To convert bytes per second to megabits per second, multiply by 8e-06. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure how much data moves per second, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
One byte per second is eight bits per second. File transfer tools report bytes, which is the single most common source of confusion about whether a connection is running at its rated speed. Megabits per second is how every broadband package is advertised. The figure is bits, so divide by eight to get the download speed your browser will show.
Bits and bytes. Network speeds are sold in bits per second and file transfers are reported in bytes per second, and there are eight bits to a byte, so a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s. A connection is not underperforming by a factor of eight; it is being measured in different units. Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real how much data moves per second figures into megabits per second so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
bytes per second- The amount you are converting, in bytes per second
8e-06- The exact number of megabits per second in one byte per second
megabits per second- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in bytes per second.
- It is multiplied by 8e-06, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in megabits per second, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
MP3 audio, 320 kbps: 4e+04 B/s in megabits per second
At 4e+04 B/s (mp3 audio, 320 kbps), the same quantity in megabits per second is 4e+04 × 8e-06 = 0.32 Mbit/s. One byte per second is 8e-06 megabits per second, so the numbers shrink as expected.
4K video stream: 3.12e+06 B/s in megabits per second
Take 4k video stream, roughly 3.12e+06 B/s. The conversion is a single multiplication — 3.12e+06 × 8e-06 — giving 24.96 Mbit/s. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 49.92 Mbit/s.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many megabits per second are in one byte per second?
Exactly 8e-06. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert bytes per second to megabits per second?
megabits per second = bytes per second × 8e-06. Reversed, bytes per second = megabits per second ÷ 8e-06, which is the same as multiplying by 125,000.
Which is the bigger unit, the byte per second or the megabit per second?
The megabit per second. One byte per second is only 8e-06 of a megabit per second, so it takes 125,000 bytes per second to make one megabit per second.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure how much data moves per second. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a byte per second?
One byte per second is eight bits per second. File transfer tools report bytes, which is the single most common source of confusion about whether a connection is running at its rated speed.
What is a megabit per second?
Megabits per second is how every broadband package is advertised. The figure is bits, so divide by eight to get the download speed your browser will show.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do B/s to Mbit/s in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 120,000 instead of using the exact factor 0.000008. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.00083333333 megabits per second, off by 0.000033 megabits per second or about 4.17%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Bytes Per Second to megabits per second reference tables
| Bytes Per Second | Megabits Per Second |
|---|---|
| 0.5 B/s | 4e-06 Mbit/s |
| 1 B/s | 8e-06 Mbit/s |
| 2 B/s | 1.6e-05 Mbit/s |
| 3 B/s | 2.4e-05 Mbit/s |
| 5 B/s | 4e-05 Mbit/s |
| 10 B/s | 8e-05 Mbit/s |
| 20 B/s | 0.00016 Mbit/s |
| 25 B/s | 0.0002 Mbit/s |
| 50 B/s | 0.0004 Mbit/s |
| 75 B/s | 0.0006 Mbit/s |
| 100 B/s | 0.0008 Mbit/s |
| 250 B/s | 0.002 Mbit/s |
| 500 B/s | 0.004 Mbit/s |
| 1000 B/s | 0.008 Mbit/s |
| 5000 B/s | 0.04 Mbit/s |
Exact factor: 1 byte per second = 8e-06 megabits per second.
| Quantity | B/s | Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 audio, 320 kbps | 4e+04 B/s | 0.32 Mbit/s |
| SD video stream | 3.75e+05 B/s | 3 Mbit/s |
| HD video stream | 1e+06 B/s | 8 Mbit/s |
| 4K video stream | 3.125e+06 B/s | 25 Mbit/s |
| Wired gigabit Ethernet | 1.25e+08 B/s | 1000 Mbit/s |
| Wi-Fi 6 link rate | 1.5e+08 B/s | 1200 Mbit/s |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.