Output (Settings → Output → Streaming, Advanced mode)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Encoder | Your GPU's hardware encoder (table below) |
| Rate control | CBR |
| Bitrate | 35,000 kbps |
| Keyframe interval | 2 s |
| Profile | high |
| Audio bitrate (Settings → Output → Audio) | 160 kbps |
YouTube recommends 35,000 kbps for 4K60 with H.264; HEVC or AV1 at about 24,000 is far more practical.
Video (Settings → Video)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Base (canvas) resolution | Your monitor, e.g. 1920×1080 or 2560×1440 |
| Output (scaled) resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Downscale filter | Lanczos (or Bicubic on slower PCs) |
| Common FPS values | 60 |
Encoder by graphics card
| Your hardware | Encoder | Preset |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA (GTX 16, RTX) | NVIDIA NVENC H.264 | P5: Slow (Good Quality), Tuning: High Quality, Multipass: Two Passes (Quarter Resolution) |
| AMD (RX 6000/7000/9000) | AMD HW H.264 (AVC) | Preset: Quality |
| Intel Arc or 12th gen+ iGPU | QuickSync H.264 | Target usage: Balanced |
| Apple silicon Mac | Apple VT H264 Hardware Encoder | Default preset |
| No GPU encoder (CPU) | x264 | Preset: veryfast (faster if it drops frames) |
Hardware encoders barely touch game performance. Only use x264 if you have no supported GPU or a spare high-core CPU.
Upload speed you need
Upload ≈ (video 35,000 + audio 160 kbps) × 1.3 headroom ≈ 45.7 Mbps
Run a speed test while nothing else is uploading. If OBS shows dropped frames (red square in the corner), lower the bitrate by 1,000 kbps at a time or step down a resolution.
Sources: YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions; Twitch Help: Broadcasting guidelines; Kick Help Center: How to stream on Kick; Meta for Developers: Live Video API reference. Checked November 13, 2026.