Streaming emissions guide
Streaming Carbon Footprint
Streaming feels simple, but every session depends on platform infrastructure, networks, and the device doing playback. Use this guide to compare common streaming habits and then jump into the service you use most.
From data centers to devices
Streaming's footprint comes from three layers: the platform infrastructure, the network path delivering the media, and the device used to watch or listen.
Not all streaming behavior is the same
Long-form video, short-form autoplay loops, music streaming, and live streams all look similar at a high level, but the user behavior and playback context can change the real impact.
Highest estimated emitters
Good pages to start with
Recommended pages
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Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video has a similar footprint profile to other video-on-demand services: content delivery, network transfer, and the viewing device dominate the user-facing estimate.
Netflix
Netflix's carbon footprint comes from data centers, content delivery networks, and the device you watch on. If you're comparing Netflix emissions per hour, the biggest drivers are watch time, video quality, and whether you stream on a phone, laptop, TV, or console.
YouTube
YouTube's carbon footprint adds up across content processing, global delivery networks, and the device used for playback. If you're comparing YouTube emissions per hour or the CO2 cost of video streaming, watch time, resolution, and autoplay matter most.
Twitch
Twitch's live streaming technology requires significant bandwidth and instantaneous data processing, leading to continuous carbon emissions for each viewer.
Spotify
Audio streaming on Spotify is significantly more energy-efficient than video, but millions of simultaneous streams still create a noticeable carbon footprint.
Side-by-side comparisons
Compare related apps and habits
FAQ
Common questions
What changes streaming emissions the most?
The biggest swing factors are often watch time, resolution, autoplay behavior, and the device used for playback.
How should I compare streaming apps?
Start with the kind of watching or listening you do most, then open the calculator or comparison page that matches it.