How to use the calculator
This page answers one planning question: how much data will a video or audio stream use when you know its total average bitrate and playback time? It does not inspect a file. Find the bitrate in an export setting, encoder summary, recording specification, or media-information tool, then use the matching bit/s, kbps, or Mbps unit.
- Enter the total bitrate. For a video with separate 5 Mbps video and 192 kbps audio rates, add them first or enter 5.192 Mbps.
- Choose the unit printed with that rate. Mbps means megabits per second, not megabytes per second.
- Enter hours, minutes, and seconds. Minutes and seconds each stay between 0 and 59.
- Select Calculate. The result shows an easy-to-read estimate, bytes, decimal MB/GB, and binary MiB/GiB.
- If any input changes, the confirmed result and copy action clear immediately. Recalculate before using the new estimate.
Formula and result meaning
The calculation is total bits = bits per second × duration in seconds. Dividing by eight converts bits to bytes. No rounding is used inside the calculation; visible values are rounded to at most two decimal places.
MB and GB use powers of 1,000. MiB and GiB use powers of 1,024. The same bytes therefore produce different numeric values: 1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes, while 1 MiB is 1,048,576 bytes. Storage vendors often use decimal units, while operating systems and technical tools may display binary units.
- Total bitrate must be positive and finite.
- Hours are whole numbers from 0 to 1,000,000; minutes and seconds are whole numbers from 0 to 59.
- The total duration must be longer than zero.
- Extremely large combinations that cannot be represented safely are rejected.
Worked examples
Ten-minute video export
A 5 Mbps video stream plus 192 kbps audio gives 5.192 Mbps total. Over 10 minutes, the estimate is 389.4 MB, or about 371.36 MiB. The file may be slightly larger after container overhead.
One-hour audio recording
A 320 kbps audio stream for 1 hour contains 1,152,000,000 bits. Dividing by eight gives 144,000,000 bytes: 144 MB, or about 137.33 MiB.
When this estimate is useful
Use the estimate to reserve storage, compare recording settings, plan an upload, or check whether a long capture is likely to fit a device. It is especially useful when a recorder or platform publishes a stable average bitrate.
For variable-bitrate media, use the expected average bitrate—not the peak rate—if you want an average size estimate. Use the peak only for a conservative upper-style calculation, and label it accordingly.
Limits and common mistakes
- This is not a codec recommendation or quality score. Resolution, frame rate, codec, motion, and audio layout matter only through the bitrate you supply.
- Container headers, indexes, subtitles, attachments, metadata, and padding are excluded.
- Variable bitrate may deviate from its target average, especially for short or unusually complex material.
- Do not enter MB/s in an Mbps field. One byte is eight bits.
- For multi-track media, include every stream you expect in the total rate.
Using the copied result
Copy result creates a short localized summary of the confirmed estimate. Paste it into a storage plan or production note together with the export preset and the source of the bitrate. Changing any input disables copying so an old answer cannot be mistaken for the new scenario.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for both video and audio?
Yes. The data-size formula is the same. Enter the total average bitrate of all streams and the playback time.
Should I add video and audio bitrate?
Yes, when they are listed separately. Also include other substantial streams if you know their rates.
Why is the exported file larger?
The container and metadata add data, and an encoder may miss its average target. This calculator intentionally excludes those unknowns.
Is Mbps the same as MB/s?
No. Mbps is megabits per second. Divide by eight to obtain megabytes per second before applying unit-prefix differences.
Can it predict variable-bitrate output exactly?
No. It estimates from the average rate you enter. Only the finished file gives the exact size.