YouTube Live’s recommended settings
| Output | Resolution | H.264 recommended | H.264 minimum | AV1 and HEVC recommended | AV1 and HEVC minimum | Upload to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K at 60 fps | 3840 × 2160 | 50,000 kbps | 14,000 kbps | 35,000 kbps | 10,000 kbps | 62.7 Mbps |
| 4K at 30 fps | 3840 × 2160 | 42,000 kbps | 11,000 kbps | 30,000 kbps | 8,000 kbps | 52.7 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 2560 × 1440 | 34,000 kbps | 8,000 kbps | 24,000 kbps | 6,000 kbps | 42.7 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 2560 × 1440 | 21,000 kbps | 7,000 kbps | 15,000 kbps | 5,000 kbps | 26.5 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 1920 × 1080 | 17,000 kbps | 6,000 kbps | 12,000 kbps | 4,000 kbps | 21.5 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 1920 × 1080 | 14,000 kbps | 5,000 kbps | 10,000 kbps | 4,000 kbps | 17.7 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 1280 × 720 | 8,000 kbps | 3,000 kbps | 6,000 kbps | 2,000 kbps | 10.2 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 1280 × 720 | 8,000 kbps | 3,000 kbps | 6,000 kbps | 2,000 kbps | 10.2 Mbps |
| 480p at 30 fps | 854 × 480 | 4,000 kbps | 400 kbps | 3,000 kbps | 300 kbps | 5.2 Mbps |
| 360p at 30 fps | 640 × 360 | 4,000 kbps | 400 kbps | 3,000 kbps | 300 kbps | 5.2 Mbps |
Upload to plan for is our arithmetic: the recommended H.264 bitrate plus 128 kbps of audio, with room left free. YouTube Live recommends keeping 20% of upload free. Add whatever else your home uploads at the same time.
Codec, keyframes and limits
- Video codec
- H.264, H.265 (HEVC), AV1
- Rate control
- CBR
- Keyframe interval
- 2 seconds, never more than 4
- Highest frame rate
- 60 fps
- Upload to keep free
- 20%
Audio
- Codec
- AAC or MP3
- Channels
- Stereo (5.1 surround with AAC)
- Recommended bitrate
- 128 kbps
- Sample rate
- 44.1 kHz for stereo
Each codec has a minimum and a recommended bitrate
YouTube publishes a minimum and a recommended bitrate for each codec and output, and the table shows both. Type the recommended figure when your upload carries it. When it does not, any figure from the minimum up is one YouTube accepts, and the picture gets softer in motion the closer you go to the minimum. The bitrate calculator and upload calculator do this for your measured upload.
Keep 20% of your upload free
YouTube recommends leaving 20% of your upload bandwidth unused, and counting a backup stream as well: primary plus backup plus 20%. The upload column above follows that rule, before any other traffic in your home.
Let YouTube detect the output
With the default stream key, YouTube detects your resolution and frame rate automatically. A custom key with manual settings is only needed when you want to fix them yourself. Test with movement and sound similar to the real stream, then watch the stream health messages during the event.
Check your own setup
- How to go live on YouTube 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 YouTube Live’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: Twitch, Kick, Facebook Live, TikTok LIVE. Compare all five side by side.
Sources
- YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions, checked October 9, 2026
- YouTube Help: Streaming tips, checked October 9, 2026
The figures are YouTube’s own.
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