07Free tool — Budget a render

Bitrate & File Size

Solve bitrate, duration or file size, with target bitrates for current codecs and platforms.

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Bitrate
Duration

Estimated file size

122.9 MB

Video bitrate
8.00 Mbps
Audio bitrate
192 kbps
Total bitrate
8.192 Mbps
Duration
2m 0s
File size
122.9 MB
Per minute
61.4 MB

size(MB) = (video Mbps + audio Mbps) × seconds ÷ 8

Estimates assume constant bitrate. Variable-bitrate encodes land within roughly 10% for typical material, and further off for very still or very busy footage.

Why a tool

What the chat window cannot finish.

The arithmetic is simple and the defaults are not. This solves any of the three unknowns and carries current recommended bitrates per codec, resolution and frame rate, so you can budget a delivery before you render it.

The formula is easy; an assistant will get it right. What it will not reliably get right is the recommended bitrate for AV1 at 4K60 this year, because those tables move and a model cannot tell you how stale its copy is.

It also matters that this is a slider you push rather than a question you ask — you are looking for the point where quality and budget meet, and that is exploration.

Reference

The formula

File size (MB)
bitrate (Mbps) × duration (s) ÷ 8
Total bitrate
video bitrate + audio bitrate
Audio, stereo AAC
128–256 kbps
Loudness target, web
−14 LUFS integrated

Recommended video bitrates

SDR upload targets, verified September 2026. Halve roughly for AV1, or add ~50% for 60fps.

1080p24–30, H.264
8 Mbps
1080p50–60, H.264
12 Mbps
1440p24–30, H.264
16 Mbps
2160p24–30, H.264
35–45 Mbps
2160p50–60, H.264
53–68 Mbps
1080p30, H.265 / HEVC
5 Mbps
2160p30, AV1
18–22 Mbps

These constants are published under CC BY 4.0. Quote them, cite them, put them in your own documentation — attribution to Original Design Studio is the only condition.

Questions
What bitrate should I upload at?

For 1080p30 H.264, 8 Mbps is the standard target. Uploading well above the platform's own ceiling wastes your time — every platform re-encodes on receipt.

Why does my file look worse after uploading?

Because it was re-encoded. Deliver at or slightly above the platform's recommended bitrate, avoid fine grain and subtle gradients that eat bits, and keep type heavy enough to survive the second pass.

H.264, HEVC or AV1?

H.264 for maximum compatibility, HEVC for roughly 40% savings where devices support it, AV1 for the best ratio and the slowest encodes. For upload masters, H.264 at a high bitrate is still the safe answer.

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