrate, or competing traffic may be reducing available capacity. Recheck upload speed during likely usage conditions, reduce the outgoing quality if necessary, and leave headroom.
- Choppy or unstable video despite a fast download test: Download speed does not establish upload capacity. Test upload speed and use a wired Ethernet connection for a computer stream where practical.
- Bitrate setting does not match the table: Confirm the encoder’s outgoing resolution, frame rate, and codec. A change in any of those means checking a different row or column.
- Keyframe-related configuration issue: Set the interval to 2 seconds and keep it at or below 4 seconds.
- Test looked fine but the live event struggles: Repeat the test with representative movement and audio, then monitor stream health while live; a low-motion test may not reflect the real workload.
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