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For an H.264 YouTube Live stream encoded with FFmpeg, use CBR, set the maximum GOP to twice the frame rate, and choose a bitrate for the resolution and frame rate you actually send. That means -g 60 at 30 fps or -g 120 at 60 fps. YouTube recommends a 2-second keyframe frequency and says not to exceed 4 seconds. The bitrate figures below are YouTube’s recommended ingest values, not promises of a particular picture quality.
Choose the H.264 bitrate for your output resolution and frame rate
Use the row matching the video that reaches YouTube—not simply the resolution of your original file. YouTube’s current guidance, checked October 3, 2026, gives these recommended H.264 video bitrates:
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| Ingest resolution and frame rate | Recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 34 Mbps |
| 2160p at 30 fps | 42 Mbps |
| 2160p at 60 fps | 50 Mbps |
These are recommendations for H.264 ingest, not minimums. For example, YouTube’s table gives 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommendation for 1080p30; for 1080p60 it gives 6 Mbps minimum and 17 Mbps recommended. See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions. Do not apply these H.264 figures to H.265/HEVC or AV1; YouTube lists separate recommendations for those codecs.
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Set the GOP for a 2-second keyframe interval
With libx264, FFmpeg’s -g option sets the maximum GOP size in frames. Multiply the frame rate by two to get the GOP size for a 2-second interval:
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| Output frame rate | GOP size for 2 seconds | FFmpeg option |
|---|---|---|
| 30 fps | 60 frames | -g 60 |
| 60 fps | 120 frames | -g 120 |
For other frame rates, use the same calculation: frame rate × 2. YouTube’s instruction is: “Keyframe frequency: Recommended 2 seconds Do not exceed 4 seconds.” A maximum GOP of the calculated size expresses that two-second target; it does not, by itself, guarantee identical keyframe spacing in every encoding setup. FFmpeg also documents keyint_min as the minimum GOP size. If you need strictly fixed placement, check scene-cut and keyframe behavior for your installed FFmpeg and libx264 build. See the FFmpeg codecs documentation.
Example: stream 1080p30 H.264 with FFmpeg
This command sets a 14 Mbps video target, a 60-frame maximum GOP, and AAC stereo audio at 128 kbps. Replace the input and RTMPS destination with your own source and YouTube Live ingest URL and stream key. Keep the key private.
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ffmpeg -re -i input -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast
-r 30 -b:v 14M -minrate 14M -maxrate 14M
-g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv 'rtmps://INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'In FFmpeg’s bitrate controls, setting -b:v, -minrate, and -maxrate equally requests CBR. FFmpeg requires -bufsize when using -maxrate; buffer size affects rate control and should be chosen for the encoder workflow rather than treated as one universal YouTube setting. Check your FFmpeg build and add an appropriate buffer size if required.
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For 1080p60, use the recommended 17 Mbps video target, -r 60, and -g 120. Do not add or change -r merely to make the command match a target: it can convert the frame rate. Set it only when that conversion is intended and supported by your source and workflow.
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Check the other YouTube ingest settings
- Transport: YouTube accepts RTMP/RTMPS and recommends RTMPS. Use it when your ingest endpoint supports it.
- Video codec: YouTube lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1. The command above uses H.264 through libx264; do not assume its bitrate values apply to the other codecs.
- Audio: YouTube lists AAC and MP3. Its guidance gives 128 kbps for stereo and 384 kbps for 5.1 audio; 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS is supported only with AAC.
- Advanced video settings: YouTube recommends progressive scan, two B-frames, one reference frame, CABAC, square pixels, and Rec. 709 for SDR. Use settings compatible with your source and encoder.
These platform recommendations are not proof that a particular command, FFmpeg version, encoder build, source, or network will produce a stable stream. Actual output can vary with those factors and scene complexity.
Test the stream and diagnose common problems
Before going live, test with representative motion and audio, check that your upload connection can sustain the chosen bitrate, and watch YouTube’s stream health indicators. YouTube also recommends using a speed test to check upload bitrate.
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- YouTube reports an unsupported or unstable bitrate: Confirm that you selected the row for the resolution and frame rate actually being sent, and that the output is configured for CBR rather than an unrelated preset or bitrate.
- Keyframes appear too far apart: Recalculate
-gfrom the output frame rate. At 30 fps use 60; at 60 fps use 120. If spacing still varies, inspect scene-cut and keyframe behavior in your encoder configuration. - The stream drops or buffers: Check YouTube’s stream health and measure available upload capacity under the conditions you will stream. The recommended video bitrate is not a guarantee that a connection can sustain it.
- FFmpeg rejects the rate-control options: Check the installed FFmpeg/libx264 documentation and include a suitable
-bufsizewhen using-maxrate; there is no single buffer size specified here for every workflow. - The picture looks wrong after changing frame rate: Review
-rand your source properties. Remove unintended frame-rate conversion and match the target to the stream you mean to send.
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