Streaming Bitrate Calculator
Recommended Bitrate
Get recommended bitrate based on resolution, FPS, and platform
Upload Speed Check
Determine max stream quality from your upload speed
Formula
Required Upload (Mbps) = Total Bitrate (Kbps) / 1000 x 1.25 | Storage/hr (GB) = Total Bitrate x 3600 / (8 x 1024 x 1024) | 60fps bitrate = 30fps bitrate x 1.5
Frequently Asked Questions
What bitrate should I stream at on Twitch?
For Twitch, 6000 Kbps is recommended for 1080p60 streams. Twitch's max is 8500 Kbps. If you're not a partner, viewers without transcoding may struggle, so 720p60 at 4500 Kbps is a safe choice for broader accessibility.
What upload speed do I need to stream?
You need at least 1.5x your total bitrate in upload speed. For a 6000 Kbps stream: at least 9 Mbps upload. For 720p30 at 3000 Kbps: at least 5 Mbps. Always run a speed test and use 75% of your upload capacity to avoid dropped frames.
Should I use x264 or NVENC for encoding?
NVENC (GPU encoding) is recommended for most streamers as it offloads encoding from the CPU, maintaining game performance. x264 (CPU encoding) produces slightly better quality at the same bitrate but uses significant CPU resources. If you have an RTX GPU, NVENC quality is very close to x264 Medium.
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