The formula, and why it is only an estimate
Bitrate is data per second. Megabits per second times 3600 seconds gives megabits per hour; dividing by 8 converts bits to bytes. So storage per hour in megabytes is Mbps x 3600 / 8. Divide by 1000 for gigabytes in the decimal units drive makers use.
Real files vary. Variable bitrate encoders, audio tracks and container overhead all move the number. This guide is based on published reference bitrates and arithmetic, not on measuring our own recordings, so record a short test and check its actual file size before trusting any estimate.
Official reference bitrates, converted
On 13 October 2026 YouTube's recommended upload encoding settings listed SDR video bitrates of 8 Mbps for 1080p at standard frame rates and 12 Mbps at high frame rates, 16 and 24 Mbps for 1440p, and 35 to 45 Mbps or 53 to 68 Mbps for 2160p. It listed 384 kbps for stereo audio. [1] These are upload recommendations for a delivery file, not recording settings; recorders often use higher bitrates so the edit has more to work with.
| Reference | Bitrate | Arithmetic | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p standard frame rate | 8 Mbps | 8 x 3600 / 8 = 3600 MB | 3.6 GB |
| 1080p high frame rate | 12 Mbps | 12 x 3600 / 8 = 5400 MB | 5.4 GB |
| 1440p standard frame rate | 16 Mbps | 16 x 3600 / 8 = 7200 MB | 7.2 GB |
| 2160p standard, upper figure | 45 Mbps | 45 x 3600 / 8 = 20250 MB | 20.25 GB |
| Stereo audio | 0.384 Mbps | 0.384 x 3600 / 8 = 172.8 MB | 0.17 GB |
Worked example: a fictional monthly budget
This example is invented. A creator records screen tutorials at a fictional 40 Mbps recording bitrate. One hour is 40 x 3600 / 8 = 18000 MB, or 18 GB. Ten hours of raw recording per month is 180 GB for one copy.
Keeping three copies under the 3-2-1 rule triples that to 540 GB per month of raw material, before project files, proxies and exports. [2] Over a year that is about 6.5 TB across all copies. The creator decides to archive finished projects and delete proxies, but keeps all three copies of raw footage until the final export has been checked.
Why your computer may show a smaller number
Some operating systems display sizes in binary units, where a gigabyte is 1024 x 1024 x 1024 bytes. The 3.6 GB hour above is 3,600,000,000 bytes, which displays as about 3.35 in binary units. Drives are sold in decimal units, so a nominal 2 TB drive shows less free space than its label. Budget with headroom rather than filling a drive to the last gigabyte.
The 3-2-1 rule for raw footage
The cisa.gov-hosted paper Data Backup Options, written in 2012 by Carnegie Mellon University for US-CERT, describes the 3-2-1 rule: keep 3 copies of any important file, one primary and two backups; keep the files on 2 different media types to protect against different hazards; and store 1 copy offsite, for example outside your home or business. [2]
The same paper weighs cloud storage against local drives. It notes cloud backup can protect against disasters and local device failures, but depends on internet access and gives users little control over the provider's practices, so it recommends checking the service agreement and encryption before trusting it with critical data. [2]
- Copy 1: the working drive you edit from.
- Copy 2: a separate external drive or other local medium, copied the same day.
- Copy 3: offsite, either a drive kept elsewhere or a cloud service you have reviewed.
- Verify each copy opens and plays before deleting anything from a memory card or recorder.
Who needs this, and the no-purchase option
Anyone recording interviews or client work they cannot recreate needs three copies. Someone recording a casual screen tutorial they could redo in twenty minutes can reasonably keep fewer, as long as they accept that risk deliberately.
Before buying storage, check whether you can lower the cost instead: delete proxies and render caches you can regenerate, archive only raw media and final exports, and record at the resolution you actually deliver. For a broader monthly cost view, see the workflow cost guide on this site.
Questions before you decide
How big is one hour of 1080p video at YouTube's recommended upload bitrate?
At 8 Mbps, 8 x 3600 / 8 = 3600 MB, about 3.6 GB per hour of video, plus about 0.17 GB for 384 kbps stereo audio.
Does a cloud sync folder count as the offsite copy?
It can serve as the offsite copy only if it is a real separate copy, not just a mirror of a deletion. The US-CERT paper also advises checking a provider's security practices and encryption before relying on it.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- CISA (US-CERT): Data Backup Options, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012 (PDF) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.