Video Bitrate Calculator
Calculate the recommended video bitrate to hit a target file size, or the resulting size from a chosen bitrate.
Your results
Calculation breakdown
- Total bitrate
- (target size in bits) ÷ duration in seconds
- Video bitrate
- total bitrate − audio bitrate
Worked example
To fit a 10-minute video into 500 MB with 192 kbps audio, the required video bitrate is about (500 × 8,000,000 ÷ 600) − 192,000 ≈ 6.47 Mbps.
Assumptions
- Assumes constant bitrate encoding.
- Actual output size may vary slightly due to container overhead.
How this calculator works
Work out the bitrate needed to fit a video of a given length into a target file size, or check the file size a chosen bitrate will produce. Useful when preparing video for upload limits or storage.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use for YouTube uploads?
YouTube recommends roughly 8–12 Mbps for 1080p SDR and 35–45 Mbps for 4K SDR at standard frame rates, but check current YouTube guidance.
Should I include audio bitrate separately?
Yes, this calculator lets you add an audio bitrate on top of the video bitrate so the total matches your target size.
Why does my exported file differ from the estimate?
Variable bitrate encoding and container overhead mean the real file size can differ slightly from a constant-bitrate calculation.