Want to know the best bitrate for streaming on Twitch or YouTube? Read this detailed guide and you will have your questions answered.
Before we get started, please understand that Twitch and YouTube will handle the data you send them differently, so we’ll split this guide into two sections. We’ll have suggestions for Twitch first, followed by a guide for YouTube.
If you’re using a relay service to stream to two platforms at the same time, it’s best to use the suggestions provided in the Twitch section. Alternatively, some services will allow you to select separate settings for different platforms.
Remember, all of these settings we’re going to talk about will be in your streaming software, not Twitch or YouTube.
How to choose the best bitrate for Twitch
How to choose the best bitrate for Twitch
Twitch limits all downloads to 6,000 kbps, which means you can’t go beyond that limit. However, in many cases it is better to go lower.
Twitch always reserves bandwidth for its partners, so if you’re not streaming during off-peak hours, your viewers won’t have access to quality options. This means that when you are streaming on Twitch, your viewers may be forced to watch your stream in the quality you upload to Twitch’s servers.
If you are streaming at a specific bit rate, your viewers should need a download speed to match your download. For most viewers, 6,000 kbps will be too high. If you have no quality assurance in your stream, you should choose the lower settings.
Streaming 720P at 60fps is a good starting point. If you are playing a shooter or any fast paced game, 60FPS is highly recommended. Twitch recommends the following settings for this.
- Bit rate: 4500 kbps
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds
- Preset: Best quality
- B-frames : 2
If you are playing a game with little action, you can opt for 30fps and 720P resolution. To do this, leave the same settings as above, but limit the bitrate to 3000 kbps.
In the future, your channel may grow to the point where you become a partner. At this point, you will be presented with quality options. This means that viewers will be able to choose in what quality to broadcast the broadcast, so it is best to choose the highest quality possible. In this case, you have two options on Twitch – 1080p or 900p.
Once again, the settings above are suggested, but 6000kbps is recommended for 1080p and 900p.
What if my download speed is too slow?
Twitch recommends 3000kbps (about 0.4MB / s) for 720p @ 30fps. If your download speed is lower than this, you should try to find an alternative internet solution. You can choose a lower resolution, but the quality will be unsatisfactory.
If your download speed is higher than 3000kbps but lower than 6000kbps, you can use the following information as a guide.
Best bitrate based on your download speed for Twitch:
- 4000 kbps or less – 720p 30 fps
- 5000 kbps or less – 720p 60 fps
- 6000 kbps – 900p 60 fps
- 6000 kbps with partner – 1080p 60 fps
- 4K 60fps – 20,000-51,000
- 4K – 13,000-34,000
- 1440p 60 fps – 9000-18000
- 1440p – 6000-13000
- 1080p 60fps – 4500-9000
- 1080p – 3000-6000
- 720p 60fps 2250-6000
- 720p – 1500-4000
- 480p – 500-2000
How to choose the best YouTube bitrate
How to choose the best bitrate for YouTube
YouTube will automatically recode your stream no matter how many viewers you have. This means viewers will have all the quality options from 360p to the highest quality you stream.
This means that you must stream at the highest bitrate possible. Then your viewers can choose which quality option they want and they won’t have any buffering issues.
However, if you want to stream at a specific resolution, YouTube recommends the following ranges. It is highly recommended that you select a higher range in this list for the best experience for your viewers.
Recommended YouTube bitrate (kbps)
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