Video bitrate calculator
Find the bitrate that lands a video at a target size, or estimate the file size of a bitrate you already know, and check whether that many bits can carry your resolution.
Highest resolution that stays "Good" at this bitrate: 720p.
Typical H.264 bitrates by resolution
YouTube's published upload recommendations are a useful reference for good-quality H.264 at standard frame rates. Streaming and sharing can go lower.
| Resolution | YouTube upload (SDR, 24–30 fps) | Watchable for sharing |
|---|---|---|
| 2160p (4K) | 35–45 Mbps | ≈ 12 Mbps |
| 1440p | 16 Mbps | ≈ 6 Mbps |
| 1080p | 8 Mbps | ≈ 2.5–4 Mbps |
| 720p | 5 Mbps | ≈ 1.2–2 Mbps |
| 480p | 2.5 Mbps | ≈ 0.6–1 Mbps |
| 360p | 1 Mbps | ≈ 0.35–0.6 Mbps |
The "watchable" column is our rule of thumb for phone-screen sharing, based on roughly 0.05 bits per pixel per frame. Fast motion, grain and confetti need more; talking heads and screen recordings need less.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate video file size from bitrate?
File size in bytes = (video bitrate + audio bitrate) in bits per second × duration in seconds ÷ 8. For example, 2,500 kbps video plus 128 kbps audio for 2 minutes is 2,628,000 × 120 ÷ 8 ≈ 39.4 MB, plus a few percent of container overhead.
How do I calculate the bitrate for a target file size?
Bitrate (kbps) = target size in megabytes × 8,388.608 ÷ seconds, then subtract the audio bitrate. Leave 3–5% for container overhead.
What does bits per pixel mean?
It is the bitrate divided by pixels per second (width × height × frame rate). It tells you how many bits each pixel gets per frame. For H.264, around 0.05–0.1 looks good for typical footage; below 0.02 it turns blocky.
Is 1 MB 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes?
Both conventions exist. Windows and many upload limits use 1,048,576 (a mebibyte); macOS and storage makers use 1,000,000. This calculator uses 1,048,576 to stay safely under limits.