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Video Bitrate Calculator

Pick resolution, frame rate and codec to get the recommended encoding bitrate — plus an estimated file size for any duration.

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Export Settings

Calculating, not converting.

This page does the math for video exports. Converting an audio file's bitrate? Use the free Audio Bitrate Converter. Adding up timecodes for the edit itself? Try the Timecode Calculator.

Recommended Settings

Recommended video bitrate
Mbps

Enter a duration on the left to estimate the export's file size.

Use this number as the average / target bitrate for VBR exports, or as the constant rate for CBR — the CBR vs VBR guide below explains which to pick.

Estimates use bits-per-pixel modelling (H.264 ≈ 0.10 bpp at Better quality; H.265 ≈ 0.65× and AV1 ≈ 0.55× of the H.264 rate) and Apple's published ProRes data rates. Real encoders vary with content complexity — treat the result as a starting point, not a law of physics.

About Video Bitrate Calculator

YouTube Recommended Upload Bitrates

Uploading to YouTube? These are YouTube's published recommended upload bitrates for SDR video (H.264). YouTube re-encodes every upload, so going far above these numbers mostly costs you upload time — going far below them costs visible quality after the re-encode.

Resolution 24–30 fps 50–60 fps
4K (2160p) 35–45 Mbps 53–68 Mbps
1440p 16 Mbps 24 Mbps
1080p 8 Mbps 12 Mbps
720p 5 Mbps 7.5 Mbps

Constant Bitrate (CBR) vs Variable Bitrate (VBR)

Constant bitrate (CBR) spends exactly the same number of bits on every second of video — a static title card gets as many bits as a fast-moving action shot. That is wasteful for quality, but it makes the stream perfectly predictable: the decoder, the network and the ingest server always know how much data is coming.

Variable bitrate (VBR) lets the encoder move bits to where they are needed — fewer on simple scenes, more on complex ones — while hitting a target average over the whole file. At the same average bitrate, VBR almost always looks better than CBR.

When CBR is required

Use CBR when something downstream depends on a fixed data rate: live streaming ingest (YouTube Live, Twitch and most RTMP/SRT endpoints expect CBR so the stream doesn't spike past your upload bandwidth) and broadcast delivery specs, which routinely mandate a constant rate so playout chains and transport streams stay predictable. If a client spec sheet says CBR, it isn't a suggestion.

When VBR is the better choice

For almost everything else — YouTube and social uploads, client review copies, archive masters — use VBR with the bitrate from this calculator as the target. The platform re-encodes your file anyway; what matters is feeding it the best quality per megabyte you can.

What about 2-pass encoding?

2-pass VBR analyses the whole video first, then encodes with a plan for where the bits should go, hitting the target average much more accurately than a single pass. It takes roughly twice as long to export and is worth it for final deliverables. Live streams can't use it — there is no second pass on a live signal, which is another reason streaming uses CBR.

How to use the Video Bitrate Calculator

  1. Set your resolution — 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K or a custom frame size — and the frame rate.

  2. Pick the codec and quality tier: H.264, H.265/HEVC, AV1 or Apple ProRes.

  3. Read the recommended Mbps with YouTube upload guidance, then size the export in the video file size calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What bitrate should I use for 1080p video?

For 1080p H.264 at 24–30 fps, around 6–8 Mbps covers most web delivery — YouTube's own upload recommendation is 8 Mbps, and this calculator's Better tier lands at 6.2 Mbps for 1080p30. Double it for 50–60 fps material, and step up to the Best tier (≈ 9–10 Mbps) for masters or footage with lots of motion.

Should I use CBR or VBR for YouTube?

For file uploads, VBR (ideally 2-pass) with the recommended bitrate as the target — YouTube re-encodes everything, so quality per megabyte wins. For YouTube Live, use CBR: live ingest expects a constant rate that stays inside your upload bandwidth.

Does H.265 need less bitrate than H.264?

Yes — H.265/HEVC reaches the same visual quality at roughly 35% less bitrate than H.264 (this calculator models it at 0.65×), and AV1 saves about 45%. The trade-offs are slower encoding and patchier device support, which is why H.264 is still the default delivery codec.

What bitrate do I need for streaming?

For live streaming, common working rates are 4.5–6 Mbps for 1080p30 and 6–9 Mbps for 1080p60 in CBR — but the hard limit is your upload bandwidth: leave at least 25–30% headroom above the stream's rate. Check your platform's ingest settings for its exact maximum.

Why are ProRes files so much bigger?

ProRes is an editing codec, not a delivery codec: every frame is stored independently at a fixed data rate (about 102 Mbps for ProRes 422 at 1080p25) so it scrubs and grades smoothly. Use ProRes for mezzanine/master files moving between tools, then export H.264 or H.265 for the version people watch.

Timecode Calculator Add and subtract timecode across 24/25/29.97/30/60 fps, and convert frames to duration. Audio Bitrate Converter Working with audio instead? Convert MP3/WAV files to a different audio bitrate.

More Video Calculators tools

2:3 Pulldown Cadence Diagram Scrub field by field through 2:3 pulldown to see how 4 film frames at 23.976 fps become 5 interlaced video frames at 29.97 fps — the two dirty frames highlighted, TFF/BFF explained. Aspect Ratio Calculator Solve width or height from a ratio, simplify any resolution to its aspect ratio, and preview crop vs letterbox between ratios. File Transfer Time Calculator Turn a file size or production preset into a realistic transfer time — sustained (not advertised) connection speeds, dual MB/s and Mbit/s readouts, milestone ETAs, and a live ship-a-drive crossover — free, in your browser. Memory Card Record Time Calculator See how long a memory card really records at each codec's nominal bitrate — a capacity × codec heatmap with the full byte-to-bitrate math one click away. Multicam Sync Offset Calculator Enter what each camera's timecode read at a shared clap or flash and get the exact signed offset between them, plus a converter for any timecode in between — drop-frame handled correctly. Offload & Checksum Time Calculator Estimate how long it really takes to copy a card, verify the checksum and make a second backup. Enter your footage size and source/destination interfaces to see a Gantt chart with the governing bottleneck named on every bar.

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