Understand & Simulate Live Streaming Spend
This interactive calculator helps you estimate Amazon IVS-style costs for: 1) an individual channel and 2) an entire platform using ACCV (Average Concurrent Viewers). It models Input (channel hours), Output (viewer hours by resolution), Data Transfer Out (GB), and Ad Revenue (CPM-based). Use presets for Twitch/Kick limits or customize everything.
Calculators
VisualizedConfiguration
North America (Tier 1) defaults — editable
Switch to On Demand for base rates
Pricing (editable)
USD
You can paste in official rates later if they change; calculations update instantly. Note: For IVS, data transfer is included in output pricing; you may set DTO to 0 if applicable. Bulk mode applies volume discounts for high-usage scenarios (>500k viewer-hours/month). Ad CPM estimates revenue based on impressions per viewer-hour.
Renditions & Mix
Viewers watch ONE rendition at a time| Rendition | Bitrate (kbps) | Mix % of Viewer-Hours | Output $/vh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | — | 100% | — |
Mix must total 100%.
Bitrate Limits
Basic ≤ 3500 kbps, Advanced SD ≤ 1500 kbps, Advanced HD ≤ 8500 kbps. Standard allows higher, but check IVS docs.
How the Calculator Works
- Input Cost: Channel-hour rate based on Channel Type (Basic / Advanced SD / Advanced HD / Standard).
- Output Cost: Charged per viewer-hour delivered at each resolution. Viewers consume one rendition at a time. You set the mix across 360p/480p/720p/1080p.
- DTO (Data Transfer Out): Estimated from delivered bitrate × viewer-hours. GB are computed in decimal (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes).
- Recording (optional): Adds S3 storage using GB/hour inputs you provide.
- Ad Revenue (CPM): Estimates revenue based on ads per viewer-hour and CPM rate ($/1000 impressions).
- Limits: The tool flags when your input bitrate violates Twitch/Kick caps or channel-type caps (e.g., Basic ≤ 3.5 Mbps).
This is an estimation tool. Always verify your exact contract/region rates before budgeting. Bulk mode applies volume discounts for high-usage scenarios (>500k viewer-hours/month).
