What bitrate should
your loop file use?
A recommendation built from visible maths — resolution, frame rate and how much your picture actually moves.
A file for a 24/7 loop is a different job from a file for one upload. It gets read continuously for weeks, so a bitrate that is needlessly high costs you storage and upload time forever, and one that is too low looks bad for just as long.
Match your source. Converting frame rate rarely improves anything.
Cuts, camera movement, normal footage.
Used to size the finished file.
Recommended video bitrate
5,599 kbps
Reasonable range: 4,199–7,559 kbps
Audio
128 kbps
Total
5,727 kbps
5.73 Mbps
Keyframe interval
2 sec
safe default for live
For 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps with general video / mixed edit, aim for about 5,599 kbps of video — anywhere between 4,199 and 7,559 kbps is reasonable — plus 128 kbps of audio, giving roughly 5,727 kbps in total and 2.40 GB per hour of runtime.
Per hour of video
2.40 GB
Your loop file
2.40 GB
1 hour loop
Bits per pixel used
0.090
the only assumption here
Working: 1,920 × 1,080 pixels × 30 fps × 0.090 bits per pixel, with frame rate scaled by √(30 ÷ 30). Change the content type and watch the bits-per-pixel figure move.
Same content at other resolutions
| Resolution | Video | Range | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2160p (4K) | 22,395 kbps | 16,796–30,233 | 9.44 GB |
| 1440p (2K) | 9,953 kbps | 7,465–13,437 | 4.22 GB |
| 1080p (Full HD) | 5,599 kbps | 4,199–7,559 | 2.40 GB |
| 720p (HD) | 2,488 kbps | 1,866–3,359 | 1.10 GB |
| 480p (SD) | 1,107 kbps | 830–1,494 | 0.52 GB |
| Vertical 1080 × 1920 | 5,599 kbps | 4,199–7,559 | 2.40 GB |
Assumes H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 container — the combination platforms accept most reliably for live ingest.
How this is calculated
The formula, in the open
Bitrate = width × height × frame-rate factor × bits per pixel. Bits per pixel is how much data each pixel of each frame gets, and it is the only judgement call in the whole calculation — so we show it and let you change it.
Frame rate is not linear
Doubling frame rate does not double the bitrate. Consecutive frames at 60 fps are more similar than at 30, and an encoder exploits that, so we scale by the square root of the ratio — 60 fps needs roughly 1.4× the bitrate of 30 fps, not 2×.
Content type is the biggest lever
A still image with music needs a fraction of what gameplay needs at the same resolution, because almost nothing changes between frames. Picking the right content type matters more than picking the right resolution.
Why a range instead of one number
Encoders, presets and source footage all differ. The range is 75% to 135% of the calculated figure: below the low end you will see artefacts on busy scenes, above the high end you are mostly buying file size.
Questions about this tool
Should I stream a 24/7 loop at 1080p or 720p?
1080p if your source is genuinely 1080p and the content justifies it. For a static visual or a music channel, 720p at a sensible bitrate often looks identical to viewers and costs far less in storage and upload time.
Do I need 60 fps for an always-on stream?
Rarely. Ambience, music, devotional and talk content look fine at 30 fps, and 24 or 25 fps suits filmed material. 60 fps costs about 40% more bitrate and only pays off for fast motion.
What about keyframe interval?
A 2-second keyframe interval is the safe default for live ingest, and it is what this tool assumes. Much longer intervals can upset a platform's segmenting and delay how quickly a new viewer sees a picture.
Will a higher bitrate make my stream look better?
Only up to the point where the encoder was already keeping up. Past that you are adding file size and upload time without adding visible quality — which on a stream running for weeks is a real cost.
What this tool cannot tell you
Every calculator on the internet hides its assumptions. Here are ours, in the open.
This is a general encoding calculation, not any platform's official recommendation. Platforms publish their own ranges and change them — check YouTube's current live encoder page before a large project.
Bits per pixel is a rule of thumb, not physics. A modern encoder on a slow preset can look good below these numbers; a fast preset on grainy footage may need more.
H.264 is assumed, because it is what platforms accept most reliably for live. HEVC or AV1 would need meaningfully less for the same quality, but they are not a safe bet for a stream ingest.
Streaming a loop reads the file from disk, so your own internet speed does not limit playback quality — only the one-time upload. That is the opposite of streaming from home with OBS.
Higher than necessary is not free. On a 24/7 loop, extra bitrate means a bigger file, a longer upload and more storage used for as long as the stream runs.
Next steps
Free tool
Video File Size Calculator
Work out the file size of an export, or the bitrate that fits inside a storage budget.
Free tool
Upload Time Calculator
Plan the wait before your file is in the cloud, with parallel chunked uploads accounted for.
Guide
Best Bitrate for 24/7 Streaming: 720p vs 1080p Real Numbers
A longer read on the same problem, with the steps this tool skips.
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