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Estimate a continuous YouTube stream at about 324 decimal GB per month for every 1 Mbps of average outgoing bitrate over a 30-day month—about 302 GiB. Use monthly GB ≈ average bitrate (Mbps) × streaming hours × 0.45; for 24/7 operation over 30 days, use Mbps × 324. This estimates the encoder’s upload, not viewers’ playback data.
Calculate the stream’s monthly data
Convert the total outgoing bitrate from megabits per second to bytes, then multiply by the actual number of seconds streamed. For decimal gigabytes:
GB ≈ Mbps × 1,000,000 × seconds ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000,000,000
For a convenient estimate when bitrate is in Mbps and duration in hours, use:
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GB ≈ Mbps × streaming hours × 0.45
For a 30-day month of uninterrupted streaming, there are 720 hours, so the calculation simplifies to Mbps × 324. These are calculated estimates, not monthly usage figures published by YouTube. If your stream has planned pauses or outages, use the hours it actually sends data rather than assuming 720.
Use the average total outgoing bitrate
Use the bitrate the FFmpeg output actually sends to YouTube, not resolution alone. If you have a constant bitrate setting that covers the complete multiplexed output, it can be a reasonable planning input. If your figure is video-only, add audio. For example, 8 Mbps video plus 128 Kbps audio is about 8.128 Mbps before protocol overhead.
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For variable-rate output, measure total outgoing traffic over a representative period and use its average rate. A short sample may miss changes in scene complexity or other periods of different activity. YouTube’s recommended settings are guidance for ingestion, not a guarantee of what a particular FFmpeg command transmits.
What YouTube’s bitrate recommendations imply
YouTube’s official live encoder settings page recommends, among other settings, H.264 at 8 Mbps for 720p30 and 14 Mbps for 1080p30. It also recommends CBR, 128 Kbps audio for stereo, and a two-second keyframe interval (not over four seconds). The page lists RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265, and AV1; its retrieved content shows no publication year.
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These recommendations help identify possible planning bitrates; they do not establish that your FFmpeg stream uses those rates. Check your command and measure its outgoing rate where possible. YouTube says it transcodes incoming live streams into multiple playback formats. For your upload estimate, count the encoder’s outgoing feed: viewers’ playback delivery is separate and is not multiplied by viewer count in your single ingest upload.
Thirty-day examples
The following totals assume a steady aggregate outgoing rate for all 720 hours. They are calculated values, excluding protocol overhead, retransmissions, startup tests, downtime, and additional backup feeds. The 8 Mbps and 14 Mbps examples correspond to YouTube’s H.264 recommendations for 720p30 and 1080p30; the other rows illustrate the calculation.
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| Outgoing bitrate | Approximate decimal transfer | Approximate binary transfer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mbps | 324 GB | 302 GiB |
| 6 Mbps | 1,944 GB (1.94 TB) | 1,811 GiB (1.77 TiB) |
| 8 Mbps | 2,592 GB (2.59 TB) | 2,415 GiB (2.36 TiB) |
| 10 Mbps | 3,240 GB (3.24 TB) | 3,019 GiB (2.95 TiB) |
| 14 Mbps | 4,536 GB (4.54 TB) | 4,226 GiB (4.13 TiB) |
GB and TB here use decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. GiB and TiB use binary units: 1 GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. Providers and operating-system monitors may label units differently, so compare like with like.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Separate monthly transfer from upload capacity
YouTube’s streaming tips say, “Leave a bit of room (20% recommended).” That is advice to have upload bandwidth available beyond the stream’s bitrate; it is not an instruction to add 20% to the monthly bytes estimate. The page also advises accounting for primary and backup streams when sizing capacity.
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A backup feed that transmits simultaneously does add to actual transfer. Count its traffic separately in a usage estimate. Other reasons a metered total can exceed the nominal calculation include protocol framing, encryption, retransmissions, brief bitrate variation, testing, and concurrent backup feeds. The cited YouTube pages do not quantify a fixed overhead percentage, so do not treat any one percentage as a guaranteed adjustment. If you face a strict cap or bill, allow a prudent margin or measure actual interface or host transfer during representative operation.
Measure and refine your estimate
- Find the stream rate. Identify whether the bitrate in your FFmpeg settings is video-only or includes audio. If it is video-only, include audio in the aggregate estimate.
- Account for variable output. If the rate varies, monitor total outgoing traffic over representative operation rather than relying on a peak or a short sample.
- Use actual streaming time. Multiply the average Mbps by actual online hours and 0.45 for approximate decimal GB.
- Count concurrent feeds and tests. Add transfer from a simultaneously transmitting backup encoder, testing, or other stream traffic that shares the connection.
- Compare the right units. Check whether your ISP or host reports decimal GB/TB or binary GiB/TiB.
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