OBS Streaming
Bitrate Calculator.
Enter your tested upload speed, platform and target quality. Get a conservative manual H.264/AVC starting profile with real upload headroom—not a universal “perfect setting.”
Stop guessing.
Build a stable signal budget.
A conservative starting profile with 30% upload headroom. Test it under real motion before going live.
Manual single-track H.264/AVC starting point for Twitch. Encoder, account access and platform ingest settings can change the ideal profile. Eligible Affiliates and Partners can use Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting for automatically configured 2K streams.
Check Twitch’s current guidance ↗Measure it here first.
Run the upload test at the time and on the connection you normally stream. Then use the lower repeatable result—not the best screenshot.
Capacity is only one constraint.
01How much upload speed do I need for 6,000 kbps?+
Twitch currently recommends upload speed equal to your bitrate plus 30%, so 6 Mbps video needs at least about 8 Mbps upload before other household traffic. Repeat the test and prove the route with a private stream.
02Should I use 720p60 or 1080p60?+
Fast motion under a limited bitrate can look cleaner at 720p60 because each frame has fewer pixels to compress. Camera-led or slower content may benefit from 1080p30. Test the real content rather than choosing by badge.
03Can Twitch stream at 1440p in 2026?+
Yes, for eligible Affiliates and Partners using Enhanced Broadcasting and supported hardware. Twitch automatically configures the multi-track ladder; use its current 2K guide instead of forcing a single-track bitrate.
04Why does OBS drop frames when a speed test looks fast?+
A nearby speed-test server is not the same route as a streaming ingest server, and peak upload is not the same as sustained single-connection delivery. Test the real platform route and inspect the OBS log.
Bitrate ranges, codecs and account features move. Verify the recommendation against the platform before a critical broadcast.