Video Bitrate Calculator
The bitrate that fits — and whether it is enough.
Work out Video Bitrate. The bitrate that fits — and whether it is enough. States the assumption instead of hiding it.
Bitrate that fits
11.1 Mbps
Comfortable — the usual streaming target
Bits per pixel is the figure that actually predicts how the encode will look. It divides the bitrate by the pixel rate — width times height times frame rate — so it compares formats fairly, which raw megabits cannot. Around 0.1 is the usual streaming target; below about 0.05 blocking shows up whenever the frame moves. Codec matters as much as the number. AV1 and HEVC hold up at roughly half the bitrate of H.264 for similar quality, so a figure that looks starved for one codec is comfortable for another. Content matters too. A locked-off interview compresses far better than handheld footage of leaves in wind, because inter-frame compression saves space by describing what did not change.
How the Video Bitrate Calculator works
Given a target file size and runtime, this returns the bitrate you can afford and — more usefully — the bits per pixel that follow from it. Bits per pixel is the figure that predicts how an encode will actually look, because it accounts for resolution and frame rate where raw megabits do not.
Also known as: what bitrate for 1080p youtube · bitrate to fit under 25mb · bits per pixel video quality · encoding settings for 4k
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use for 1080p?
Around 8-12 Mbps at 30fps for streaming delivery with H.264, which is roughly 0.13-0.19 bits per pixel. Half that if you are encoding with HEVC or AV1, and considerably more if the footage has heavy motion.
What are bits per pixel and why do they matter?
Bitrate divided by pixel rate — width times height times frame rate. It compares formats fairly: 50 Mbps is generous at 1080p30 and starved at 4K60, and only the bits-per-pixel figure shows that.
What bitrate does 4K need?
Roughly four times 1080p at the same frame rate, because it has four times the pixels. At 60fps double it again. About 35-45 Mbps in H.264 or 20-25 in HEVC is a reasonable delivery target.
Why does my video look blocky at a bitrate that works for other clips?
Content, not settings. Inter-frame compression saves space by describing what did not change between frames, so a static interview compresses beautifully and handheld footage of moving foliage does not. Same bitrate, very different results.
Is constant or variable bitrate better?
Variable, for almost everything. It spends bits where the picture needs them and saves them on simple scenes, giving better quality at the same average size. Constant bitrate matters mainly for live streaming, where the pipe is fixed.
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