Video Bitrate Calculator

Use YouTube's current upload guidance for your resolution, frame rate, dynamic range, and codec. Platform recommendations change and are target video bitrates, so add the audio bitrate when estimating total file size. This calculator does not evaluate image quality or choose an encoding preset for you.

CBR targets a steady bitrate, while VBR allocates more bits to complex sections and fewer to simple sections. This calculator uses an average bitrate, so equal average rates and durations produce the same estimate. Actual size and quality still depend on the encoder, codec, rate-control settings, and content.

Compressed audio usually needs much less data than full-motion video. The appropriate rate depends on the codec, channel count, sample rate, content, and quality target. The calculator's 128 kbps default is a scenario value, not a quality guarantee. Enter the rate used by your actual audio encode.

There is no fixed conversion ratio. Savings depend on the encoders, presets, source material, resolution, and quality metric. HEVC or AV1 can often reach a target quality at a lower bitrate than H.264, but this calculator cannot predict that rate. Enter a bitrate from your own encode settings or quality tests.

This calculator uses decimal units. File size in MB = total bitrate in kbps x duration in seconds / 8000. Rearrange the same equation to solve for bitrate or duration. One MB is 1,000,000 bytes, while one MiB is 1,048,576 bytes, so convert binary MiB values before entering them.