Twitch’s recommended settings
| Output | Resolution | Frame rate | Video bitrate | Upload to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 60 fps | 1920 × 1080 | 60 or 50 fps | 6,000 kbps | 8.0 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 1920 × 1080 | 25 or 30 fps | 4,500 kbps | 6.0 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 1280 × 720 | 60 or 50 fps | 4,500 kbps | 6.0 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 1280 × 720 | 25 or 30 fps | 3,000 kbps | 4.1 Mbps |
Upload to plan for is our arithmetic: the video bitrate plus 96 kbps of audio, with room left free. Twitch asks for upload equal to the stream’s bitrate plus 30%. This column multiplies by 1.30. Add whatever else your home uploads at the same time.
Encoder settings for every row: NVIDIA NVENC: preset Quality, 2 B-frames; x264: preset veryfast to medium, profile Main or High.
Twitch's table prints 1980x1080 in the x264 1080p 30 fps row, where every other 1080p row reads 1920x1080. We show 1920 x 1080.
Codec, keyframes and limits
- Video codec
- H.264
- Rate control
- CBR
- Keyframe interval
- 2 seconds
- Longest broadcast
- 48 hours
- Upload to have
- The stream’s bitrate plus 30%
Audio
- Codec
- AAC-LC
- Channels
- Stereo or mono
- Recommended bitrate
- 96 kbps
- Highest bitrate
- 160 kbps
- Sample rate
- Any (AAC)
Use CBR, and choose stability over quality
Twitch asks for constant bitrate (CBR) and explains why: with variable bitrate, quiet moments drop the bitrate and fast action makes it spike, which can cause buffering and dropped frames. Its own summary is that a stable stream is better than a higher quality that drops frames. If your upload cannot carry a row comfortably, use the row below it rather than squeezing the bitrate.
What Twitch does not publish
Twitch prints recommended settings, not a maximum bitrate, and it has no row for 1440p or 4K. Its start-streaming FAQ asks for upload equal to the stream’s bitrate plus 30%: about 8 Mbps for a 6 Mbps stream. The upload column above and our calculators use that rule for Twitch.
Test before a long stream
Run a short test broadcast and check it in Twitch Inspector before a long stream: compare the resolution, frame rate and bitrate Twitch received with what you set. Twitch’s maximum broadcast length is 48 hours.
Check your own setup
- How to stream on Twitch for the first time: the account, the connection to OBS, a private rehearsal and ending the stream.
- Bitrate calculator: the video bitrate to type into OBS for your resolution, frame rate and kind of content, inside Twitch’s figures.
- Upload calculator: whether your measured upload carries the stream, with a backup stream and household traffic.
- OBS output settings: where each of these values goes in OBS.
Other platforms: YouTube Live, Kick, Facebook Live, TikTok LIVE. Compare all five side by side.
Sources
- Twitch Help: Broadcasting Guidelines, checked September 26, 2026
- Twitch Help: How do I stream? FAQ, checked October 13, 2026
The figures are Twitch’s own.
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