Bitrate and upload speed calculator
Run a speed test first, use the upload number, then leave enough margin for game traffic, voice chat, household devices, and momentary network dips.
Upload speed to OBS settings
Stream bitrate calculator for safer upload headroom.
Enter your upload speed, platform, resolution, FPS, and safety margin. The calculator recommends a conservative video bitrate, audio bitrate, total bitrate, and short OBS settings summary.
How to use the recommendation
- Video bitrate: put this number in OBS Settings → Output → Streaming → Video Bitrate.
- Audio bitrate: 160 Kbps is a practical default for most streams; 128 Kbps is fine for lower-resolution streams.
- Total bitrate: video plus audio. This is what your connection must sustain before normal network overhead.
- Headroom: if the safety state is tight or over budget, lower bitrate first, then lower FPS or resolution.
Platform recommendations and limits can change, so treat this as a conservative starting calculator. For Twitch, the tool intentionally avoids pushing beyond roughly 6000 Kbps video because many new streamers get more reliability from a stable stream than from chasing marginal quality.
Next: read how much upload speed you need to stream if you are not sure what your speed test means, compare dropped frames vs skipped frames if OBS is already warning you, or use the OBS settings generator for encoder and preset suggestions. Twitch streamers can also use the Twitch bitrate guide for 720p, 936p, and 1080p starting points.