Creative Tools

Video Bitrate Calculator

Enter bitrate and length to see approximate file size.

Approx file size
Video only—
Audio only—
Per minute—
Approximation — container overhead and audio add a little more.

How big will my video file be?

Video file size is driven mainly by bitrate and duration: a higher megabits-per-second (Mbps) encode looks sharper but fills disks and upload quotas faster. Approximate megabytes ≈ video Mbps × duration in seconds ÷ 8, then add audio (kilobits per second, kbps) the same way. Streaming sites often re-encode after upload, but your source still has to fit their size or length caps. Variable bitrate (VBR) oscillates around the average, so treat the result as a planning figure. When you already know a size budget, invert the problem with the video file size to bitrate calculator.

Worked example

8 Mbps for 12 minutes (720 s) → 720 MB of video. Audio at 128 kbps adds ≈ 11.5 MB → about 731.5 MB total (~61 MB per minute).

Limits and assumptions

Ignores container overhead and VBR peaks. HDR and high frame-rate masters often need higher bitrates than this sketch.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mbps versus MB?

Mbps is megabits per second (data rate). There are 8 bits in a byte, so divide megabits by 8 to get megabytes.

What bitrate should I use for 4K?

Often several times a 1080p rate for the same codec and quality target — check your encoder’s delivery presets.

Why enter audio kbps separately?

Spoken-word tracks are small next to video, but podcasts with simple picture still need the audio term for a honest total.

Master versus streaming upload?

Masters are larger and cleaner; platforms transcode for viewers. Size limits usually apply to what you upload.

Related tools