For YouTube Live, use the bitrate in the row matching your resolution and frame rate. YouTube’s current recommendations group AV1 with H.265/HEVC: for 1080p60, that group is recommended at 12 Mbps versus 17 Mbps for H.264; for 1080p30, 10 Mbps versus 14 Mbps. These are YouTube’s ingest recommendations—not a guarantee of equal picture quality at those rates. Choose a rate your encoder and upload connection can sustain, then test it with representative gameplay before going live.
Recommended YouTube Live bitrates by resolution and frame rate
The figures below are YouTube Help’s recommended video ingest settings, accessed October 3, 2026; the page displays no publication date. Mbps means megabits per second. YouTube groups AV1 and H.265/HEVC in the same columns, so these figures should not be read as an AV1-only comparison or as proof that AV1 and H.265 produce identical results.
| Resolution and frame rate | AV1/H.265 minimum | AV1/H.265 recommended | H.264 minimum | H.264 recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2160p (4K) at 60 fps | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K) at 30 fps | 8 Mbps | 30 Mbps | 11 Mbps | 42 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 24 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 34 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps | 7 Mbps | 21 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 4 Mbps | 12 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 480p at 30 fps | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 360p at 30 fps | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
Minimum and recommended rates are different thresholds in YouTube’s table. Treat the recommended column as the starting target; the minimum is not an equivalent-quality alternative. For the full settings and any updates, see YouTube’s live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
What the bitrate difference does—and does not—tell you
At each matching resolution and frame rate shown, YouTube recommends a lower ingest bitrate for the combined AV1/H.265 category than for H.264. That is a difference in platform guidance. The settings page is not a controlled test of AV1 versus H.264 at equal visual quality, and it does not promise that a particular AV1 stream will look better than H.264 at the listed rate.
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For a gaming stream, fast camera turns, particles, foliage, and detailed motion can expose compression artifacts more than a static scene. Use the recommended value as a starting point, inspect a test with gameplay resembling your actual stream, and adjust resolution, frame rate, or bitrate if the result or connection is unstable. Switching codecs alone cannot fix inadequate upload capacity or an encoder that cannot keep up.
Choose a codec your encoder and stream path support
YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS ingest and H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video codecs. Confirm your encoder offers the codec you plan to send and that its selected output protocol is compatible. YouTube detects the encoder settings and transcodes live streams into different playback formats for viewers, so the codec and bitrate you send are ingest settings—not a promise that viewers receive that same codec or bitrate.
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YouTube’s listed HDR settings do not support AV1; they list H.265/HEVC for HDR. If HDR is required, check the current platform and encoder settings rather than assuming an AV1 configuration will work. At 3840×2160 and above, YouTube calls for at least two tile columns for AV1 streams.
Encoder settings checklist
- Protocol: RTMP or RTMPS.
- Rate control: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Keyframes: two-second frequency recommended; do not exceed four seconds.
- Scan and pixels: progressive scan and square pixels.
- Color: Rec. 709 for SDR; 8-bit for SDR and 10-bit for HDR.
- Audio: AAC or MP3. YouTube supports 5.1 surround sound over RTMP/RTMPS only with AAC.
- Frame rate: YouTube lists support up to 60 fps.
These are YouTube’s documented encoder settings, not a guarantee that every encoder exposes identical labels or options. See YouTube’s live encoder settings page for the platform’s current details.
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Check upload bandwidth before choosing the target
Measure outbound upload capacity, not download speed. Your total stream bitrate must fit within available upload bandwidth; YouTube recommends leaving 20% headroom. Other people and devices using the same connection can reduce the bandwidth available to the encoder. If you configure a backup stream, account for its capacity as well as the primary stream and headroom.
For example, a stream configured at 17 Mbps needs more than 17 Mbps of usable upload capacity to preserve YouTube’s recommended headroom; the connection must also tolerate normal variation and any other outgoing traffic. YouTube’s guidance is to “Leave a bit of room (20% recommended).” See YouTube’s streaming tips.
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Set up and test your live stream
- Pick the output resolution and frame rate. Start with what the game, capture setup, and viewers’ needs justify; higher resolution or frame rate requires a higher bitrate target.
- Read the matching row above. Choose the codec column your encoder supports, and use the recommended rate as the initial target rather than the minimum.
- Configure the encoder. Select RTMP/RTMPS, the intended codec, CBR, the two-second keyframe interval, and appropriate resolution, frame rate, color, and audio options.
- Measure upload capacity and leave headroom. Test the network while it is being used in realistic conditions. Reduce other network traffic or lower the stream’s resolution, frame rate, or bitrate if capacity is insufficient.
- Run a private or unlisted test before the event. Include gameplay motion and audio similar to the real stream. Check YouTube’s stream health and the resulting playback; correct dropped frames, unstable bitrate, audio problems, or visible artifacts before going public.
- Monitor during the broadcast. If stream health degrades, first check encoder load and outbound network stability; then consider a lower output setting and test that configuration.
YouTube specifically recommends testing with audio and movement similar to the planned stream. Its encoder workflow guide explains how to create a stream with an encoder: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Latency trade-off for 4K streams
If low latency matters more than the highest output resolution, account for YouTube’s latency limitation as well as bitrate. YouTube says 4K/2160p streams cannot use its low-latency optimization and are set to normal latency.
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Troubleshoot common bitrate and codec problems
- Unstable stream health or dropped frames: The upload connection may not sustain the total stream bitrate, or competing network use may be consuming headroom. Check outbound capacity and network use; lower bitrate, resolution, or frame rate and test again.
- Encoder does not offer AV1: The selected encoder or hardware may not expose AV1 encoding. Use a codec it supports, such as H.264, and follow the corresponding YouTube bitrate column.
- AV1 ingest fails for HDR: YouTube’s listed HDR settings do not support AV1. Check the current HDR-compatible codec and encoder configuration; YouTube lists H.265/HEVC for HDR.
- Picture looks blocky during gameplay: Fast motion and detail can be demanding. Verify the encoder is actually sending the selected bitrate, then test a higher supported target if upload headroom allows, or reduce resolution/frame rate.
- Stream runs but viewers see a different codec: YouTube transcodes live streams into different output formats. The ingest codec you choose does not dictate the playback codec for every viewer.
- 4K stream cannot use low latency: This is a YouTube limitation for 2160p streams. Choose normal latency or reconsider whether 4K is essential to the broadcast.
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