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For a conventional SDR YouTube Live stream from AWS Elemental MediaLive, start with RTMPS, H.264, CBR, AAC audio, progressive video with square pixels, and a two-second GOP/keyframe interval. Set the output bitrate to match the resolution and frame rate you actually need; there is no single best bitrate for every channel. Test with representative motion and sound, then check YouTube’s stream health before relying on the channel continuously.
Recommended MediaLive settings for a standard YouTube stream
Use this as a starting configuration for a conventional SDR workflow. Match the output to your source and channel needs, and confirm that the MediaLive output path and YouTube ingest workflow support your choices.
| Setting | Starting point | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Destination protocol | RTMPS | YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted delivery to its servers. Use HLS for specific workflows such as HDR when required by the encoder path. |
| Video codec | H.264 | A straightforward baseline for SDR. YouTube also lists H.265 and AV1 support, but codec support must match the MediaLive output path and workflow. |
| Rate control | CBR | YouTube lists CBR in its live encoder settings. Keep this as the YouTube-facing default unless you have tested a different mode for your workflow. |
| GOP/keyframe interval | 2 seconds | YouTube recommends a two-second interval and says not to exceed four seconds. In MediaLive, set the GOP size to two seconds and select seconds as the unit. |
| Frame rate | Match the source and production requirement, up to 60 fps | Do not choose 60 fps automatically; use it only if the source and program benefit from it. |
| Audio | AAC | YouTube lists AAC or MP3. Choose the sample rate and channel layout to match the program and ingest mode. |
| Scan and pixels | Progressive scan; square pixels | These are among YouTube’s recommended advanced settings. |
| Dynamic range | SDR for the standard recipe | HDR needs a separately tested codec and ingest workflow; do not apply the SDR recipe unchanged. |
YouTube says it automatically transcodes a live stream into multiple output formats for viewers on different devices and networks. Your MediaLive output should therefore be configured for the intended ingest, not as a separate rendition for every viewer device. YouTube’s encoder settings guidance is the reference for its current ingest recommendations.
What bitrate should I use for YouTube Live?
Choose the row for your actual H.264 output resolution and frame rate. These are YouTube’s published recommended ingest rates on its encoder-settings page accessed October 3, 2026; they are recommendations, not independently measured MediaLive targets. Do not use these H.264 numbers as AV1 or H.265 rates.
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| H.264 output | YouTube recommended bitrate | YouTube published minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 720p30 or 720p60 | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps | 7 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 42 Mbps | 11 Mbps |
| 2160p60 | 50 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
The minimums are floor recommendations, not the preferred values in the table. Pick resolution and frame rate based on the source, the viewing experience you want, and the resources allocated to the MediaLive channel. Higher output settings are not automatically better if the input cannot provide meaningful detail at that level.
Set rate control, GOP, and MediaLive quality options
CBR is the platform-aligned default
YouTube lists constant bitrate (CBR) for live encoder settings, making it the clearest baseline for a YouTube-facing output. AWS documents other behaviors: variable bitrate (VBR) varies with video complexity, while quality-defined variable bitrate (QVBR) targets a quality level subject to a maximum bitrate. AWS says VBR is recommended instead of QVBR when you need a specific average bitrate, and describes CBR as useful for distribution to devices that cannot handle variable rates. These AWS alternatives do not replace YouTube’s CBR recommendation; use them only when the complete workflow has been tested.
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Use a two-second GOP
Set MediaLive’s GOP size to two seconds, using the seconds control rather than calculating a frame count for each frame rate. YouTube recommends two seconds and says the interval should not exceed four seconds. A two-second setting keeps the encoder configuration aligned with the destination guidance across supported frame rates.
Understand QVBR and enhanced quality
AWS gives QVBR examples by target viewing device: quality level 8–10 with a 4 Mbps maximum for primary screens, level 7 with a 1.5–3 Mbps maximum for PC or tablet, and level 6 with a 1–1.5 Mbps maximum for smartphones. Those figures describe AWS’s QVBR guidance; they are not substitutes for YouTube’s published output bitrate table above.
