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It depends on how much new video you create and keep—not simply on the fact that it plays 24/7. Using YouTube’s recommended SDR upload bitrates as planning references, a 1080p video with stereo audio works out to roughly 90.6 GB for 24 hours of newly encoded content, or about 33 TB for a year if you add and retain 24 hours of new files every day. Those are estimates, not measurements of a particular sleep-sound export.
If you replay a fixed collection continuously, count each file once. Replaying it does not create more stored video.
Estimate storage from bitrate and duration
For decimal gigabytes, a useful estimate is:
Storage in GB ≈ combined video-and-audio bitrate in Mbps × duration in hours × 0.45.
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One Mbps corresponds to about 0.45 decimal GB per hour: 1,000,000 bits per second × 3,600 seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte = 450,000,000 bytes. From that:
- Per hour: combined Mbps × 0.45 = approximate GB.
- Per day: combined Mbps × 10.8 = approximate GB for 24 hours.
- Per 365-day year: combined Mbps × 3.942 = approximate decimal TB.
Using the 1080p example, 8.384 × 10.8 gives about 90.5 GB per day; multiplied across 365 days and divided by 1,000, that is about 33.0 TB. Small differences between that calculation and the rounded figures below come from rounding.
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Planning estimates by resolution
The table adds YouTube’s published SDR video reference to its 384 kbps stereo-audio reference. It assumes 24 hours of new files are added every day, uses decimal units (1 TB = 1,000 GB), and excludes backups, extra versions, filesystem overhead, and spare capacity. Video references are for standard frame rates. YouTube Help recommends 5 Mbps for 720p, 8 Mbps for 1080p, and 35–45 Mbps for 2160p (4K) SDR video.
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| Example | Combined bitrate used | 24 hours of new files | 30 days | 365 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720p SDR, standard frame rate | 5.384 Mbps | About 58 GB | About 1.74 TB | About 21.2 TB |
| 1080p SDR, standard frame rate | 8.384 Mbps | About 90.6 GB | About 2.72 TB | About 33.0 TB |
| 4K SDR, standard frame rate, lower reference | 35.384 Mbps | About 382 GB | About 11.5 TB | About 139 TB |
| 4K SDR, standard frame rate, upper reference | 45.384 Mbps | About 490 GB | About 14.7 TB | About 179 TB |
These are arithmetic estimates from YouTube’s reference bitrates, not published YouTube storage totals or measured sleep-video file sizes. Resolution alone does not determine a file’s exact size: duration and the actual combined audio and video bitrate matter. A static or low-motion image may compress differently, but do not assume a lower bitrate without checking a representative export.
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Choose the calculation that matches your library
One collection played continuously
Add the sizes of the files you intend to retain. A playlist that repeats for a year still occupies the space of its source files, not 365 times that space.
New 24-hour recordings retained every day
Multiply the 24-hour estimate by the number of days you keep. In the 1080p reference example, retaining a fresh 24 hours each day for 365 days reaches about 33 TB before backups, alternate exports, or headroom.
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One rendered 24-hour loop
Estimate that one file from its own bitrate and duration. If you render it once and reuse it, it is one 24-hour file—not a year of separate daily recordings.
A mixed-length or mixed-quality archive
The most reliable method is to total the actual file sizes. If you do not have the files yet, group content by codec, bitrate, or resolution and estimate each group separately, then add the results. Applying one representative bitrate across a varied archive is less precise.
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Measure actual exports and plan for copies
- Export a representative sample. Use the intended resolution, frame rate, codec, and audio settings. Include both typical and unusually long or complex videos if the library varies.
- Record the file size and duration. For a group with similar settings, divide total file size by total hours to get a practical average. For future content, use that average only while export settings remain comparable.
- Scale to the retention period. Multiply the average per-hour size by the hours you will keep. For a fixed playlist, count the source files once; for daily new recordings, count each day’s additions.
- Add copies and working space separately. A backup, an alternate render, and a temporary working copy each take additional capacity. The estimates in this article exclude those needs, along with filesystem overhead and headroom.
- Check usable capacity before buying storage. Compare capacity available to your archive—not just the advertised capacity of a device—and include the number of copies your policy requires. These calculations do not establish a specific drive model, current price, or product recommendation.
What StreamNeo does—and does not—change
StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos; it is not a substitute for an archive sized to keep years of source files and backups. Each slot includes 10 GB of storage, pooled across active slots, as well as 24/7 looping and playlists. That included storage is distinct from the much larger capacity a long-term library may require.
If your goal is to play uploaded sleep-sound videos continuously on YouTube without leaving a computer running at home, StreamNeo can run the loop in the cloud. Upload your recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. For current plan details, see StreamNeo pricing.
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