Streaming bitrate and upload speed planner
Enter your upload speed. Get a safe streaming bitrate with headroom and see which resolutions and frame rates it can carry.
How the safe bitrate is worked out
The planner takes your upload speed, subtracts anything else using it, and keeps your chosen share (70 percent by default) as headroom for dips. It removes your audio bitrate to leave the video bitrate you can use, then compares it with common starting ranges for each resolution and frame rate.
Common starting bitrates
| Target | Typical video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p 30 FPS | 2.5 to 4 Mbps |
| 1080p 30 FPS | 4.5 to 6 Mbps |
| 1080p 60 FPS | 6 to 9 Mbps |
| 1440p 60 FPS | 12 to 20 Mbps |
| 4K 60 FPS | 25 to 40 Mbps |
Ranges are common starting points, not platform rules. Check your platform's own limits. Plan storage for recordings with the recording size calculator and check your PC can game and stream at once with the can my PC run it checker.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I stream at?
Keep your stream bitrate at about 70 percent of your upload speed or less so it stays stable. Common starting points are about 4 to 6 Mbps for 1080p30, 6 to 9 for 1080p60 and 15 or more for 1440p60, but your platform and encoder set the limits.
How do I find my upload speed?
Run an internet speed test from your streaming PC, ideally on a wired connection, and note the upload figure in Mbps. Test at the time of day you stream. Home plans often have much lower upload than download speeds.
Why leave headroom below my upload speed?
Upload speeds fluctuate and other devices use bandwidth too. If your stream bitrate is close to your maximum, small dips cause dropped frames and buffering for viewers. Using about 70 percent leaves room for those dips.
Does the encoder matter for stream quality?
Yes. A modern hardware encoder such as NVIDIA NVENC gives good quality at a given bitrate with little performance cost. Newer codecs can look better at the same bitrate where the platform supports them. Always check your platform's limits.
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