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AWS also documents ENHANCED_QUALITY as an option that may produce slightly better video quality without increasing bitrate when paired with QVBR or CBR. AWS notes it might increase channel costs, so treat it as an optional quality-versus-cost choice rather than a required YouTube setting. See the AWS Elemental MediaLive channel API reference for these controls.
Should you use RTMPS or HLS?
RTMPS for ordinary SDR streaming
For a typical SDR channel, RTMPS is the sensible baseline when the MediaLive output and account workflow support it. YouTube recommends RTMPS, describing it as a secure extension of RTMP that encrypts delivery into and through Google’s servers.
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HLS for specific HDR workflows
For HDR, YouTube recommends H.265 over RTMP(S) and says HLS may be considered when an encoder does not yet support the required capabilities over RTMP. AWS’s HLS example is specifically a 4K HDR workflow; it is not a requirement for every YouTube channel.
AWS published its 4K HDR tutorial on April 14, 2021. The example uses an HLS output group, HLS Basic Put, two-second segments, 3840×2160 HEVC at 20 Mbps, 59.94 fps, a two-second GOP, HDR10, and AAC audio. That is a concrete, dated HDR example—not a current general-purpose 24/7 template. Its 20 Mbps HEVC HDR value is not comparable to YouTube’s current H.264 SDR 4K recommendations. Read the AWS 4K HDR HLS tutorial alongside YouTube’s current guidance before using that workflow.
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Choose MediaLive input specifications from the actual source
MediaLive input specifications affect billing and resource allocation. AWS advises choosing codec, resolution tier, and bitrate values that meet or exceed the most demanding inputs; allocating too little can degrade output. There is no defensible universal input specification without knowing the feed. Identify the source’s codec, maximum resolution, frame rate, and bitrate first, then size the channel to handle its most demanding expected input. AWS explains this in the AWS Elemental MediaLive User Guide.
Preflight and monitor a 24/7 channel
- Confirm the source signal. Check its resolution, frame rate, codec, audio format, and whether the program is SDR or HDR before configuring outputs.
- Set the YouTube-facing output. Choose RTMPS for the ordinary SDR baseline, H.264, CBR, AAC, square pixels, progressive scan, and a two-second GOP. Select the bitrate from the matching output row.
- Test representative content. Run material with typical motion and sound. Look and listen for blockiness, dropped or repeated frames, audio clipping, silence, sync drift, and unexpected changes in stream health.
- Verify YouTube ingest. Confirm the stream is received and review YouTube’s stream health before treating the configuration as ready for continuous use.
- Plan for source and service interruptions. A 24/7 channel also depends on the availability of its source and operational design. The settings above do not establish a universal failover design or guarantee uninterrupted operation.
Common problems and practical checks
- YouTube reports an unstable or poor-quality stream: verify that the bitrate matches the selected resolution and frame rate, then check whether the source and MediaLive input allocation can sustain that output.
- Keyframe or GOP warnings appear: confirm GOP size is set to two seconds and the units are seconds; do not exceed YouTube’s four-second ceiling.
- Motion looks soft or blocky: check the selected output bitrate, source detail, and frame rate together. A high output resolution cannot restore detail absent from the input.
- Audio is missing or unsuitable: confirm the MediaLive audio output is present, uses a YouTube-listed codec such as AAC, and matches the program’s sample rate and channel layout.
- HDR ingest does not work over the expected path: verify codec and protocol capability for the encoder workflow; YouTube recommends H.265 for HDR over RTMP(S) and identifies HLS as a possible option where required capabilities are unavailable.
- Output degrades under a demanding input: review the channel’s input specification against the most demanding feed. AWS warns that insufficient resource allocation can degrade output.
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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