Live Streaming Limits, Platform by Platform
How long you can stream on each platform, what gets saved as a VOD, and the bitrate caps. Checked against the platforms’ own rules.
No limit on YouTube & Kick
Streams can run 24/7. Some have been live for years.
Caps on Twitch & Facebook
48 and 8 hours. Upstream restarts the stream before the cut.
Straight from the source
Every number gets checked against the platforms’ own docs.
The reference table
How long can you live stream on each platform?
The four big platforms. The smaller ones are covered below the table.
Stream length, VOD rules, and bitrate caps.
| Capability | YouTube No length limit | Twitch 48-hour cap | Kick No length limit | Facebook 8-hour cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max stream length | No limit true 24/7 streaming | 48 hours hard cap per stream | No limit | 8 hours then you need a new broadcast |
| Getting past the cap | Nothing needed | Upstream restarts it before the 48h mark | Nothing needed | Use a persistent stream key and restart manually |
| Stream saved as VOD | Only streams under 12 hours | Up to 48h per VOD | Saved automatically | Temporary save manually to keep it |
| VOD retention | Indefinite when saved | 14 days for affiliates | 30 days | 30 days unless saved to the page |
| Max bitrate / resolution | 35 Mbps up to 4K60 | 6 Mbps 1080p60 H.264 | 8 Mbps 1080p60 | 9 Mbps 1080p60 |
- YouTube No length limit
- No limit true 24/7 streaming
- Twitch 48-hour cap
- 48 hours hard cap per stream
- Kick No length limit
- No limit
- Facebook 8-hour cap
- 8 hours then you need a new broadcast
- YouTube No length limit
- Nothing needed
- Twitch 48-hour cap
- Upstream restarts it before the 48h mark
- Kick No length limit
- Nothing needed
- Facebook 8-hour cap
- Use a persistent stream key and restart manually
- YouTube No length limit
- Only streams under 12 hours
- Twitch 48-hour cap
- Up to 48h per VOD
- Kick No length limit
- Saved automatically
- Facebook 8-hour cap
- Temporary save manually to keep it
- YouTube No length limit
- Indefinite when saved
- Twitch 48-hour cap
- 14 days for affiliates
- Kick No length limit
- 30 days
- Facebook 8-hour cap
- 30 days unless saved to the page
- YouTube No length limit
- 35 Mbps up to 4K60
- Twitch 48-hour cap
- 6 Mbps 1080p60 H.264
- Kick No length limit
- 8 Mbps 1080p60
- Facebook 8-hour cap
- 9 Mbps 1080p60
Beyond the big four
The rest of the platforms, and the fine print
Limits on the smaller platforms, plus recent policy changes.
TikTok
No length limit. Streams run until you end them.
Rumble
No length limit, but you need 5 followers or a paid plan before you can go live.
4 hours per stream, then it has to be set up again manually. VODs keep for 30 days.
4 hours per stream with a manual restart, same as Instagram.
Mixcloud
No length limit. No replay gets generated for sessions over 6 hours.
YouTube stream keys
One key can run 3 simultaneous broadcasts at most.
FAQ
Streaming limit questions
Stream past every limit
Upstream keeps channels live around the clock. It restarts Twitch before the 48-hour cap and keeps YouTube streams open indefinitely.