Networking · Video & Streaming
Streaming Bitrate Calculator
Estimate the video bitrate for a live stream or recording from its resolution, frame rate, amount of motion and codec, using the well-known Kush gauge rule of thumb. It then adds audio, works out the upload speed you need with safety headroom and the data used per hour, and compares the estimate with YouTube Live's and Twitch's published settings.
Also listed inData & Storage
Your inputs
Quick start — try a typical case
The size of each video frame in pixels. More pixels need more bits: a 1080p frame has 2.07 million pixels, a 4K frame four times as many (8.29 million). Most Twitch streams are 720p or 1080p; 4K is mainly for YouTube.
Frames per second — how many pictures are sent each second. Common values are 24 (film), 25 (PAL/India TV), 30 (most streams), 50 and 60 (fast games, sport). Going from 30 to 60 fps doubles the bitrate the gauge asks for.
How much the picture changes from frame to frame. Video codecs save bits by sending only what changed, so a still webinar slide needs little, while a football match or a fast shooter changes almost every pixel. Low = ×1, medium = ×2, high = ×4.
The compression format your encoder (OBS, a camera, a phone app) uses. H.264 works everywhere and is what Twitch's standard settings use. H.265/HEVC and AV1 are newer and typically need about 40 % to 45 % fewer bits for the same quality, which helps 4K uploads to YouTube. The ratios here are typical, not exact.
Your result Live
Recommended Video Bitrate
8.71 Mbps
8,709 kbps · 1080p at 30 fps, medium motion, H.264
- Video Bitrate (kbps)
- 8,709 kbps
- Total with Audio
- 8.87 Mbps (8,869 kbps)
- Upload Speed You Need
- 11.5 Mbps (with 30% headroom)
- Data per Hour
- 3.99 GB per hour
- Data for a 2-Hour Stream
- 7.98 GB
- Bits per Pixel
- 0.14 bits per pixel per frame
Working
Kush gauge: H.264 bitrate = width × height × fps × motion factor × 0.07; then × codec factor
1: Step 1 · Pixels per frame
1,920 × 1,080
Expression becomes 2,073,600 pixels
2: Step 2 · Pixels per second
2,073,600 × 30 fps
Expression becomes 62,208,000 pixels/s
3: Step 3 · H.264 bitrate (Kush gauge)
62,208,000 × 2 (motion) × 0.07
Expression becomes 8,709,120 bit/s = 8.71 Mbps
4: Step 4 · Codec factor (H.264)
8,709,120 × 1
Expression becomes 8,709,120 bit/s = 8.71 Mbps
5: Step 5 · Add audio
8,709,120 + 160,000
Expression becomes 8,869,120 bit/s = 8.87 Mbps
6: Step 6 · Upload speed with headroom
8,869,120 × (1 + 0.3)
Expression becomes 11.5 Mbps
7: Step 7 · Data per hour
8,869,120 × 3,600 s ÷ 8 bits ÷ 10⁹
Expression becomes 3.99 GB
Video bitrate ≈ 8.71 Mbps; upload ≈ 11.5 Mbps; ≈ 3.99 GB per hour
Your estimate and platform guidance (1080p, 30 fps)
5 rowsAbove Twitch's 6,000 kbps: Twitch's published settings top out at 6,000 kbps (1080p 60 fps) for most channels, so for Twitch cap your encoder at 6,000 kbps or lower the resolution or frame rate. Check Twitch's Broadcasting Guidelines for current limits.
The Kush gauge is a rule of thumb from the H.264 era. Modern encoders (x264 slower presets, NVENC, QSV) often look fine below it, and platforms cap bitrates, so treat the result as a ceiling for good quality rather than a must-have figure.
Data figures use decimal units (1 GB = 10⁹ bytes) and include audio. Constant-bitrate (CBR) streams use almost exactly this; variable bitrate (VBR) recordings vary with the scene.
An estimate from the assumptions you entered, not a guaranteed outcome.
