Flexible Plans Designed to Evolve with Your Business

The amount of storage you need depends on several factors, including the type of content you’re streaming (live or on-demand), the quality (SD, HD, 4K), and the frequency of uploads. If you're running a 24/7 channel, hosting a large on-demand library, or storing high-resolution media, Lightcast's Media Cloud can handle large-scale storage efficiently​.

Factors That Impact Storage

• Compression: Efficient video encoding (H.264, H.265) can reduce file size significantly.
• Frame Rate: Higher frame rates (60fps vs. 30fps) require more storage.
• Duration & Upload Frequency: If you upload content frequently, storage will fill up faster.

General Storage Estimates for 1TB (Including Adaptive Bitrate Versions)

SD (480p) (1–2 Mbps), 150–300 hours
HD (720p) (2–4 Mbps) 80–150 hours
Full HD (1080p) (4–8 Mbps), 40–80 hours
4K Ultra HD (2160p) (15–25 Mbps), 12–20 hours

The number of streaming minutes you need depends on several factors, including:

• Your audience size (How many viewers are watching?)
• Average watch time per viewer
• Number of videos available
• Live streaming vs. on-demand content

General Estimation Formula:

Streaming Minutes = Viewers × Average Watch Time × Frequency

Big Generalizations Based on Use Case:

Use Case Estimated Streaming Minutes Needed (Monthly)

• Small Creator (1K viewers, 30 min avg. watch) 30,000 min (500 hrs) = 360k / year (Power Plan)
• Growing Creator (5K viewers, 30 min avg. watch) 150,000 (2,500 hrs) = 1.8m / year (Power X Plan)
• Mid-Sized Broadcaster (10K viewers, 45 min avg. watch) 450,000 min (7,500 hrs) = 5.4m / year (Power XL Plan)
• Large/Enterprise Broadcaster (100K viewers, 60 min avg. watch) 6,000,000 min (100,000 hrs) = 72m / year (Signature Plan)

The OTT apps we build for you are fully custom-branded and tailored to fit your business, but they are designed to work exclusively within the Lightcast ecosystem. Rather than standalone software, they are part of our complete SaaS solution—ensuring seamless integration with our Media Cloud, adaptive streaming, monetization tools, and real-time analytics.

There wouldn’t be much value in owning the raw code, as the apps are built specifically to leverage Lightcast’s infrastructure. Our expert development team handles everything—from setup and maintenance to updates and optimization—so you can focus on growing your audience and revenue without worrying about the technical complexities.

With Lightcast, you get the full power of a professionally managed OTT platform, without the hassle of development, maintenance, or hosting.

Every organization has unique needs, whether it's live streaming, on-demand content, monetization, or multi-platform distribution. With so many factors to consider—audience size, content strategy, revenue goals, and app requirements—the best way to determine the right plan is to speak with one of our experts.

Schedule a call with our team here to discuss your goals, and we’ll help you find the perfect Lightcast solution to fit your needs and scale with your growth.