What is the best bitrate for streaming on Twitch?

For Twitch, the maximum bitrate is 6000 Kbps. For 1080p 60fps gaming, use 6000 Kbps. For 720p 60fps, use 4500 Kbps. For 720p 30fps, 3000-4000 Kbps is sufficient.

What bitrate should I use for YouTube streaming?

YouTube allows higher bitrates than Twitch. For 1080p 60fps, use 4500-9000 Kbps. For 1440p 60fps, use 9000-18000 Kbps. For 4K 60fps, use 20000-51000 Kbps.

How do I calculate streaming bitrate?

Bitrate depends on resolution, FPS, and content motion. Higher resolution and FPS require more bitrate. Fast-paced games need higher bitrate than static content like Just Chatting.

What happens if my bitrate is too high?

If your bitrate exceeds your upload speed, you'll experience dropped frames and buffering. Also, Twitch has a 6000 Kbps cap - going higher wastes bandwidth.

OBS Bitrate Calculator - Best Streaming Bitrate for Twitch, YouTube & Kick

Your Stream Settings

Output Resolution

Frame Rate (FPS)

Content Type

Streaming Platform

Upload Speed (Mbps) Run a speed test at fast.com if unsure

Recommended Settings

Recommended Bitrate - Kbps

Bitrate Range -

Platform Limit -

Upload Headroom -

💡 Pro Tips:

Use CBR (Constant Bitrate) for stable streaming
Set Keyframe Interval to 2 seconds
Leave 20-30% upload speed headroom for stability

How to apply: Open OBS → Settings → Output → Streaming → Set Bitrate to the recommended value.

The Definitive Guide to Streaming Bitrate

"What bitrate should I use?" is the single most common question new streamers ask. And for good reason—bitrate is the heartbeat of your stream. Set it too low, and your game looks like a blurry mess of pixels. Set it too high, and your viewers will suffer from constant buffering (lag).

What Exactly is Bitrate?

Bitrate is the amount of data you send to Twitch or YouTube every second. It is measured in Kilobits per second (Kbps). Think of it like a water pipe: a bigger pipe (higher bitrate) allows more water (visual detail) to flow through. But if the pipe is too big for your internet connection, it will burst (dropped frames).

Twitch vs. YouTube vs. Kick

Each platform has different rules, which is why we built this calculator. Here is the breakdown:

Twitch: Has a "soft cap" of 6,000 Kbps. Non-partners can technically push to 8,000 Kbps from time to time, but 6,000 is the safe official limit. This is why 1080p 60fps often looks pixelated on Twitch during fast motion—6,000 Kbps just isn't enough data for that many pixels.
YouTube: Is much more generous. You can stream up to 51,000 Kbps for 4K content. This makes YouTube the king of visual fidelity. However, YouTube re-encodes your stream, so you need higher bitrate to overcome their compression.
Kick: Similar to Twitch, but slightly more lenient, officially supporting up to 8,000 Kbps.

The Golden Rule of Upload Speed

You can never set your bitrate higher than your internet's upload speed. In fact, you should leave 20-30% headroom. If your speed test shows 10 Mbps (10,000 Kbps) upload, don't stream at 10,000. Stream at 7,000 or 8,000 Kbps to leave room for game data, Discord, and network fluctuations.

Best Bitrate Settings by Resolution

If you have stable internet (10+ Mbps upload), here are the industry standards:

1080p 60fps (High End)

Requires 6,000 - 8,000 Kbps. On Twitch, this is the limit. Fast-paced games (Apex, COD) will still look slightly blocky. To fix this, consider lowering your resolution to 936p.

936p 60fps (The Streamer's Secret)

Streaming at 1664x936 is extremely popular. Why? It looks almost as sharp as 1080p, but it requires much less data. 6,000 Kbps at 936p looks crisper than 6,000 Kbps at 1080p because the bits per pixel is higher.

720p 60fps (Reliable Choice)

Requires 4,500 Kbps. This is the best setting for non-partners or streamers with modest internet. It looks smooth and rarely buffers for viewers on mobile usage.

CBR vs. VBR: Which Should I Choose?

Always choose CBR (Constant Bitrate) for streaming. VBR (Variable Bitrate) drops the quality during slow scenes to save data, but this fluctuation can cause stability issues with Twitch's ingest servers. CBR keeps the data flow steady, ensuring a stable connection.