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For YouTube Live at 1080p and 30 fps, set OBS to 14 Mbps for H.264 or 10 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC, following YouTube’s current English-language encoder recommendations. Use CBR and a 2-second keyframe interval. These are targets, not guarantees: test the stream and use a bitrate your upload connection can sustain reliably.
Recommended bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps
YouTube’s current English-language live-encoder table gives different bitrate targets by codec. Choose the row matching the video encoder you will send to YouTube.
| Ingestion codec | YouTube minimum | YouTube recommended |
|---|---|---|
| AV1 | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| H.265 / HEVC | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| H.264 | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s published ingestion settings, not a promise that a particular connection can deliver them without interruption. If you use H.264, start with 14 Mbps when your connection can sustain it; if you use AV1 or H.265/HEVC, start with 10 Mbps. YouTube lists RTMP and RTMPS ingest and recommends RTMPS. YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate table
Set OBS to output 1080p at 30 fps
- Set the output resolution: In OBS, open Settings > Video and set Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1920×1080. The canvas resolution alone does not confirm that the stream output is 1080p.
- Set the frame rate: In the same Video settings, set Common FPS Values to 30.
- Set the streaming bitrate: Open Settings > Output, select the streaming output settings, and enter the recommended bitrate for the codec you have selected: 14,000 Kbps for H.264 or 10,000 Kbps for AV1/H.265. OBS describes the relevant output-resolution and frame-rate controls in its overview guide; labels can vary between OBS versions.
- Choose CBR: Set the rate control to CBR (constant bitrate), as required by YouTube’s live encoder guidance.
- Set keyframes: Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. YouTube recommends two seconds and says not to exceed four seconds.
- Connect to YouTube: In OBS’s stream settings, choose YouTube as the service and provide the stream key from YouTube Studio, or use the account connection option if available. Keep the key private; anyone with access to it may be able to broadcast to your channel.
Encoder availability and exact labels depend on your OBS version and hardware. Confirm the actual selected codec rather than assuming a bitrate applies across codecs. YouTube’s current encoder requirements are listed on its live encoder settings page.
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Choose a bitrate your upload can actually sustain
YouTube advises choosing a quality that produces a reliable stream on your internet connection and recommends testing upload capacity. A speed test is a useful starting point, but a single headline upload result does not establish that your connection, route to YouTube, or home network can sustain a live stream continuously. OBS also notes that dropped frames can indicate an unstable connection or a bitrate the connection cannot keep up with.
- If your connection is stable during representative testing, use the codec-specific recommended bitrate.
- If OBS reports dropped frames or YouTube reports poor stream health, lower the bitrate and test again rather than treating the recommended value as mandatory.
- Test at the time and from the network you plan to stream on; stability can differ from a short speed-test result.
The exact stable bitrate for a specific household, ISP route, streaming server, or time of day cannot be inferred from YouTube’s table. YouTube recommends testing and monitoring the stream. See YouTube’s encoder guidance and OBS connection troubleshooting.
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- Run a private or unlisted test broadcast if you do not want the test public.
- Include the kind of motion and audio the real stream will have; a static scene may not expose problems that occur during gameplay or other movement.
- Watch YouTube Studio’s stream-health messages and OBS’s dropped-frame indicators during the test.
- If the stream is unstable, reduce bitrate, test again, and check whether the problem persists. A bitrate reduction helps only when capacity or instability is the issue; encoder configuration, local network problems, and the route to the ingest server can also matter.
OBS’s troubleshooting guide explains that dropped frames mean the connection to the remote server is unstable or cannot keep up with the configured bitrate, and recommends lowering bitrate as one troubleshooting step: OBS Stream Connection Troubleshooting.
Fix common 1080p30 streaming problems
| Symptom | Likely area to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| OBS shows dropped frames | Connection stability or bitrate exceeds what the connection can sustain. | Lower the video bitrate, run another representative test, and monitor whether dropped frames stop. |
| YouTube reports poor stream health | Ingest is not arriving consistently or settings do not match the intended output. | Check OBS output resolution and frame rate, confirm codec and bitrate, then test and monitor again. |
| The stream is not actually 1080p30 | Output-scaled resolution or FPS may differ from the canvas or intended settings. | Verify 1920×1080 under Output (Scaled) Resolution and 30 under Common FPS Values in OBS Video settings. |
| YouTube rejects or flags encoder settings | Codec, rate control, keyframe interval, or ingest configuration may not meet YouTube’s published guidance. | Use CBR, a 2-second keyframe interval (never above four seconds), a supported codec, and RTMPS where possible; compare with YouTube’s current encoder settings. |
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