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Estimate monthly VPS egress by multiplying the stream’s total outgoing bitrate—including audio—by its actual streaming time, then converting bits to bytes. For a steady stream over 30 days, each 1 Mbps uses about 324 decimal GB. That is an estimate of data sent, not a VPS bill: check the exact plan’s outbound-transfer allowance, billing rules and sustained-throughput limits.
Calculate the stream’s estimated transfer
Bitrate measures bits per second. Divide by eight to convert bits to bytes, then multiply by the number of seconds the stream runs:
transfer_bytes = outgoing_bits_per_second × streaming_seconds ÷ 8
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transfer_GB ≈ bitrate_Mbps × hours × 0.45
For a continuous 30-day stream, there are 720 hours, so the estimate simplifies to:
transfer_GB ≈ bitrate_Mbps × 324
For 31 days, use about 334.8 GB per sustained Mbps. For another billing period, substitute its actual duration rather than assuming every month is 30 days. If the provider quotes transfer in TiB or another unit, convert the decimal estimate before comparing it with the plan allowance.
Choose the right bitrate
Use the configured outgoing rate, not resolution alone
Resolution is only an indirect clue: the calculation needs the actual bitrate FFmpeg sends. Include video and audio rates. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends H.264 video at 10 Mbps for 1080p30 and 12 Mbps for 1080p60; its advanced settings list 128 Kbps for stereo audio. If those video and audio rates are combined, the nominal totals are 10.128 Mbps and 12.128 Mbps, respectively. See YouTube’s live encoder settings and bitrate recommendations.
| Example outgoing feed | Nominal total bitrate | Estimated 30-day transfer |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p30 H.264 video at 10 Mbps plus stereo audio at 128 Kbps | 10.128 Mbps | About 3,281 decimal GB (3.28 TB) |
| 1080p60 H.264 video at 12 Mbps plus stereo audio at 128 Kbps | 12.128 Mbps | About 3,929 decimal GB (3.93 TB) |
| Video-only illustration at 10 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 3,240 decimal GB |
| Video-only illustration at 12 Mbps | 12 Mbps | 3,888 decimal GB |
These are arithmetic estimates for steady bitrates over 30 days, not measurements of VPS usage. YouTube’s guidance covers H.264, H.265/HEVC and AV1 and recommends a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. For your estimate, use the settings actually configured for your stream rather than selecting a bitrate from resolution alone. YouTube transcodes live streams into viewer playback formats, but that does not mean your VPS sends each viewer rendition; estimate the VPS’s outgoing feed to YouTube. See YouTube’s encoder guidance and its live content delivery documentation.
Worked example: 6 Mbps video and 128 Kbps audio
At a combined nominal bitrate of 6.128 Mbps, a continuous 30-day stream is estimated at 6.128 × 324 = 1,985.472 GB, or about 1.99 decimal TB. Allow extra room for transfer not represented by this steady-rate media calculation.
Check whether the VPS plan can carry it
The feed from your VPS to YouTube is outbound VPS traffic. Compare your estimate plus an operating margin with the exact plan’s outbound-transfer allowance for the relevant billing cycle. There is no universal VPS allowance implied by YouTube’s bitrate recommendations; hosting terms can vary by provider, plan and region.
- Check how much outbound transfer is included and how the provider defines its billing cycle.
- Confirm which traffic directions count, how overages are priced, and whether exceeding an allowance causes throttling or suspension.
- Check port speed and sustained-throughput limits separately. A stream’s Mbps bitrate estimates volume over time; it does not prove the VPS can reliably sustain that rate.
- Account for other VPS traffic, simultaneous streams, reconnects, retries and network protocol overhead. A duplicate feed sent to another destination adds its own traffic.
Use the provider’s transfer counter during a representative run if you need a closer operational figure; the estimate does not include all traffic that may be counted on the bill. YouTube recommends testing before going live and monitoring stream health. Its Live API provides health feedback, including bitrate and keyframe-related conditions. See the YouTube LiveStreams API documentation.
Do not count a backup address as a second stream by itself
YouTube recommends RTMPS for secure live ingestion, and its API documents primary and backup ingestion addresses. Merely having a backup endpoint available does not double your transfer estimate; sending a duplicate stream to another destination does. See the LiveStreams API documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded video looping on YouTube, rather than specifically to run FFmpeg on a VPS, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. The StreamNeo cloud keeps the stream running without your computer or home connection staying on. It streams uploaded videos to YouTube; it is not a camera-streaming service.
- Any quality up to 4K 60fps as uploaded, at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for plan details, then start your free first day.
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