Radio Streaming Quality and Data Usage Explained
Last updated: 19 September 2026
Live radio uses far less data than video, but it adds up if you listen for hours on a mobile plan. Knowing how a station's bitrate translates into megabytes lets you choose the right balance between sound quality and data.
What bitrate means
Every station page on this site shows its Stream Quality, for example “128kbps MP3”. The number is the bitrate: how many kilobits of audio data are sent every second. The word after it is the codec, the compression method used (see what internet radio is). Higher bitrates generally preserve more detail, and also use more data.
How much data does a stream use?
The maths is straightforward. A stream at 128 kbps sends 128,000 bits every second. Divide by 8 to get bytes (16,000 per second), and multiply by the 3,600 seconds in an hour: about 57.6 megabytes (MB) per hour. As a shortcut, multiply the bitrate by 0.45 to get megabytes per hour.
| Bitrate | Data per hour | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| 32 kbps | 14.4 MB | Speech-only streams, very low bandwidth |
| 48 kbps | 21.6 MB | Talk and news, efficient codecs |
| 64 kbps | 28.8 MB | Talk radio, or music on efficient AAC streams |
| 96 kbps | 43.2 MB | Everyday music listening |
| 128 kbps | 57.6 MB | The common standard for music stations |
| 192 kbps | 86.4 MB | High-quality music |
| 256 kbps | 115.2 MB | Very high quality |
| 320 kbps | 144.0 MB | Maximum quality MP3 |
Figures use decimal megabytes (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes) and ignore the small extra overhead of network headers, which is typically a few percent.
What that means over a month
- One hour a day at 128 kbps: 57.6 MB × 30 days ≈ 1.7 GB.
- Two hours a day at 64 kbps: 57.6 MB × 30 days ≈ 1.7 GB.
- Three hours a day at 128 kbps: 172.8 MB × 30 days ≈ 5.2 GB.
- Eight hours a day at 64 kbps (radio at your desk): 230.4 MB × 30 days ≈ 6.9 GB.
On Wi-Fi none of this matters. On a mobile plan with a small allowance, a lower-bitrate station is the easiest way to stretch your data.
Does a higher bitrate always sound better?
Not always. Three things matter as much as the number:
- The codec. AAC is generally more efficient than MP3, so an AAC stream often sounds as good as, or better than, an MP3 stream at the same bitrate.
- The content. Speech sounds clean at low bitrates, because voices contain less complex sound than a full band. Music with wide dynamics and lots of detail benefits more from higher bitrates.
- Your equipment. On a phone speaker or basic earbuds, the difference between 128 and 320 kbps is hard to hear. Good headphones or a hi-fi system show more.
Choosing the right quality
- On mobile data: pick stations at 64 kbps or below, especially for talk.
- On Wi-Fi at home: 128 kbps and above is comfortable; go higher for critical listening.
- On a weak or shared connection: a lower bitrate reduces buffering, as described in our guide to fixing stream problems.
Not sure where to begin? See the beginner's guide to listening, or browse stations by country.