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Larix Broadcaster’s mobile data use depends mainly on the stream’s average bitrate and runtime—not on one fixed app-wide amount. As a planning estimate, multiply bitrate in Mbps by stream hours and by 0.45 to get decimal gigabytes. A 10 Mbps stream, for example, uses about 4.5 GB of encoded stream data per hour, before allowing for overhead and variation.

Estimate mobile data from bitrate and runtime

Use this formula for a quick estimate:

Estimated GB ≈ bitrate in Mbps × hours × 0.45

The conversion assumes 1 byte = 8 bits and decimal gigabytes (1 GB = 1,000 MB). It estimates encoded stream data at the average bitrate; it is not a measurement of everything your phone or carrier may count. Leave extra room for protocol overhead, retransmissions, and bitrate variation.

Examples by livestream length

Average bitrate Approximate data per hour Approximate data for 2 hours
4 Mbps 1.8 GB 3.6 GB
6 Mbps 2.7 GB 5.4 GB
10 Mbps 4.5 GB 9 GB
12 Mbps 5.4 GB 10.8 GB

These are calculations from bitrate, not measured Larix or carrier usage. Actual plan consumption can differ.

What YouTube bitrate settings mean for data use

YouTube’s live encoder recommendations include the following H.264 bitrates. Applying the formula gives approximate data per hour:

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YouTube H.264 resolution and frame rate Recommended bitrate Approximate data per hour
240p–720p at 30 fps 4 Mbps 1.8 GB
720p at 60 fps 6 Mbps 2.7 GB
1080p at 30 fps 10 Mbps 4.5 GB
1080p at 60 fps 12 Mbps 5.4 GB

The hourly figures are derived estimates using YouTube’s H.264 recommendations, not data-use statistics published by YouTube or Softvelum. YouTube lists recommendations for multiple codecs; these examples use H.264 only. Higher recommended bitrates mean more data per hour, so a 1080p stream can use more mobile data than a lower-bitrate stream.

Why actual Larix usage can differ

  • Configured and actual bitrate: Softvelum says that the selected or default bitrate is the encoder’s target and that Larix generally publishes at that target. The target is the best starting point for estimating data, rather than a guarantee of exact carrier accounting. See the Larix FAQ.
  • Runtime: With the same average bitrate, twice the runtime produces roughly twice the encoded data.
  • Adaptive bitrate: Larix offers adaptive bitrate when network conditions are poor. The rate can vary from a fixed target over the stream, but Softvelum does not give a universal percentage by which adaptive bitrate will reduce data use.
  • Resolution, frame rate, and codec: These settings affect the recommended bitrate. Compare the actual bitrate you set in Larix with the recommendation for the format you are sending.
  • Network and carrier accounting: The cited official guidance does not establish a universal overhead or retransmission percentage, or how every carrier accounts for streamed data. Do not treat the arithmetic as an exact prediction of your bill.

Check your setup and estimate a data allowance

  1. Check the outgoing settings in Larix. Note the video bitrate, resolution, and frame rate you plan to send.
  2. Estimate the stream data. Multiply the bitrate in Mbps by the planned hours and by 0.45. For instance, 6 Mbps for 2 hours is approximately 5.4 GB of encoded stream data.
  3. Confirm your mobile upload can sustain the stream. YouTube advises testing the connection, using representative content before going live, and monitoring stream health during the broadcast. See its encoder settings guidance.
  4. Check real usage if your allowance is tight. Run a representative test and compare your phone’s or carrier’s data counter before and after. Leave a margin for variation instead of budgeting exactly to the formula.

Troubleshoot unexpected data use or stream problems

  • The stream uses more data than the estimate: Check the actual bitrate and runtime, and allow for network variation and overhead. A carrier’s counter may not match the encoded-data estimate exactly.
  • Data use changes during the broadcast: If adaptive bitrate is enabled, Larix may vary its rate with network conditions. Its documentation does not promise a fixed data reduction.
  • YouTube reports poor stream health: Test the mobile upload with the intended settings, reduce the bitrate if the connection cannot sustain it, and monitor stream health during a representative test. A recommendation is a planning point, not proof that a particular mobile connection can reliably deliver it.
  • You need a more reliable data allowance estimate: Measure a test using the same phone, network, Larix settings, and representative content as the planned broadcast; compare the device or carrier counter before and after, then retain headroom.
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For Larix documentation, see YouTube’s guide to creating a live stream with an encoder.

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