Streaming Bitrate
Pick a recommended upload bitrate for a resolution and frame rate.
About Streaming Bitrate
A resolution base rate is combined with a higher-frame-rate allowance and audio, then a 10 percent overhead is added for the upload link. Bitrate too low looks blocky while too high risks buffering, so a credible target keeps streams crisp at the resolution you promised.
Formula
Streaming Bitrate
Video bitrate = base by resolution + 60 fps add-on; upload = total x 1.1 overhead
- kbps
- Kilobits per second, a bitrate measurement
Worked example
With the default values below, Streaming Bitrate returns Video Bitrate of 6,000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Resolutionone of 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K
- 1080p
- Frame rateone of 30 fps, 60 fps
- 30 fps
- Audio bitrateone of 128 kbps, 160 kbps, 320 kbps
- 128 kbps
Results
- Video Bitrate
- 6,000 kbps
- Total with Audio
- 6,128 kbps
- Upload Needed
- 6.74 Mbps
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Streaming Bitrate
- 3Video Bitrate= 6,000 kbps
- 4Total with Audio= 6,128 kbps
- 5Upload Needed= 6.74 Mbps
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Streaming Bitrate calculated?
Video bitrate = base by resolution + 60 fps add-on; upload = total x 1.1 overhead A resolution base rate is combined with a higher-frame-rate allowance and audio, then a 10 percent overhead is added for the upload link.
Why does Streaming Bitrate matter?
Bitrate too low looks blocky while too high risks buffering, so a credible target keeps streams crisp at the resolution you promised.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Resolution, Frame rate, Audio bitrate. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.