YouTube will be able to stream live broadcasts in AV1, using the development version 29.1 of the software. Compared to the current H.264 codec, the jump in quality for live broadcasts encoded in AV1 is greater to avoid blurry and/or pixelated videos.

AV1 is a high-efficiency video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) and offers a significant improvement in performance. It was created on April 7, 2016, to replace paid codecs.

AV1 has already been adopted by Netflix for on-demand streaming in 2021, and Intel was the first company to introduce an AV1 hardware encoder in the creation of graphics cards. YouTube has been experimenting with the use of AV1 since 2018 for hosting videos and created a playlist specifically for videos with resolutions below 360p, such as this video of singer Dua Lipa. However, videos uploaded in AV1 need to be converted to VP9.

Youtube test Enhanced RTMP

Previously, AV1 was not possible for Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) streaming, but YouTube’s Enhanced RTMP test will allow users to use different modern video codecs, including AV1, for real-time video streaming. OBS 21.9, a software capable of video streaming, can also directly stream content in AV1 to YouTube.

An example of AV1 live streaming was achieved by the YouTuber EposVox, who streamed Halo Infinite at 1440p/60p with a bitrate of 500 kbps, which is 15 times lower than the minimum limit on Twitch. Despite the low bitrate, the streaming was still excellent for viewers. The streaming quality was 8 Mbps for 1440p/60p and 15 Mbps for 4K/60p. In comparison, H.264 requires 8 Mbps for good 1080p/60p quality. Considering the beta release of Enhanced RTMP and the availability of OBS capable of streaming in AV1, the use of this codec for streaming on YouTube is not far off, and platform users are eager to test this new feature.