Best OBS Settings for Streaming & Recording
Use CBR for live streaming, CQP/CRF for local recording, a 2-second keyframe interval, and a bitrate that matches your platform and upload speed. Calculate paste-ready values below, or jump to guides for encoders and games.
Settings
Live · no signupQuick presets
Advanced optionsH.264 (AVC) · Medium · 128 kbps audio
Results
1920×1080 @ 60fpsVideo bitrate
6,000Kbps
6.0 Mbps video · 6.13 Mbps total
File size
2.57 GB
2,629.85 MB for selected duration
Platform limit: Capped at 6,000 Kbps — Twitch's limit. These settings would ideally use 12.0 Mbps, so motion may look soft. Many streamers drop to 936p or 720p60 to concentrate the bitrate into fewer pixels.
Quality: Low
0.048 bits/pixel
Video Bitrate
6.0 Mbps
6,000 Kbps
Audio
128 Kbps
stream audio
Upload SpeedExplore
9.2 Mbps
1.5x headroom
Bandwidth/minExplore
44.9 MB
data per minute
Video Bitrate Range
Minimum
4.5 Mbps
lowest acceptable
Recommended
6.0 Mbps
best balance
Maximum
6.0 Mbps
Twitch cap
Use these settings in OBS
OBS → Settings → Output → Streaming · one-click copy all below
Video bitrate6,000 Kbps
Audio bitrate128 Kbps
Rate controlCBR
Keyframe / profile2s · High · B-frames 2
Prefer a guided setup? Open Setup Wizard →Codec Comparison
| Codec | Bitrate | File Size | vs H.264 |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 (AVC)active | 12.13 Mbps | 5.08 GB | 100% |
| H.265 (HEVC) | 7.33 Mbps | 3.07 GB | 60% |
| VP9 | 7.33 Mbps | 3.07 GB | 60% |
| AV1 | 6.13 Mbps | 2.57 GB | 51% |
| ProRes 422 | 42.13 Mbps | 17.66 GB | 347% |
| ProRes 4444 | 60.13 Mbps | 25.20 GB | 496% |
Prefer questions over sliders? Open Setup Wizard →
Quick OBS settings table
| Use case | Bitrate | Rate control | Encoder | Headroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twitch 1080p 60fps | 6,000 Kbps | CBR | NVENC H.264 or x264 | 10+ Mbps |
| YouTube 1080p 60fps | 9,000–12,000 Kbps | CBR | NVENC H.264, HEVC, or AV1 | 15–18 Mbps |
| Kick 1080p 60fps | 6,000–8,000 Kbps | CBR | NVENC H.264 or x264 | 10–12 Mbps |
| Local recording | Quality-based | CQP/CRF | HEVC or AV1 | Disk speed matters |
OBS Bitrate Calculator
Calculate bitrate, file size, and upload speed for your OBS setup.
Upload Speed Check
Check whether your internet can handle Twitch, YouTube, or Kick settings.
OBS Setup Wizard
Answer a few questions and get recommended OBS settings.