Streaming Bitrate Calculator
Find the right streaming bitrate for Twitch, YouTube or Kick, with the upload speed needed, data used per hour and encoder recommendations.
Choosing a streaming bitrate
Bitrate is how much data you send per second of video. Too low and fast motion breaks into blocks; too high and viewers on slower connections buffer, while the platform may reject the stream outright. The right figure depends on resolution, frame rate, your encoder and the platform's ceiling.
Twitch's 6000 kbps ceiling shapes everything
Twitch caps most non-partnered channels around 6000 kbps. That is comfortable for 1080p60 with a modern encoder, tight for 1440p, and not enough for 4K. If your scene is full of fast motion — a shooter, or a racing game — 936p or 900p60 at 6000 kbps often looks better than 1080p60 starved of data.
Encoder choice matters as much as bitrate
x264 running on the CPU still gives the best quality per bit at slower presets, but it costs frames in the game you are playing. NVENC on RTX cards is close enough that most streamers use it and keep the CPU free. AV1, on RTX 40-series and RX 7000-series and later, delivers roughly the same quality at about 30% less bitrate — a genuine step forward where the platform accepts it.
Upload headroom, not upload speed
Never stream at more than about 70–80% of your measured upload. The remaining margin absorbs the bursts every encoder produces on scene changes. A stream configured right at your line's limit will drop frames the moment anything else on the network sends data. Check what your household needs overall with the Bandwidth Calculator.
Keyframes and buffering
Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds — every major platform requires it, and getting it wrong causes viewers to see long buffering pauses when they join. Use CBR (constant bitrate) for live streaming; variable bitrate is for recording.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use for 1080p60 on Twitch?
Around 6000 kbps, which is Twitch's cap for most channels. With NVENC or AV1 that is enough for a good-looking 1080p60 stream. For very fast motion, consider 900p60 at the same bitrate - fewer pixels each getting more data.
How much upload speed do I need to stream?
At least 1.5 times your bitrate. For 6000 kbps that means a stable 9-10 Mbps upload. Streaming at your line's limit causes dropped frames whenever anything else uses the connection.
Is NVENC worse than x264?
On Turing (RTX 20-series) and newer the gap is small, and NVENC frees the CPU entirely. x264 at slow presets still wins on pure quality per bit, but it costs game performance. Most streamers should use NVENC.
Should I stream in AV1?
If your GPU supports it and your platform accepts it, yes - roughly the same quality at 30% less bitrate. Support is still uneven across platforms and older viewer devices, so check before switching.
How much data does streaming use?
At 6000 kbps you upload about 2.7 GB per hour. On a metered or capped connection, a few hours a day adds up quickly - worth checking your allowance.