Streaming Data Usage Calculator
Pick a quality preset (or enter your own bitrate), the hours you stream and the number of devices to estimate the data used. Presets are typical values; your service may use more or less.
Updated
Report a problem
Formula
MB per hour = bitrate (Mbps) x 3600 / 8
data (GB) = MB per hour x hours x devices / 1000
Decimal units: 1 GB = 1000 MB, and 8 bits = 1 byte. Preset bitrates are typical rules of thumb (music 0.128, video call 1.5, SD 2, HD 4, Full HD 8, 4K 16 Mbps); actual services vary with content, codec and connection.
Worked example
Full HD video at 8 Mbps for 2 hours on one device:
- MB per hour = 8 x 3600 / 8 = 3,600 MB
- data = 3,600 x 2 / 1000 = 7.2 GB (3.6 GB per hour, 60 MB per minute)
4K at 16 Mbps for 1.5 hours on 2 devices: 16 x 3600 / 8 = 7,200 MB per hour, x 1.5 x 2 / 1000 = 21.6 GB.
Frequently asked questions
How much data does streaming use per hour?
Data per hour = bitrate in Mbps x 3600 / 8 / 1000 GB. At the typical Full HD bitrate of 8 Mbps that is 3.6 GB per hour, so a 2 hour film uses about 7.2 GB.
Where do the preset bitrates come from?
They are rounded typical values used as a rule of thumb: 0.128 Mbps for music, 1.5 Mbps for a video call, and 2, 4, 8 and 16 Mbps for SD, HD, Full HD and 4K video. Real services adapt the bitrate to your connection and the content, so use Custom if you know yours.
How do I work out data for a group video call?
Use the video call preset and enter the number of devices or participants you want to count. One device at 1.5 Mbps for 1 hour uses 0.675 GB; four devices use 2.7 GB.
Is a GB here 1000 MB or 1024 MB?
It is 1000 MB, the decimal unit used by mobile and broadband providers. Divide by 1.074 if you want gibibytes (1024 MB steps).