A 24/7 YouTube stream uses about 10.8 decimal GB per day for every 1 Mbps of sustained video bitrate. At 10 Mbps, that is roughly 108 GB a day, 3.24 decimal TB in 30 days, or 3.94 decimal TB in a year. These are calculated estimates for the broadcaster’s outgoing data—not viewer downloads—and actual totals vary with bitrate changes, network overhead, retransmissions, and interruptions.
What “bandwidth” means for a 24/7 stream
People use “bandwidth” to mean both data volume and connection speed, but they are different. The figures in this guide estimate the outgoing data volume sent by the broadcaster. Upload speed is a connection rate, usually measured in Mbps, and determines whether the stream can be sent steadily.
Viewers generate separate downloads. YouTube transcodes an incoming live stream into multiple output formats, and each viewer downloads a version suited to their playback quality and watches for a different length of time. The broadcaster’s upload total therefore does not tell you the audience’s total download volume. YouTube’s live-streaming overview explains the platform’s handling of live streams.
Estimate data use from your bitrate
For a constant bitrate, use this quick estimate:
GB per day ≈ bitrate in Mbps × 10.8
The underlying calculation is:
GB/day ≈ bitrate_mbps × 1,000,000 bits/second × 86,400 seconds/day ÷ 8 bits/byte ÷ 1,000,000,000 bytes/GB
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#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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That uses decimal gigabytes (1 GB = 1 billion bytes). Multiply the daily estimate by the number of days in your billing period. A 30-day estimate is not the same as a calendar month, which can have 28 to 31 days. Router and ISP meters may display binary GiB/TiB or use their own accounting conventions.
Worked example: 10 Mbps around the clock
- Per day: 10 × 10.8 = approximately 108 GB.
- Per 30 days: 108 × 30 = approximately 3,240 GB, or 3.24 decimal TB.
- Per 365 days: 108 × 365 = approximately 39,420 GB, or 39.42 decimal TB.
These are derived estimates, not usage measurements published by YouTube. They assume a steady 10 Mbps for every second of the period and exclude protocol overhead, bitrate variation, retransmissions, and outages. If the stream is offline for part of a period, its actual video-data total will generally be lower.
Rank #2
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Examples using YouTube’s H.264 live recommendations
YouTube’s current live-encoder guidance lists different recommended bitrates by codec, resolution, and frame rate. The following estimates apply the 10.8 GB/day conversion to the H.264 recommendations. They represent encoder-setting estimates, not guaranteed ISP-meter totals.
| YouTube H.264 setting | Recommended bitrate | Approx. data per day | Approx. data per 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps | 86.4 GB | 2.59 decimal TB |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps | 86.4 GB | 2.59 decimal TB |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps | 151.2 GB | 4.54 decimal TB |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | 183.6 GB | 5.51 decimal TB |
| 4K/2160p30 | 42 Mbps | 453.6 GB | 13.61 decimal TB |
| 4K/2160p60 | 50 Mbps | 540 GB | 16.2 decimal TB |
The values are calculated from YouTube’s live encoder settings, accessed in 2026, and the sustained-bitrate formula above. YouTube also lists AV1 and H.265/HEVC recommendations; use the bitrate for your actual ingest codec and chosen settings. Resolution alone is not enough to predict usage.
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How much upload speed do you need?
Data volume accumulates over time; upload speed is the capacity needed to deliver the stream reliably at a given moment. YouTube says the total bitrate being sent must fit within available upload bandwidth and recommends leaving about 20% headroom. For example, a 10 Mbps stream target with 20% of capacity reserved as headroom calls for roughly 12.5 Mbps of available upload capacity (10 ÷ 0.8).
- Check upload speed on the same connection and at the location where the stream will run.
- Allow for other devices and people using the connection; their traffic reduces what is available to the encoder.
- Monitor YouTube’s stream health during setup and operation rather than relying on a single speed test.
- For computer-based streaming, YouTube recommends Ethernet. It can improve connection reliability, but it does not reduce data use at a fixed bitrate.
YouTube’s streaming tips state: “The total bitrate that you’re streaming cannot exceed the amount of upload bandwidth available.”
Rank #4
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A broad mobile-streaming rule of thumb
YouTube’s mobile live-stream filming guidance says a stream will use about 10 MB per minute. Extrapolated unchanged, that is approximately 14.4 GB per 24 hours. It is a broad rule of thumb, not a bitrate-specific estimate; for a particular encoder setup, calculate from its actual target bitrate instead. See YouTube’s mobile live-streaming guidance.
Check your monthly data cap before going live
Compare the estimated outgoing total with your ISP’s data allowance, if it has one, and check that your plan’s upload capacity is suitable. For instance, a sustained 14 Mbps stream estimates to about 4.54 decimal TB over 30 days before overhead and other household or office internet use. A plan’s advertised download speed does not establish its upload speed or its data cap; check both in the plan details.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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For a more accurate estimate, use the bitrate you actually configure, multiply by 10.8 for a daily decimal-GB estimate, then multiply by the number of days. If the encoder varies its bitrate, this method is an approximation based on the sustained average; a higher average means proportionally more data.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the reason for checking bandwidth is that a computer would otherwise have to run a prerecorded YouTube stream around the clock, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a video or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It keeps looping from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home. Every slot streams uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card; the monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos to YouTube; it does not stream from a camera. Start a free day with StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
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