Bitrate Guide for WebRTC Video
A guide to video encoding bitrates with WebRTC codecs
Determining the appropriate video bitrate for WebRTC can be challenging. Selecting a bitrate that’s too low may result in pixelated videos or encoding artifacts, while setting it too high can limit access for users with limited bandwidth.
So, how does one find the optimal balance? Refer to the tables below for a range of bitrates that we have verified using webrtc-vmaf, a tool we’ve developed specifically for analyzing WebRTC video codecs. All tests were conducted at 30 frames per second.
Webcam streaming
When it comes to meetings or other types of webcam-based video streaming, where the movement is typically low, the encoding is remarkably efficient. The suggested bitrates listed below aim to achieve a VMAF score of 90.
| H.264 | VP8 | VP9 | AV1 | |
| 1920x1080 | 2.70Mbps | 2.00Mbps | 1.20Mbps | 900kbps |
| 1280x720 | 1.25Mbps | 1.00Mbps | 700kbps | 550kbps |
| 960x540 | 700kbps | 600kbps | 450kbps | 350kbps |
| 640x360 | 400kbps | 400kbps | 270kbps | 190kbps |
| 384x216 | 170kbps | 180kbps | 120kbps | 90kbps |
| 320x180 | 140kbps | 160kbps | 90kbps | 70kbps |
| 160x90 | 50kbps | 90kbps | 35kbps | 30kbps |
Gaming
Content involving gameplay often includes rapid motion and frequent changes in camera angle. Given the increased level of movement, we recommend using higher bitrates in these scenarios. The following suggested bitrates aim to reach a VMAF score of 85.
| H.264 | VP8 | VP9 | AV1 | |
| 1920x1080 | 8.50Mbps | 5.50Mbps | 4.00Mbps | 3.50Mbps |
| 1280x720 | 3.50Mbps | 2.50Mbps | 1.80Mbps | 1.70Mbps |
| 960x540 | 1.80Mbps | 1.50Mbps | 1.10Mbps | 1.10Mbps |
| 640x360 | 950kbps | 750kbps | 550kbps | 550kbps |
| 384x216 | 400kbps | 350kbps | 250kbps | 230kbps |
| 320x180 | 330kbps | 280kbps | 210kbps | 200kbps |
| 160x90 | 110kbps | 100kbps | 80kbps | 75kbps |
Sports
Similar to gaming, sports game footage typically involves fast-paced movement and frequent camera angle changes. The recommended bitrates provided below are designed to achieve a VMAF score of 85.
| H.264 | VP8 | VP9 | AV1 | |
| 1920x1080 | 7.50Mbps | 5.50Mbps | 4.50Mbps | 4.40Mbps |
| 1280x720 | 3.50Mbps | 3.00Mbps | 2.30Mbps | 2.30Mbps |
| 960x540 | 2.20Mbps | 2.10Mbps | 1.50Mbps | 1.50Mbps |
| 640x360 | 1.20Mbps | 1.40Mbps | 850kbps | 1.00Mbps |
| 384x216 | 550kbps | 700kbps | 450kbps | 480kbps |
| 320x180 | 450kbps | 600kbps | 350kbps | 380kbps |
| 160x90 | 130kbps | 200kbps | 120kbps | 120kbps |
The aforementioned bitrates were established by conducting VMAF analyses on representative sample clips from each category. They might not be optimized for your use case. We recommend using the webrtc-vmaf tool with video clips more accurately represent your usage.