For a YouTube Live stream using H.264 at 1080p and 60 fps, YouTube lists 17 Mbps as the recommended video bitrate and 6 Mbps as the minimum. Aim for 17 Mbps only if your upload connection can sustain it reliably; the minimum is not the quality target. These figures are for live-stream ingestion, not prerecorded video uploads. YouTube’s live encoder settings were checked on October 3, 2026; the page does not state when its bitrate table was published or revised.
Recommended H.264 settings for 1080p60
Use the settings below as a starting point for a 1920 × 1080 live stream at 60 frames per second. YouTube’s bitrate values are indexed by codec, resolution and frame rate, so use the H.264 row that matches your actual output format.
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| Live ingestion format | Minimum video bitrate | Recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| H.264, 1080p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| H.264, 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| H.264, 720p at 60 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
All values are YouTube’s published live-ingestion settings, not video-upload settings. If 17 Mbps is unstable on your connection, consider lowering resolution or frame rate to a format your connection can deliver consistently rather than raising the configured bitrate beyond what it can sustain. See YouTube’s live encoder settings.
Configure the encoder
For an H.264 stream, set the encoder to RTMP or RTMPS and use the following options where available. Some encoder interfaces use different labels; the relevant target values are the same.
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- Video codec: H.264.
- Resolution and frame rate: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps.
- Video bitrate: 17 Mbps recommended; 6 Mbps is YouTube’s listed minimum for this format.
- Rate control: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds.
- Audio: AAC or MP3. For stereo, YouTube lists 128 Kbps. For 5.1 surround over RTMP/RTMPS, use AAC; YouTube lists 384 Kbps.
- Advanced video options: progressive scan, square pixels, two B-frames, one reference frame and CABAC. For SDR, YouTube lists Rec. 709.
- Transport security: choose RTMPS when available; YouTube recommends it.
YouTube also lists H.265 (HEVC) and AV1 as supported video codecs, but the bitrate comparison above is specifically for H.264. Do not assume an H.264 bitrate row applies unchanged to another codec. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings for the applicable codec guidance.
Check whether your connection can sustain the bitrate
The stream’s total bitrate must fit within available upload bandwidth. Video bitrate is only one part of the total: audio and any additional streamed data also consume capacity. YouTube advises choosing a quality that is reliable for the available connection and testing upload bitrate. A connection that briefly reaches the target but fluctuates below it may produce interruptions or degraded delivery; a stable setting is more useful than a higher number the connection cannot maintain. See YouTube’s streaming tips.
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- Measure your upload capacity under conditions similar to the planned stream, preferably while other household or office uploads are active.
- Configure the encoder for the intended resolution, frame rate and bitrate, and confirm the total stream bitrate does not exceed what the connection can reliably upload.
- Run a test before the real broadcast. YouTube’s encoder guidance explicitly says, “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.”
- If the test is unstable, lower the bitrate, resolution or frame rate and test again; do not treat the 6 Mbps minimum as a guarantee of a stable connection.
Live bitrate is not upload bitrate
A live encoder sends a continuous stream to YouTube, so use YouTube’s live encoder settings for this workflow. Uploading a prerecorded video is a different process and has separate encoding recommendations. Do not use the prerecorded-upload table to choose the live ingestion bitrate. YouTube documents the distinct upload workflow in its recommended upload encoding settings.
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If your goal is a continuous YouTube stream built from uploaded videos rather than a live camera or encoder session, a cloud service is a different approach from configuring a local encoder. StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service for keeping uploaded videos or playlists live; it does not change the bitrate settings YouTube expects from a live H.264 encoder. See StreamNeo.
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Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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