YouTube
These values apply to live streaming, not uploaded video files. Source: YouTube Live encoder settings.
Video bitrate
Values are in Mbps. Minimum and recommended values are separate YouTube columns; a recommendation is not a hard maximum.
| Resolution and FPS | H.264 minimum | H.264 recommended | HEVC / AV1 minimum | HEVC / AV1 recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360p / 480p, 30 | 0.4 | 4 | 0.3 | 3 |
| 720p, 30 / 60 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| 1080p, 30 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| 1080p, 60 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 12 |
| 1440p, 30 | 7 | 21 | 5 | 15 |
| 1440p, 60 | 8 | 34 | 6 | 24 |
| 2160p, 30 | 11 | 42 | 8 | 30 |
| 2160p, 60 | 14 | 50 | 10 | 35 |
Stream parameters
| Parameter | YouTube requirement or recommendation |
|---|---|
| Video codecs | H.264, HEVC (H.265), AV1 |
| Rate control | CBR |
| Frame rate | Up to 60 FPS |
| Keyframes | Every 2 seconds recommended; no interval longer than 4 seconds |
| Protocol | RTMP / RTMPS; YouTube recommends RTMPS |
| Audio | AAC or MP3 |
| Stereo audio | 128 Kbps, 44.1 kHz |
YouTube uses normal latency for 4K. Check HDR and surround audio requirements separately in the source.
Through StreamVi
YouTube codec support does not imply support in every StreamVi mode. Custom transcoding offers H.264 and HEVC; the form has no AV1 option. Also account for your tariff and other destinations.