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You can stream 4K at 60 frames per second (fps) from a Windows 11 PC to YouTube Live with OBS, provided your encoder supports the chosen video codec and your PC and internet connection can sustain the workload. YouTube recommends 35 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC video, or 50 Mbps for H.264, at 4K/60. Those are video bitrates sent to YouTube—not broadband plan speeds. Test your actual PC and upload connection before going live.

Check whether your PC and connection are ready

Windows 11 alone does not guarantee 4K/60 encoding. Available encoder options depend on the graphics hardware and software installed on your PC. Before configuring OBS, confirm that your hardware encoder offers the codec you intend to use at 3840 × 2160 and 60 fps. If it does not, choose another supported encoder or plan to stream at a lower resolution or frame rate.

YouTube’s recommended 4K/60 video bitrate is 35 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC, and 50 Mbps for H.264. The respective minimums are 10 Mbps and 14 Mbps, but a minimum is not a sensible target for a demanding stream. These figures describe the video feed received by YouTube, not the upload speed to buy from an Indian ISP. Your connection needs additional sustained capacity for audio, transmission overhead and fluctuations. Test from the same location and network you will use for the event; a provider’s advertised plan rate cannot establish that the route will remain stable. YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate recommendations do not provide a universal upload-speed guarantee for India.

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  • Encoder: Use AV1 or HEVC only if your PC and OBS expose a compatible encoder; otherwise H.264 is an option, with a higher YouTube-recommended bitrate at 4K/60.
  • Connection: Run a sustained upload test and leave headroom above the video bitrate. A brief speed-test peak does not prove a stream will hold steady.
  • Interactivity: YouTube does not offer its low-latency option for 4K/2160p. For a highly interactive event, consider whether a lower resolution better serves the audience.
  • Color: For standard dynamic range (SDR), use the Rec. 709, 8-bit path. HDR needs compatible source material and hardware, plus separate settings.

Set up YouTube Live and protect the stream key

  1. Enable live streaming in advance. If this is your first YouTube live stream, activation may take up to 24 hours. Check YouTube’s encoder setup guidance before scheduling a near-term event.
  2. Create or schedule a stream in YouTube Live Control Room. Open the stream’s settings and copy its stream key into OBS. YouTube describes the key as the stream’s password and address; keep it private and do not publish or share it. See YouTube’s stream settings help.
  3. Verify the destination and stream before the event. Use the intended YouTube channel and stream entry, then confirm that OBS is sending to the matching key. Treat the key like a password: anyone who obtains it could send a feed to that destination.

Configure OBS on Windows 11 for 4K/60

OBS is a free, open-source encoder. Menu names can vary by OBS version and selected encoder, so use the setting names shown by your installed version. YouTube accepts RTMP or RTMPS and recommends RTMPS, the encrypted version of RTMP. Its requirements and recommendations are documented in YouTube’s encoder settings page.

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  1. Choose the YouTube service and server. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select YouTube as the service, and connect your account or enter the stream key. Select the available YouTube RTMPS server option where offered. Do not disclose the key.
  2. Select an encoder your PC supports. Open Settings → Output, set the output mode to Advanced if needed to expose encoder controls, then choose a supported hardware encoder for AV1, HEVC, or H.264. OBS only exposes encoders available on the device. Do not assume software encoding will sustain 4K/60 on an unspecified PC.
  3. Set rate control and bitrate. Set rate control to CBR (constant bitrate). For 4K/60, start at YouTube’s recommended 35 Mbps for AV1/HEVC or 50 Mbps for H.264, provided the encoder supports that combination and your tested connection has adequate headroom. YouTube’s minimums—10 Mbps for AV1/HEVC and 14 Mbps for H.264—are not the recommended targets.
  4. Set the keyframe interval. Use a 2-second interval. YouTube recommends 2 seconds and says not to exceed 4 seconds.
  5. Set video dimensions and frame rate. Under Settings → Video, set the output resolution to 3840 × 2160 and the frame rate to 60. If the encoder or test cannot sustain them, reduce the output resolution or frame rate rather than forcing an unstable stream.
  6. Configure audio. Use AAC or MP3 audio; YouTube recommends 128 Kbps for stereo. Check that the intended microphone or program audio is selected and audible in OBS.
  7. Use SDR settings unless you have an HDR workflow. For SDR, use Rec. 709 color space and 8-bit depth. A 4K resolution does not by itself make a video HDR.

Test the real stream before viewers arrive

Run a private or otherwise appropriate test using the same PC, encoder, network, audio and type of motion planned for the event. YouTube Help advises that tests include audio and movement similar to the actual stream. Watch OBS for dropped frames and encoder strain, and check YouTube Live Control Room for stream health and messages. If the stream is unstable, lower the bitrate, resolution or frame rate, then test again. A setting that works on a static desktop may fail with fast movement or a heavier PC workload.

If practical, connect the PC to the router with Ethernet and repeat the test. A Cat6 cable is an optional way to use a wired local connection when the PC and router have suitable ports; it does not raise your ISP plan speed or guarantee a stable route to YouTube. In India, results depend on your own provider, plan, local network and time of day.

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Step down without abandoning a live stream

YouTube’s recommended 60 fps video bitrates provide lower-resolution alternatives if 4K is not sustainable:

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Output at 60 fps AV1 or HEVC recommended video bitrate H.264 recommended video bitrate
2160p (4K) 35 Mbps 50 Mbps
1440p 24 Mbps 34 Mbps
1080p 12 Mbps 17 Mbps

These are YouTube recommendations for video ingestion, not minimum ISP plan speeds. The complete table and related encoder guidance are on YouTube Help.

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When to use HDR instead of SDR

Attempt HDR only if the source content and hardware support it. YouTube’s current live HDR guidance supports HEVC. Its OBS instructions call for OBS 30.1 or later, an HDR source, hardware HEVC encoding, Main 10 profile, P010 color format, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color space. The Windows 11 procedure describes enabling Windows HDR with an HDR monitor; it also notes that Auto HDR can be used when the source itself is not HDR. The Live Control Room preview does not display HDR colors. Follow YouTube’s HDR live-streaming guidance and verify the complete pipeline before the event.

Common problems and fixes

  • YouTube receives no signal: Check that OBS is connected to the correct YouTube stream, the copied key matches that stream, and the encoder is started. If you are unsure whether the key has been exposed, replace it in YouTube and update OBS.
  • OBS reports dropped frames: The network path may not be sustaining the output. Repeat a sustained upload test, try a wired connection if available, and lower bitrate or resolution if the instability continues.
  • Encoding overload or stutter: The PC may not be sustaining the chosen encoder, resolution and frame rate. Choose a different supported hardware encoder or step down to 1440p/60 or 1080p/60 and test again.
  • Stream health warnings or buffering: Look at YouTube’s stream-health messages and OBS statistics together. Reduce bitrate or output quality and retest; increasing bitrate cannot fix a connection that is already unstable.
  • HDR looks wrong or the preview appears washed out: Confirm that the source is HDR and that the supported HEVC, Main 10, P010 and Rec. 2100 settings match YouTube’s instructions. The Live Control Room preview itself does not show HDR colors.
  • Viewers expect near-real-time interaction: YouTube does not make low latency available at 4K/2160p. Consider a lower resolution if reducing latency matters more than 4K detail.

Copyright and YouTube policy checks

Before broadcasting, make sure you have the rights to every video, music track and other material in the stream. A stream key and a successful technical test do not grant permission to use copyrighted material. Review YouTube’s current copyright and live-streaming requirements for your content, and do not assume that permission to upload a recording automatically covers rebroadcasting it live.

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Or let it run in the cloud

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