1
Set in your encoder
Open OBS, Streamlabs, or your encoder of choice. Paste the recommended video bitrate into Output → Streaming → Bitrate.
Streaming Bitrate Calculator
Get the recommended video and audio bitrate for your stream — by resolution, framerate, and platform. Free, instant, and multistream-ready.
Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Facebook Live, TikTok Live — all in one calculator.
Recommended Video Bitrate
6,000 – 6,000
kbps
Audio Bitrate
160
kbps (AAC stereo)
Keyframe Interval
2
seconds
Encoder & setup notes
- Aim for the middle of the recommended range. Use the upper end only if your upload speed exceeds 1.5× the bitrate.
- 60 fps doubles motion data — bump bitrate up if motion looks blocky.
- Use x264 for the best quality at lower bitrates; NVENC / AMF / Apple Silicon encoders are great if your CPU is under load.
How To Use These Numbers
2
Match the keyframe interval
Most platforms require a keyframe interval of 2 seconds. Set this in Output → Keyframe Interval to avoid stream errors.
3
Test before you go live
Run a private stream first. If you see frame drops, lower bitrate by 500 kbps and try again. Upload speed should be 1.5× your bitrate.
Recommended Bitrates by Platform
| Platform | 720p30 | 720p60 | 1080p30 | 1080p60 | 1440p / 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twitch | 3,000 – 3,500 | 4,500 – 5,000 | 4,500 – 6,000 | 6,000 (cap) | Not supported |
| YouTube Live | 1,500 – 4,000 | 2,250 – 6,000 | 3,000 – 6,000 | 4,500 – 9,000 | Up to 51,000 |
| Kick | 3,000 – 3,500 | 4,500 – 5,000 | 4,500 – 6,000 | 6,000 – 8,000 | Up to 12,000 |
| Facebook Live | 3,000 – 4,000 | 4,000 – 4,500 | 4,000 – 4,500 | 5,000 – 6,000 | Not supported |
| TikTok Live | 2,500 – 4,000 (vertical) | — | 4,000 – 6,000 (vertical) | — | Vertical only |
All values in kbps. Twitch caps at 6000 kbps for non-partners and does not officially support 1440p/4K. YouTube Live ranges are widest of any platform.
Multistreaming Without the Bitrate Headache
When you broadcast to several platforms at once, your encoder uploads once to a cloud relay — not once per platform. StreamUps handles the per-platform transcoding, so you can encode at the highest common quality and let us serve the right bitrate to each destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bitrate should I stream at on Twitch?
For 1080p60 on Twitch, set your video bitrate to 6000 kbps — this is the platform's hard cap for non-partners. For 720p60, 4500–5000 kbps is enough. Always pair this with audio at 160 kbps and a 2-second keyframe interval.
What's the best bitrate for multistreaming?
Encode once at the lowest common ceiling across your destinations — usually 6000 kbps to stay inside Twitch's cap. A cloud relay service like StreamUps transcodes that single feed down to platform-appropriate bitrates for YouTube, Kick, Facebook, and TikTok.
Why does my stream buffer if I follow the recommended bitrate?
Your upload speed needs to be at least 1.5× your video bitrate. If you're streaming at 6000 kbps, you need at least 9 Mbps stable upload. Run a speed test on speedtest.net at the time you usually stream — peak-hour congestion is the most common culprit.
Should I use CBR or VBR?
Always use CBR (Constant Bitrate) for live streaming. Every major platform — Twitch, YouTube, Kick — explicitly recommends CBR. VBR causes unpredictable spikes that lead to dropped frames on viewers' players.
What encoder should I use for streaming?
x264 (CPU-based) gives the best quality at lower bitrates if your CPU has spare headroom. Hardware encoders — NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Apple Silicon — are slightly less efficient at the same bitrate but free up your CPU for the game. NVENC on RTX 30/40-series cards is nearly as good as x264 in practice.
What audio bitrate should streamers use?
128 kbps AAC stereo is the standard. Bump to 160 kbps if you stream music, ASMR, or talk-heavy content where audio quality matters more than the small bitrate increase.