#Pricing

Transcodely uses a transparent, multiplier-based pricing model. The cost of a transcoding job is determined by the input duration, the codec, resolution, framerate, and quality tier of each output. Prices are locked at job creation time — if pricing changes after you submit a job, your cost does not change.

#Cost Formula

The cost per output is calculated as:

output_cost = (duration_minutes) x base_price x codec_mult x resolution_mult x framerate_mult x quality_mult x feature_mult

The total job cost is the sum of all output costs.

#Codec Multipliers

Different codecs have different computational costs:

AV1’s higher cost comes mainly from its base price rather than its codec multiplier. AV1 is billed at a €0.04/min base price versus the €0.01/min baseline for H.264 and H.265 (VP9 is €0.015/min), while its codec multiplier stays at 1.0x.

See Encoding Options for codec details and container compatibility.

#Resolution Multipliers

Higher resolutions require more processing:

Custom dimensions are mapped to the nearest resolution tier based on pixel count. See Resolutions for the full list of presets and custom dimension constraints.

#Framerate Multiplier

The framerate multiplier scales linearly from a 30fps baseline:

framerate_mult = actual_framerate / 30

If the framerate is set to 0 (keep original), the actual framerate from the input probe is used.

#Quality Tier Multiplier

See Quality Tiers for default encoder settings per tier.

#Feature Multipliers

Add-on features apply additional cost multipliers. When multiple features are enabled on a single output, their multipliers are combined (multiplied together).

#Combined Features

When multiple compatible features are used together, the feature_multiplier is the product of all individual feature multipliers. Some features are mutually exclusive — Dolby Vision supersedes HDR tone mapping, and per-title encoding supersedes the auto ABR ladder — so only one of each pair contributes. Thumbnails add no multiplier at all. For example, an output with DRM and HDR tone mapping:

feature_mult = 1.25 (DRM) x 1.5 (HDR tone mapping) = 1.875x

An output stacking DRM, Dolby Vision, per-title encoding, and subtitle burn-in:

feature_mult = 1.25 (DRM) x 2.0 (Dolby Vision) x 1.5 (per-title) x 1.1 (subtitle burn-in) = 4.125x

#Example with Features

A 10-minute video encoded to H.265 4K at 30fps with premium quality, DRM, and HDR:

cost = 10 min x €0.01 x 1.5 (H.265) x 4.0 (4K) x 1.0 (30fps) x 2.0 (premium) x 1.875 (DRM + HDR tone mapping)
     = €2.25

#Price Locking

All pricing multipliers are captured in a pricing snapshot when a job is created. This snapshot is immutable — even if base prices or multipliers are updated later, your job’s cost is calculated using the original snapshot.

{
  "pricing": {
    "base_price": 0.01,
    "codec_multiplier": 1.0,
    "resolution_multiplier": 1.0,
    "framerate_multiplier": 1.0,
    "quality_multiplier": 1.0,
    "resolution_tier": "1080p",
    "actual_framerate": 30,
    "pixel_count": 2073600,
    "feature_multiplier": 1.0
  }
}

For the full pricing snapshot reference, see The Output Object — Pricing Snapshot.

#Estimated vs Actual Cost

Costs are calculated at two points in a job’s lifecycle:

The estimated cost is available in the awaiting_confirmation state for delayed-start jobs, allowing you to review costs before encoding begins.

#Example Calculation

A 10-minute video encoded to H.264 1080p at 30fps with standard quality:

cost = 10 min x €0.01 x 1.0 (H.264) x 1.0 (1080p) x 1.0 (30fps) x 1.0 (standard)
     = €0.10

The same video at 4K AV1 premium quality:

cost = 10 min x €0.04 (AV1 base price) x 1.0 (AV1) x 4.0 (4K) x 1.0 (30fps) x 2.0 (premium)
     = €3.20

#Multi-Output Pricing

Jobs with multiple outputs are priced per-output. Each output has its own pricing snapshot and cost calculation:

{
  "total_estimated_cost": 0.225,
  "outputs": [
    {
      "estimated_cost": 0.10,
      "pricing": { "codec_multiplier": 1.0, "resolution_multiplier": 1.0, "..." : "..." }
    },
    {
      "estimated_cost": 0.125,
      "pricing": { "codec_multiplier": 1.0, "resolution_multiplier": 1.5, "..." : "..." }
    }
  ]
}

#Per-Variant Pricing (ABR)

For adaptive streaming outputs (HLS/DASH) with multiple video variants, each variant has its own cost calculation in the variant_pricing array. The example below is a three-rung ABR ladder (1080p, 720p, 480p): each entry reports its own estimated_cost next to a live encoding status and progress, and the per-variant costs add up to the output’s estimated_cost (0.10 + 0.075 + 0.05 = 0.225).

{
  "outputs": [
    {
      "estimated_cost": 0.225,
      "variant_pricing": [
        {
          "index": 0,
          "codec": "h264",
          "resolution": "1080p",
          "quality": "standard",
          "estimated_cost": 0.10,
          "status": "completed",
          "progress": 100
        },
        {
          "index": 1,
          "codec": "h264",
          "resolution": "720p",
          "quality": "standard",
          "estimated_cost": 0.075,
          "status": "processing",
          "progress": 65
        },
        {
          "index": 2,
          "codec": "h264",
          "resolution": "480p",
          "quality": "standard",
          "estimated_cost": 0.05,
          "status": "pending",
          "progress": 0
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

The output’s estimated_cost is always the sum of all variant_pricing[].estimated_cost values. The same invariant applies to actual_cost.

#Currency

All job costs are currently denominated in EUR. Every job carries a currency field indicating which currency its cost fields use; today this is always EUR, independent of the organization’s currency setting (which is not yet consulted for job pricing).

#Cost Estimation Before Submission

Use the estimated_cost_per_minute field on Presets to estimate costs before submitting a job. Multiply this value by your input duration to get an approximate cost.

For precise estimates, use delayed start — the job will probe the input and provide exact cost estimates before encoding begins.