AV1 can be used for a YouTube Live stream from OBS when your installed OBS build and computer expose a compatible AV1 encoder. If the option is available, set the stream to RTMPS, CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, then choose YouTube’s AV1/H.265 bitrate for your resolution and frame rate.
There is no universal AV1 preset: encoder choices, controls and performance vary with hardware, drivers, operating system and OBS version. Treat the settings below as a starting point, then test a representative stream on the connection and content you will actually use.
When OBS can send AV1 to YouTube Live
YouTube lists AV1 as a supported live video codec over RTMP and RTMPS. That does not mean every OBS installation can encode AV1. OBS needs to show an AV1 encoder that the computer and its drivers can use; if it does not, there is no setting to switch on that will create compatibility.
It helps to separate three questions. First, does YouTube accept the codec? Its live encoder guidance says it does. Second, does the installed OBS setup expose an AV1 encoder? Third, can that encoder sustain the chosen resolution and frame rate while your connection carries the stream? A yes to the first question does not settle the other two.
AV1 is a video codec, not a quality switch that guarantees a better-looking stream or lower resource use on every machine. YouTube publishes its own bitrate recommendations for AV1/H.265; use those rather than copying H.264 values from a different column or assuming a particular AV1 bitrate will suit every scene. Available network upload capacity and the workload of your content matter too.
For a normal SDR stream, the workflow in this guide applies. If the stream must be HDR, pause before configuring AV1: YouTube’s cited encoder guidance says AV1 is not supported for HDR and lists H.265/HEVC as the HDR video codec. Follow YouTube’s current HDR instructions instead of treating an SDR AV1 setup as interchangeable.
Select an AV1 encoder only if OBS offers one
In OBS, open Settings, then Output, and set Output Mode to Advanced if needed to see the streaming controls. Under the Streaming tab, inspect the Encoder menu. Depending on the system, OBS may list names such as Hardware (QSV, AV1), Hardware (AMD, AV1) or Hardware (NVENC, AV1). Choose an AV1-labelled option only when it is present and selectable.
The label tells you which encoder path OBS can offer in that setup; it does not establish that another computer, even one from the same product family, will expose the same option. OBS’s hardware encoding guidance explains that hardware and driver support affect availability. If the AV1 entry is absent, check that the relevant graphics hardware and drivers are supported, and that OBS is current for your system. Do not keep changing output fields in the expectation that an unavailable encoder will appear.
Encoder menus and advanced controls differ. An NVENC option or label documented for one OBS version should not be assumed to exist for QSV or AMD. OBS’s NVENC options guide is specifically about NVENC, including controls introduced in OBS 31.0. Use its explanations only if you are actually using NVENC, and match YouTube’s live-ingest requirements where your chosen encoder exposes an equivalent control.
If you need a refresher on the broader OBS workflow for a continuously running channel, the guide to streaming kirtan 24/7 with OBS covers the channel and operating context. Here, first establish that local encoding is possible; then choose stream settings. If your existing machine cannot expose AV1, compare other available codecs or consider compatible hardware only after checking OBS and the manufacturer’s support information. A purchase is a task-enabling option, not a prerequisite for going live.
Choose bitrate by resolution and frame rate
Select the output resolution and frame rate first. Then use the matching row below. These are YouTube-published minimum and recommended ingest video bitrates for AV1/H.265, not results from independent performance tests. The table is in Mbps, as in YouTube’s guidance accessed on 3 October 2026.
| Output resolution and frame rate | Minimum video bitrate | Recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p at 60 fps | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| 2160p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps | 30 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 4 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| 480p at 30 fps | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| 360p at 30 fps | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
For example, if OBS is sending 1080p at 60 fps, the YouTube AV1/H.265 row is 4 Mbps minimum and 12 Mbps recommended. Do not select the 1080p30 figure simply because it is familiar: frame rate is part of the match. Likewise, 1440p60 and 1440p30 have different recommended values.
The minimum is not a promise that the picture will suit your content at that setting. Detailed motion, a camera feed, scrolling text and a mostly static devotional image do not place the same demands on a stream’s appearance. Use YouTube’s recommendation as a starting point, then check the result in a real test. Do not substitute figures from YouTube’s H.264 column; the values above are for AV1/H.265.
Your upload connection must sustain the selected bitrate while other devices and services are in use. A speed test can help identify whether the connection is in the right range, but one result does not prove that it will remain stable during a long broadcast. If the recommended setting is unreliable in a representative test, reduce the output resolution or frame rate and select that row’s bitrate rather than clinging to a higher target.
Resolution choices have practical consequences beyond the bitrate field. A 24/7 channel showing a fixed graphic may not need 4K output simply because the source file is large. A local news loop with moving footage may benefit from a higher frame rate than a still-image programme, but only if the encoder and connection can carry it. Choose the output your viewers need and the setup can sustain.
Use RTMPS, CBR and a two-second keyframe interval
Set the service to YouTube and use the server or stream destination supplied in YouTube Studio. YouTube supports RTMP/RTMPS and recommends RTMPS for encrypted transmission. In OBS, select the RTMPS ingest server where the service or server choice allows it; avoid assuming that a custom destination is needed for an ordinary YouTube setup.
Set rate control to CBR when the selected AV1 encoder exposes a rate-control menu. CBR means constant bitrate: the encoder aims to send at the configured rate rather than varying the target across the stream. YouTube’s encoder guidance calls for CBR for live ingest. Encoder menus may use different wording, so confirm the meaning in documentation for the actual encoder rather than mapping an NVENC-specific label onto QSV or AMD.
Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. YouTube’s guidance recommends a two-second keyframe frequency and gives four seconds as the maximum. If OBS asks for a value in seconds, enter 2; if a particular interface expresses the interval differently, check that encoder’s documentation before translating the setting. Do not leave a longer interval merely because the encoder accepted it.
YouTube lists frame rates up to 60 fps in its encoder guidance. Choose 30 or 60 fps to match the intended output and the table, rather than selecting 60 by default. For audio over RTMP/RTMPS, YouTube lists AAC or MP3. Its guidance recommends 44.1 kHz for stereo and 48 kHz for 5.1, with 128 Kbps for stereo and 384 Kbps for 5.1; it notes that 5.1 surround over RTMP/RTMPS is supported only with AAC. For a typical stereo channel, keep the audio setup simple and verify that the sound reaches YouTube during the test.
For SDR, YouTube lists Rec. 709 and 8-bit. Do not treat colour-space settings as a way to make HDR work with AV1. If the programme has a specific colour workflow, check the current YouTube guidance and verify the result on the live preview before committing to a long run.
Check OBS, hardware and driver compatibility
Before adjusting bitrate, confirm the AV1 encoder actually starts. Look at the OBS output controls and make a short private or otherwise appropriate test broadcast. If the encoder is missing, disabled or errors when the stream starts, note the exact encoder name and error. Check the installed OBS version, operating system, graphics hardware and driver support against the current OBS and hardware documentation.
A device that can decode AV1 is not necessarily a device that can encode AV1 for a live stream. The capability you need is a suitable encoder exposed to OBS. Similarly, the fact that OBS source files contain labels for QSV, AMD and NVENC AV1 does not imply that every processor or graphics card from those families supports each option. Use the menu on your own system as the immediate check, then corroborate with official compatibility information.
Keep the first configuration deliberately modest. Choose the resolution and frame rate you intend to publish, select the corresponding bitrate, and leave optional encoder tuning at its defaults unless YouTube or the encoder’s own documentation calls for a change. The aim is not to discover the most elaborate preset; it is to confirm that the stream remains healthy with the content and operating conditions you expect.
OBS’s statistics panel can help separate encoding strain from connection trouble. Watch for rendering or encoding lag, dropped frames and bitrate variation, and compare those observations with messages in YouTube Studio’s stream health view. A busy encoder can struggle even when the network is fine, while dropped frames caused by the connection point to a different issue. Change one thing at a time so a second test shows whether the adjustment helped.
If a source file or playlist is part of the programme, test that exact material rather than an unrelated static scene. The troubleshooting guide on OBS skipping or freezing on playlist files is relevant when playback itself is the weak point. A stable encoder does not fix a file that stalls, and a clean preview does not prove that a long playlist will behave as expected.
Test the programme and monitor stream health
Test with representative audio and movement before the real broadcast. YouTube explicitly advises in its encoder settings guidance to test before starting a live stream. Include the parts that tend to expose problems: a scene change, a moving background, a camera or video clip if used, and the normal audio mix. For a devotional channel, test the bhajan playback and any on-screen text; for a news loop, include footage and transitions.
A short test should answer practical questions. Does the AV1 encoder initialise and stay active? Does OBS hold the selected bitrate without repeated network drops? Is audio present and in sync? Does YouTube report stream health messages? Is the picture acceptable on a phone as well as on the preview monitor? A single speed-test result cannot answer those questions because it does not reproduce encoding load, programme content or a shared connection under normal household or business use.
During a live broadcast, keep an eye on OBS statistics and YouTube’s stream health indicators, especially after a change to resolution, frame rate, source, driver or encoder. A sudden increase in dropped frames may call for a network check, while encoding lag suggests you should revisit encoder load or output complexity. Avoid making several adjustments at once, because then you cannot tell which one mattered.
For a channel built around a long video loop, there is also an operational question: what happens if the computer needs to restart or the local connection changes? StreamNeo removes the need to leave a personal computer running for that uploaded-file workflow: you upload the video and provide the YouTube stream key, then the broadcast runs with the computer switched off. That does not replace checking codec compatibility, YouTube stream health or your channel’s own content requirements.
Before making AV1 the permanent choice, compare it with another codec that your setup exposes using the same resolution, frame rate and representative content. The useful comparison is whether the encoder is available, whether YouTube’s bitrate target suits your connection, whether you need SDR or HDR, and whether the test stays healthy. For more on separating a continuous broadcast from meeting software, see live video meeting tools versus live streaming software.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How do I enable AV1 in OBS?
Open Settings → Output → Advanced → Streaming and check the Encoder menu for an AV1 option that your setup exposes. If there is no suitable AV1 entry, check OBS, driver and hardware compatibility; there is no universal switch that enables AV1 on unsupported equipment.
What bitrate should I use for 1080p60 AV1 on YouTube Live?
YouTube’s AV1/H.265 table lists 4 Mbps minimum and 12 Mbps recommended for 1080p60. Use the recommended figure only if your actual upload connection and test stream can sustain it; the 1080p30 row has different values.
Can I stream HDR to YouTube with AV1?
YouTube’s cited live encoder guidance says AV1 is not supported for HDR and lists H.265/HEVC as the HDR video codec. Check YouTube’s current HDR setup instructions if HDR is required rather than applying this SDR AV1 workflow.
Why is AV1 missing from my OBS encoder list?
OBS exposes hardware AV1 choices only when the installed software, hardware and drivers support an available encoder path. Check the current OBS hardware guidance and your device manufacturer’s compatibility information; do not assume that a codec supported elsewhere on the computer is available for live encoding in OBS.