Bitrate, file size, both directions.
Calculate file size from bitrate, or back out the bitrate you need for a target size. Compare against streaming-service standards in one place.
Calculations assume constant bitrate (CBR). Variable bitrate (VBR) encoding may produce different file sizes depending on content complexity.
Two levers, same dial.
More bits per second means more detail in each frame. 4K Netflix looks sharp at ~15 Mbps; the same content at 3 Mbps looks blocky. Beyond a threshold the eye can't tell, which is where efficient codecs like HEVC pay off.
The relationship is linear: double the bitrate, double the file size. A 10-minute clip at 8 Mbps is 600 MB; at 16 Mbps it's 1.2 GB. The trick is picking enough bitrate for your use case without paying for invisible detail.
| Resolution | Social | Streaming | High quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720p | 2-4 Mbps | 4-6 Mbps | 6-8 Mbps |
| 1080p | 4-6 Mbps | 6-10 Mbps | 10-15 Mbps |
| 4K | 15-25 Mbps | 20-35 Mbps | 35-60 Mbps |
HEVC achieves the same quality at roughly half these numbers.
Common questions.
- What bitrate does Netflix use for 4K?
- Netflix streams 4K at about 15-16 Mbps using HEVC. YouTube uses up to 35 Mbps for 4K with VP9. Netflix achieves comparable quality at lower bitrate thanks to its tuned encoding pipeline.
- What bitrate should I upload to YouTube?
- YouTube recommends 8 Mbps for 1080p and 35-45 Mbps for 4K. YouTube re-encodes everything, so uploading at higher bitrates gives the platform more headroom and yields better final quality.
- Does higher bitrate always mean better quality?
- Not always. Beyond a threshold there's no visible improvement. The threshold depends on resolution and content: fast action needs more bitrate than a static interview shot.
- What's the difference between Mbps and MBps?
- Mbps (megabits per second) is data rate. MBps (megabytes per second) is transfer speed. 1 MBps = 8 Mbps. Video bitrate is always expressed in Mbps.
- How does HEVC reduce bitrate needs?
- HEVC uses smarter motion prediction and block partitioning. It delivers the same perceived quality as H.264 at roughly half the bitrate, cutting file sizes by ~50%.
Free up space. Keep your memories.
HEVCut runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Everything stays on-device, offline. Try a few compressions before committing to Pro.
Try it on the App Store