Streaming data
How much data does YouTube 4K use per hour?
9GB per hour
YouTube, 4K: a ceiling worked out from the speed the service publishes
4K on YouTube needs a fast line and plenty of allowance. The figure below is a ceiling derived from YouTube's recommended speed. Actual use is usually lower, thanks to efficient codecs.
The arithmetic
- YouTube 4K: 20 Mbps (published speed)
- 20,000,000 bits/s × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 9,000,000,000 bytes = 9 GB per hour
- A 2-hour film: 9 × 2 = 18 GB
- Two hours a day for 30 days: 9 × 60 = 540 GB a month
| Setting | Per hour | Per 2-hour film | 2 h a day, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 360p | 315 MB | 630 MB | 18.9 GB |
| 480p | 495 MB | 990 MB | 29.7 GB |
| 720p | 1.12 GB | 2.25 GB | 67.5 GB |
| 1080p | 2.25 GB | 4.5 GB | 135 GB |
| 4K | 9 GB | 18 GB | 540 GB |
Sources and assumptions
- YouTube Help, 'Video resolution & internet speed' (support.google.com/youtube/answer/78358): recommended sustained speeds, checked 2026-10-25. YouTube publishes the connection speed it recommends, not data per hour. We convert that speed to GB per hour, so these are ceilings; YouTube's real bitrates are usually lower, especially with AV1 or VP9.