Bitrate setting is the single most important number in your encoder config. Bitrate determines how much data per second your stream sends to the platform's ingest server. Set it too low and the stream looks compressed and pixelated. Set it too high and it exceeds your sustained upload bandwidth, causing frame drops and disconnects.

The platform-specific recommended ranges: Twitch caps at a defined bitrate ceiling for non-Partner streamers, with Partner streamers granted higher headroom. YouTube Live supports a wider bitrate range. Kick supports a high bitrate ceiling that gives streamers more headroom than most platforms.

The rule of thumb: set your bitrate to roughly 75 percent of your sustained upload bandwidth, capped at the platform's ceiling. Sustained upload is what your connection can hold during the entire stream, not the peak burst speed your speed test reports.

The exact bitrate-to-resolution pairings are in Module 4. Configure once. Verify with a 30-minute test stream. Watch the frame-drop counter. If it climbs, lower the bitrate. If it stays at zero, the setting is correct.