OBS Bitrate Calculator
Find the perfect video bitrate, audio bitrate, and encoder settings for your stream based on your resolution, FPS, upload speed, and platform.
Recommended settings
How the calculation works
The recommended bitrate is calculated from your resolution (pixel count), frame rate, motion type, and encoder efficiency. The base formula is roughly:
bitrate = (width × height × fps × motion_factor × encoder_efficiency) / compression_constantThe result is then capped at the platform's maximum allowed bitrate and at 75% of your available upload bandwidth (leaving headroom for other internet activity and avoiding dropped frames from network congestion).
GPU encoders (NVENC, QuickSync, AMF) produce quality comparable to x264 at ~10–15% lower bitrates due to hardware-level optimizations — so they're adjusted accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate does Twitch allow?
Standard Twitch streamers are capped at 6,000 kbps video, which is enough for good 1080p60. Twitch Partners with Enhanced Broadcasting enabled can go up to 8,500 kbps and stream at 1440p60. If you don't have Partner status, set your OBS output resolution to 1920×1080 regardless of your canvas size.
Does Twitch support 1440p streaming?
Yes — but only for Twitch Partners with Enhanced Broadcasting enabled. Standard Affiliates and non-partners are capped at 1080p60. If you stream at 1440p on a standard account, Twitch will still accept the stream but won't create a 1440p transcode for viewers, so most people will watch at lower quality.
Should I use CBR or VBR in OBS?
Use CBR (Constant Bitrate) for streaming — platforms expect a consistent bitrate. VBR is better for local recordings where file size matters more than consistency.
Why is my recommended bitrate lower than the platform maximum?
The calculator caps at 75% of your upload speed to prevent dropped frames during network spikes. If you have very fast internet, you'll hit the platform cap first.
What keyframe interval should I use?
Always set your keyframe interval to 2 seconds (or 'auto' in OBS if available). All major streaming platforms require this for their CDN and viewer reconnection to work correctly.
NVENC vs x264 — which is better for streaming?
NVENC (NVIDIA GPU encoding) uses dedicated hardware and barely touches your CPU, leaving more headroom for your game. Modern NVENC (RTX series) quality matches x264 'fast' preset at similar bitrates. x264 at 'slow' or 'medium' can produce slightly better quality per bit but is CPU-intensive.