Turn your upload speed, resolution, frame rate, and codec into the exact video bitrate to type into OBS or your encoder — no dropped frames, no guesswork.
Not sure of your upload speed? Run a quick test at speedtest.net and use the upload number, measured at the time of day you actually stream.
Paste the recommended number into OBS → Settings → Output → Video Bitrate, or into any RTMP/SRT encoder.
Bitrate is the single setting that decides whether your stream looks crisp or drops frames. This free calculator does the encoder math for you: it models your picture with a bits-per-pixel formula, adjusts for codec efficiency, and caps the result at what your connection and platform can actually carry. When you know your number, check what it costs to deliver with our bandwidth calculator, or go live on Livepush over Akamai's global edge network with no ingest bitrate cap.
Teams from local stations, global networks, sports organisations, and Fortune 500 companies plan and deliver their streams with Livepush.
Every frame of your video is a grid of pixels, and each pixel costs bits to encode. The ideal bitrate is therefore resolution × frame rate × a bits-per-pixel factor that depends on how much motion is on screen — then discounted for modern codecs like HEVC and AV1, which compress the same picture into fewer bits.
The second half of the answer is what your setup can carry. Your stream should never use more than 70–80% of your measured upload speed, and platforms like Twitch cap ingest at 6,000 kbps regardless of your connection. The calculator applies all three limits and hands you the safest number that still looks great.
Most bitrate advice is a static table that ignores your content and your codec. This calculator models the picture itself: pixels per frame, frames per second, motion complexity, and codec efficiency, then applies your real-world connection and platform limits on top.
// ideal bitrate for the picture ideal = width × height × fps × bpp × codec // what your connection can carry budget = upload × 70% − audio // example: 1080p, 30fps, H.264, medium motion 1920 × 1080 × 30 × 0.08 = ~5,000 kbps
Every platform caps what its ingest servers accept, and exceeding the cap gets your stream rejected or re-encoded badly. The calculator knows each platform's limit and warns you when the cap, not your connection, is what's holding your quality back.
Codec choice is the cheapest bitrate upgrade there is. The same 1080p picture that needs 5,000 kbps in H.264 needs roughly 3,250 kbps in HEVC and about 2,750 kbps in AV1 — which means higher quality on the same connection, or the same quality with room to spare.
Bitrate isn't just a quality setting, it's a cost setting. Every kbps you send is a kbps every viewer downloads, so a 1080p stream costs your delivery roughly twice what 720p does. Once you have your number, one click carries it into our bandwidth calculator to price your whole event.
Anyone pushing live video needs the same number: the highest bitrate that won't drop frames.
Find the sweet spot under your platform's cap for your game's motion level, and stop guessing why your stream stutters at 60fps.
Low-motion services look great at surprisingly low bitrates — stream reliably even on modest church broadband.
Fast motion punishes low bitrates. Size 1080p60 correctly so the ball doesn't dissolve into macroblocks on every counterattack.
Verify the venue's upload can carry your planned quality before the day of the event, not during soundcheck.
Slides and talking heads need far less bitrate than you think, keep streams stable on hotel Wi-Fi and hotspots.
Pick ingest bitrates that balance picture quality against the monthly delivery bandwidth your channel consumes around the clock.
No credit card. No time limit.
Start freeHost events on your own player with CDN delivery.
See hosting plansReviewed on Trustpilot and Capterra by streamers, broadcasters, and teams worldwide.
"Service works perfectly. Very easy to use and set up. Couldn't be happier with Livepush and the service they offer."
"Livepush offers scheduling features not found elsewhere, plus excellent support."
"Fantastic company with great features for the true TV broadcasters. Special thanks to their developer support who went way out of their way to assist us."
"Since I got on this platform, it has helped me tremendously. Great support!"
"Previously we were using a Wowza stream engine that buffered all the time. No problems with Livepush up to now, customer service is excellent."
"Livepush is great on price, functionality, and customer service. Highly recommend."
"The support team was very helpful and patient. After upgrading my storage plan, everything worked smoothly."
"The live stream was really smooth. No issues at all, and it even gave me peace of mind when I was away on vacation."
"Very good support and a well-working CDN solution."
Join thousands of streamers, broadcasters, and communities already on Livepush.
Everything about choosing bitrates, upload speeds, and encoder settings. More questions? Visit the Help Center.
