Bitrate is one of the most misunderstood settings for new radio broadcasters. Get it wrong and your stream sounds poor or costs your listeners too much data. Get it right and you deliver clear audio without unnecessarily heavy streams. Here is what you need to know.

What Is Bitrate?

Bitrate measures how much audio data is transmitted per second, expressed in kilobits per second (kbps). A higher bitrate means more data, which generally means better audio quality — but also higher bandwidth usage for both you and your listeners.

Think of it like image resolution: a higher-resolution image looks sharper but takes up more storage. A higher-bitrate stream sounds clearer but uses more data.

Common Bitrate Options and What They Sound Like

64 kbps — Acceptable for speech-only content like talk radio and podcasts. Music sounds noticeably compressed.
96 kbps — Decent quality for mixed content. A reasonable choice for stations on tight bandwidth budgets.
128 kbps — The standard for internet radio. Clear audio for music and voice, compatible with virtually all players.
192 kbps — High quality, noticeably better than 128 kbps on good speakers or headphones.
320 kbps — Near CD quality. Only recommended if audio fidelity is a core part of your brand.

What Bitrate Should You Stream At?

For most internet radio stations, 128 kbps is the right choice. It is the industry standard for a reason — it delivers good audio quality at a data rate that does not put strain on listeners with moderate internet connections.

If your station is primarily talk radio or news, you can drop to 96 kbps without noticeable quality loss. If you are running a music station where audio quality is central to your brand, 192 kbps is worth the extra bandwidth.

MP3 vs AAC — Does the Format Matter?

Yes. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) delivers better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate. A 96 kbps AAC stream sounds comparable to a 128 kbps MP3 stream.

If your listeners are on mobile or have limited data, streaming in AAC at a lower bitrate is a good way to reduce data usage without sacrificing much quality. AzuraCast supports both MP3 and AAC output formats.

Bitrate and Your Bandwidth Plan

Your hosting plan determines how much bandwidth you have available. Bandwidth is consumed by every listener connection — so the higher your bitrate and the more listeners you have, the more bandwidth you use.

As a rough guide:

128 kbps stream with 50 concurrent listeners ≈ 38 GB/day
128 kbps stream with 100 concurrent listeners ≈ 76 GB/day
64 kbps stream with 100 concurrent listeners ≈ 38 GB/day

Check your hosting plan's bandwidth limit and estimate your expected concurrent listeners to choose a bitrate that will not push you over your limit.

The Practical Recommendation

Start at 128 kbps MP3 or 96 kbps AAC. These give your listeners a good experience across different devices and connection speeds. As your station grows and you upgrade your hosting plan, you can increase bitrate to match.

Do not obsess over audio quality at the expense of reliability. A stable 128 kbps stream beats a stuttering 320 kbps one every time. Listeners will tolerate average audio quality — they will not tolerate buffering.