# Video Streaming Bandwidth Calculator

> Work out the data a video uses per view and in total from its bitrate, length, share watched and number of plays, plus peak egress for concurrent viewers.

Category: Software, cloud & AI · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/video-streaming-bandwidth-calculator

Streaming data = bitrate × seconds watched ÷ 8. A 5 Mbps stream uses 2.25 GB an hour; multiply by plays for the total and by concurrent viewers for peak bandwidth.

Also called: Video bandwidth calculator, Bitrate data calculator.

## Inputs
- Average bitrate (video + audio) (unit Mbps; default 5)
- Video length (unit min; default 60)
- Average share watched (unit %; default 100)
- Plays (default 1000)
- Peak concurrent viewers (default 200; optional)
- Delivery price per GB (default 0.02; optional)
- Currency

## Results
- Total data transferred
- Total data transferred
- Total in binary units
- Data per play
- Data per hour at this bitrate
- Peak egress
- Delivery cost

## Formula

```
Bytes per play = Mbps × 10⁶ × Seconds watched ÷ 8;  Total GB = Bytes per play × Plays ÷ 10⁹;  Peak Gbps = Concurrent viewers × Mbps ÷ 1,000
```

Where:
- Mbps: average stream bitrate in megabits per second
- Seconds watched: length × share watched

## Worked example
1. Per play: 5,000,000 bits/s × 3,600 s = 18 × 10⁹ bits ÷ 8 = 2.25 × 10⁹ bytes = 2,250 MB.
2. 1,000 plays × 2.25 GB = 2,250 GB (2.25 TB); × 0.02 = 45.
3. Peak: 200 viewers × 5 Mbps = 1,000 Mbps = 1 Gbps.

**Result:** A one-hour 5 Mbps video watched 1,000 times transfers 2,250 GB, and 200 simultaneous viewers need 1 Gbps.

## What the result means

Adaptive streaming switches between bitrates, so use the average delivered bitrate from your analytics, not the top rendition. Peak Gbps sizes origin and CDN capacity; total GB sizes the bill.

## Assumptions and limits
- The bitrate is constant across the stream.
- Protocol overhead (segments, TCP/IP headers) typically adds a few per cent to the data transferred.

## Questions

### Why divide by 8?

Bitrates are quoted in bits per second, and data volumes in bytes. One byte is 8 bits.

### Is the GB here 1,000 MB?

Yes. Network and CDN volumes use decimal units: 1 GB = 1,000 MB = 10⁹ bytes. The TiB figure shows the same volume in binary units.

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Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/video-streaming-bandwidth-calculator