For a reliable FFmpeg starting point, match your H.264 video bitrate to YouTube’s recommendation for your ingest resolution and frame rate, and set a keyframe interval of two seconds. YouTube recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and says not to exceed a four-second keyframe interval. The settings below show how to apply that guidance—and what else an always-on setup needs beyond a correctly configured encoder.
Choose a bitrate for your resolution and frame rate
YouTube’s current live encoder guidance gives different recommended H.264 bitrates for different ingest settings. These are recommendations for the signal sent to YouTube, not guarantees about the quality of viewer renditions; YouTube transcodes live streams into multiple output formats. The figures below reproduce YouTube Help’s current guidance, accessed in 2026. See Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
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| Ingest resolution and frame rate | Recommended H.264 video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 360p30 | 4 Mbps |
| 480p30 | 4 Mbps |
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 42 Mbps |
| 2160p60 | 50 Mbps |
Do not reuse a 1080p30 bitrate for 1080p60: the recommended H.264 values differ. These numbers are for H.264; YouTube lists different recommendations for AV1 and H.265, so do not mix codec rows.
Choose an ingest mode your internet connection can sustain consistently. If the recommended bitrate for your desired resolution and frame rate is not reliable on your upload connection, choose a lower ingest resolution or frame rate rather than assuming a lower bitrate will preserve the same quality. YouTube advises testing the connection and stream before relying on it.
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Set a two-second keyframe interval in FFmpeg
FFmpeg’s -g option sets the maximum GOP size in frames. To get a two-second interval, multiply the frame rate by two: at 30 fps use 60 frames; at 60 fps use 120 frames. YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe frequency and says not to exceed four seconds.
| Frame rate | Two-second GOP | FFmpeg options |
|---|---|---|
| 30 fps | 60 frames | -g 60 -keyint_min 60 |
| 60 fps | 120 frames | -g 120 -keyint_min 120 |
FFmpeg documents that the minimum keyframe interval is ignored unless it equals the GOP size; making -keyint_min equal to -g requests fixed-interval placement. With libx264, -sc_threshold 0 disables scene-change keyframe decisions, which can otherwise add keyframes outside the regular cadence. Consult the FFmpeg libx264 documentation and FFmpeg documentation for the options supported by your build.
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Example command: H.264 at 1080p30
This illustrative file-input example uses YouTube’s current 1080p30 H.264 recommendation, a 60-frame GOP at 30 fps, AAC audio, and RTMPS output. The 28 Mbps buffer is an example rate-control setting, not a YouTube requirement. Adapt the input, frame rate, audio mapping, filters, and output for your source and FFmpeg build.
ffmpeg -re -i INPUT
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune zerolatency
-r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-b:v 14M -minrate 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv 'rtmps://YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'-re paces file input in real time; live-capture inputs generally have their own timing and may not need it. Replace the placeholders with the RTMPS endpoint and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room settings. YouTube recommends RTMPS for secure ingest; see YouTube Live Control Room stream settings. Treat the stream key as a secret: do not put a real key in a public command, screenshot, repository, or log.
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-c:v libx264 selects FFmpeg’s H.264 encoder wrapper when the build includes libx264. Check with ffmpeg -encoders if the encoder is unavailable; FFmpeg must be configured with the libx264 libraries to provide it. For 1080p60, use the corresponding 17 Mbps H.264 recommendation and change the frame-rate/GOP options to -r 60 -g 120 -keyint_min 120.
Configure bitrate control without assuming CBR
-b:v sets a target video bitrate, expressed in bits per second; the M suffix is a convenient megabit-per-second scale. On its own, -b:v does not guarantee CBR: FFmpeg documents that its default behavior is variable bitrate, and rate-control behavior depends on the encoder.
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YouTube recommends CBR. FFmpeg’s generic rate-control guidance describes equal target, minimum, and maximum bitrates as a way to select CBR behavior: for example, -b:v 14M -minrate 14M -maxrate 14M. Buffer size also affects rate control; do not treat the example -bufsize 28M as a YouTube-mandated value. Verify how your installed encoder handles these options, and check the current guidance from YouTube Help and the FFmpeg manual.
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The example uses -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 as a reasonable stereo-audio starting point from YouTube’s advanced recommendations. YouTube lists AAC and MP3 as supported ingest audio codecs. Use the audio settings appropriate to your source and channel layout.
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Test the stream and monitor it while live
- Confirm the source and encoder. Make sure the selected input exists, the FFmpeg build includes the encoder you chose, and the output frame rate matches the intended ingest mode.
- Test representative content. Include the motion and audio the actual stream will contain. A static test image alone does not reveal whether the connection can sustain the bitrate during active scenes.
- Start a test stream and inspect YouTube’s feedback. Watch stream health and messages in Live Control Room; consult YouTube’s live streaming error guidance if it reports a problem.
- Keep the keyframe interval aligned with frame rate. If you change frame rate, recalculate the GOP in frames to keep a two-second cadence.
A correct bitrate and GOP do not make an FFmpeg process permanently reliable. An always-on deployment also needs a host and source that remain available, a plan for process restarts and network or input loss, error logs, and a way to alert an operator. YouTube’s encoder guidance does not prescribe one universal FFmpeg restart policy or guarantee uninterrupted operation; supervision and recovery depend on your operating system and setup.
Troubleshoot common configuration problems
- FFmpeg cannot find
libx264: Your build may not include the required libx264 libraries. Checkffmpeg -encodersor use a build configured with libx264. - YouTube reports unstable stream health: The chosen bitrate may exceed what your connection can sustain. Test the upload using representative motion, then select a lower resolution or frame rate with a suitable recommended bitrate if needed.
- Keyframe cadence is longer than expected: Check that GOP frames equal frame rate multiplied by two, and that
-keyint_minmatches-gwhen fixed placement is intended. Recalculate after any frame-rate change. - Bitrate fluctuates despite
-b:v: A target alone does not ensure CBR. Check the encoder’s rate-control behavior and configure minimum and maximum bitrate consistently with the target where supported. - The stream stops after an input or network interruption: Bitrate and keyframe options do not restart a failed process or restore a lost source. Check the FFmpeg logs, input availability, and host-level supervision and recovery plan.
- The stream key is exposed: Treat it as compromised and replace or reset it in YouTube Live Control Room; do not continue using a key published in a log or repository.
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