Bitrate calculator for internet radio
This free online bitrate calculator shows how much bandwidth your internet radio stream needs. Peak bandwidth is your bitrate times your concurrent listeners: 128 kbps × 100 listeners = 12.8 Mbps.
Quick presets
Typical use
Peak stream bandwidth
19.2Mbps
192 kbps × 100 listeners
Estimated monthly transfer
6221GB
≈ 207 GB/day at your hours setting
Peak Mbps assumes every concurrent listener is connected at the selected bitrate. Monthly GB assumes that peak stays online for the hours/day you set across a 30-day month—real usage is usually lower.
How the bitrate calculator works
A stream sends the same number of bits per second to every connected listener, so the bandwidth your server needs grows in a straight line with your audience. The calculator uses two formulas:
- Peak stream bandwidth (Mbps)
- bitrate (kbps) × peak concurrent listeners ÷ 1,000
- Estimated monthly transfer (GB)
- bitrate (kbps) × 1,000 ÷ 8 × listening hours per day × 3,600 × 30 days × listeners ÷ 1,000,000,000
All units are decimal: 1 kbps is 1,000 bits per second, 1 kB is 1,000 bytes, 1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes, and 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Dividing the bitrate by 8 turns bits into bytes. The monthly figure assumes your full peak audience stays connected for the hours you set, every day for 30 days, so treat it as an upper bound; real listening is usually lower.
To go from Mbps to bitrate, rearrange the same formula: available Mbps × 1,000 ÷ listeners gives the highest bitrate each listener can receive.
Internet radio bandwidth by bitrate
Use this table as a quick reference before you open the calculator. Each listener column is the peak bandwidth when that many people are tuned in at the same time.
| Bitrate | Per listener | Data per listening hour | 50 listeners | 100 listeners | 500 listeners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 kbps | 0.032 Mbps | 14.4 MB | 1.6 Mbps | 3.2 Mbps | 16 Mbps |
| 64 kbps | 0.064 Mbps | 28.8 MB | 3.2 Mbps | 6.4 Mbps | 32 Mbps |
| 96 kbps | 0.096 Mbps | 43.2 MB | 4.8 Mbps | 9.6 Mbps | 48 Mbps |
| 128 kbps | 0.128 Mbps | 57.6 MB | 6.4 Mbps | 12.8 Mbps | 64 Mbps |
| 192 kbps | 0.192 Mbps | 86.4 MB | 9.6 Mbps | 19.2 Mbps | 96 Mbps |
Best audio bitrate for streaming
There is no single right answer, but most stations land in a familiar range. 64–96 kbps AAC or HE-AAC suits talk shows and listeners on mobile data. 128 kbps is a solid general setting for mixed formats, and 192 kbps is strong for music. Going higher raises the bandwidth every listener uses, so pick the lowest bitrate that still sounds right for your content. For a deeper walkthrough, read how to choose the best bitrate for internet radio.
On Radiocast, Professional, Small Business, and Radiocast Max stream at up to 192 kbps AAC/MP3, with caps of 100, 200, and 500 concurrent listeners. Compare the full feature list on our internet radio hosting page.
Bitrate calculator FAQ
What is the best audio bitrate for streaming internet radio?
For talk, sports, and mobile listeners, 64–96 kbps AAC or HE-AAC is usually enough. 128 kbps is a solid general setting for mixed programming, and 192 kbps is a strong choice for music. Higher bitrates exist, but every step up multiplies the bandwidth used by each concurrent listener.
How do I calculate internet radio bandwidth?
Multiply your stream bitrate in kbps by your peak concurrent listeners, then divide by 1,000 to get Mbps. For example, 128 kbps × 100 listeners ÷ 1,000 = 12.8 Mbps of outgoing bandwidth at peak.
How do I convert Mbps to bitrate?
Multiply the bandwidth you have in Mbps by 1,000, then divide by the number of listeners you want to serve. 10 Mbps shared by 100 listeners works out to 100 kbps each, so a 96 kbps stream fits while a 128 kbps stream does not.
How much data does one listener use per hour?
A 64 kbps stream uses 28.8 MB per listening hour, 128 kbps uses 57.6 MB, and 192 kbps uses 86.4 MB. These are decimal megabytes, where 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes.
Does Radiocast size plans by bandwidth?
Radiocast plans are sized by concurrent listener caps, music storage, and stream bitrate, so the number to check first is your peak listener count. The monthly GB estimate is most useful when comparing providers that meter transfer or when planning your own server.
Planning an AutoDJ library too? The music storage calculator estimates how much disk space your tracks need. More answers are on the Radiocast FAQ.