How this is calculated
Video bitrate = W × H × fps × M × 0.07 × C · Total = video + audio · Upload = total × (1 + headroom) · GB per hour = total × 3,600 ÷ 8 ÷ 10⁹
- W × H
- Frame width × height in pixels (1920 × 1080 for 1080p)
- fps
- Frames per second
- M
- Motion factor: 1 low, 2 medium, 4 high
- 0.07
- Kush gauge constant: bits per pixel per frame for H.264 at low motion
- C
- Codec factor: H.264 1, HEVC ≈ 0.6, AV1 ≈ 0.55 (typical efficiency ratios)
- headroom
- Spare upload capacity as a fraction (30 % = 0.3)
Bitrate is how many bits of video are sent each second; more bits mean a cleaner picture but need a faster upload. The Kush gauge, a rule of thumb published by Adobe's Kush Amerasinghe, multiplies the number of pixels sent each second by 0.07 bits and by a motion factor (1, 2 or 4), because busy scenes change more pixels from frame to frame. Newer codecs such as HEVC and AV1 compress better, so we scale the H.264 figure by typical efficiency ratios. Finally we add the audio, allow headroom so the stream survives dips in your connection, and convert the total into gigabytes per hour.
Assumptions & sources
- The Kush gauge is a rule of thumb for good-quality H.264, not a standard; real needs depend on encoder, preset and content.
- Codec factors (HEVC 0.6, AV1 0.55) are typical efficiency ratios versus H.264; actual savings vary.
- Constant bitrate for the whole stream; data figures use 1 GB = 10⁹ bytes and include audio but not network protocol overhead.
- Platform figures are as published by YouTube and Twitch when checked in October 2026; they change, so confirm on their help pages.
- 1Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions — YouTube Help. Recommended live bitrates by resolution, frame rate and codec; read 19 Oct 2026.
- 2Broadcasting Guidelines — Twitch Help. Recommended H.264 settings: 1080p60 at 6,000 kbps, 720p60 and 1080p30 at 4,500 kbps, 720p30 at 3,000 kbps.
- 3H.264 for the rest of us (source of the Kush gauge) — Kush Amerasinghe, Adobe Systems
- 4ITU-T H.264: Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services — ITU-T
- 5ITU-T H.265: High efficiency video coding — ITU-T
Calculator ID NET-STREAM-001 · version 1.0.0
Common questions
What bitrate should I use for a 1080p 60 fps Twitch stream?
Twitch's guidelines say 6,000 kbps for 1080p at 60 fps with H.264. The Kush gauge asks for more (about 17 Mbps at medium motion), which is why fast games can look blocky on Twitch; if your stream looks soft, 720p at 60 fps (4,500 kbps) is often cleaner.
What upload speed do I need to stream?
Add the video and audio bitrate, then allow 30 % or so of headroom. A 6,000 kbps Twitch stream plus 160 kbps audio is 6.16 Mbps, so you want about 8 Mbps of steady upload. Run a speed test and look at the upload figure, not the download one.
How much data does streaming use per hour?
Bitrate × 3,600 seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte. A 6 Mbps stream uses 6 × 10⁶ × 3,600 ÷ 8 = 2.7 GB an hour; a 4K YouTube stream at 35 Mbps uses about 15.8 GB an hour. Watch this on a capped or mobile data plan.
Should I use H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 instead of H.264?
They give the same quality at roughly 40 % to 45 % fewer bits, which matters for 4K. YouTube Live accepts both; Twitch's standard settings use H.264. They also need a newer graphics card or CPU to encode in real time.
Why does motion change the bitrate?
Codecs mostly send what changed since the last frame. A webinar slide barely changes, so few bits are needed; a football match or racing game changes most of the screen every frame, so it needs two to four times as many bits for the same sharpness.
Is a higher bitrate always better?
Only up to a point. Platforms cap or re-encode what you send, and viewers on slow connections can't keep up with a very high bitrate. A stable stream at the platform's recommended bitrate beats a higher one that drops frames.