Intro

Live streaming requires two things: powerful hardware and a proficient net upload speed.

You can observe hardware that handles encoding for alive video (and playing video games simultaneously) in a smartphone or a decent calculator. Getting a good upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Before you lot start calling your Internet access provider to inquire about more than bandwidth, yous need to know what a skillful upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there's no straightforward reply to this question.

A good upload speed allows you to stream the content yous want to the platform of your selection without any major issues. It should also be capable of delivering your content at a quality that volition not disadvantage you or make your stream less highly-seasoned than others.

Basically, annihilation betwixt 672 kbps and 61.5 Mbps is ideal.

A good upload speed for streaming is between 672 kbps and 61.5 Mbps

Not a not bad answer, right? There are some mostly accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But nosotros'll too dig a bit deeper to find a good upload speed for your particular live stream needs.

๐Ÿค“ Understanding download/upload speeds

What do yous think people do the most online? We know that the most pop website in the globe is Google. Information technology's followed past YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that'due south one search engine, an encyclopedia, two social networks, and a video platform/social network.

People consume content online. They seek it out, identify it, then read, listen, or watch it. To be able to do that, their devices demand to ingest data, which comes to them in the course of bits. Your cyberspace connection's download rate shows you how many bits of data your estimator or device can take in from the internet using that connection. Usually, the rate (as well referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of $.25 — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

It's your connection's upload charge per unit that matters the most.

When yous create content and want to share it online, it'due south your connectedness's upload rate that matters the well-nigh. It's the same every bit the download rate; it only works the other mode around, showing how many bits of information you can share per second. It'due south besides expressed in Mbps. Data shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

๐Ÿ‘€ What is a good upload speed for streaming?

Streaming live video can take upwardly a lot of bandwidth. Just how much volition depend on several factors. Encoding matters, but so does the type of content yous want to stream. Platforms play a part, as exercise the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame rate (frames per second, or fps) of your stream.

Say you want to live stream a video of yourself interviewing someone. You're choosing between Facebook Live, YouTube Alive, and Twitch. Since all these platforms back up alive streaming video resolution of 720p, nosotros'll apply the bitrate recommendations from each platform:

  • Facebook Alive recommends a max bitrate of iv,000 kbps, plus a max sound bitrate of 128 kbps.
  • YouTube Live recommends a range betwixt 1,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for sound.
  • Twitch recommends a range between ii,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus up to 160 kbps for audio.

If you're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at thirty frames per second, yous will upload upwardly to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per second. Then having an upload bandwidth of around iv Mbps should cover you, right?

Non quite. Y'all will need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of data per second constantly. Considering these speeds fluctuate, information technology's a expert idea to take a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts the states at an upload charge per unit of around five,700 kilobits per 2nd, or v.7 Mbps. Even so, if you are certain your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might not be needed. Call up, a stable connection is equally of import as upload speed!

It's generally a good idea to have a 35% to 40% buffer

For diverse reasons, your ISP'due south declared upload bandwidth and the actual upload speed you tin can accomplish with your connection can be very different. That'due south why you should ever exam your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you get from these tests should be upwards to 5.vii Mbps if you want to stream 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd.

Read later: The only multistreaming guide you'll ever need ๐Ÿ“

๐Ÿ’‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The v.seven Mbps upload speed for 720p video at 30 frames per 2d is the upper limit. Y'all can yet live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a unmarried shot of y'all talking, 4,000 kbps might be too high of a bitrate. Y'all would probably be fine if you reduced information technology past half.

If, on the other hand, you want to stream video games or events with tons of visual data, 4,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the footstep of the visuals, the higher your bitrate should be. The type of content you stream affects what a good upload speed is for you.

Let's stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced action, y'all should ensure that your viewers run across what's going on as clearly equally possible. You lot might desire to stream at more than than 30 frames per 2d.

However, more than frames per 2d requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to betwixt iii,500 and 5,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to 6,000 Kbps. When you factor in these requirements, that's a half-dozen.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.iv Mbps for YouTube Live if y'all want to stream 720p video at lx frames per second. Also, go along in listen that these are but the highest optimal values.

A good upload speed for your live streaming volition vary from 1 platform to some other.

On Facebook, beginning streamers can just stream upward to 720p video, so in that location's no need to have more than 5 Mbps. In gild to live stream Full Hard disk videos, you demand to utilise for their Level Up chapter program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d. You'll need an upload speed of upward to 7.4 Mbps to back up that.

YouTube Live supports 4k alive streaming at 60 frames per second. It recommends a bitrate in the range of 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd need an upload speed of 68.viii Mbps to pull that off. That's but above the average upload speed in the Commune of Columbia, the area with the highest median upload speed in the United States.

Finally, your competitors might affect your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to use the platforms to generate income. If you're streaming likewise, you cannot afford to fall backside on video quality. Better quality requires college upload speeds, then the competition will eventually push you to increase your upload rate.

๐Ÿคฉ What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

With all these variables in heed, you shouldn't inquire what a "practiced" upload speed is. Instead, it's better to inquire which speed y'all should aim for in your circumstances.

Which bitrates and corresponding upload rates do the three major streaming platforms propose streamers to utilise? We'll segment by platform, resolution, and frames per second, where applicative.

Facebook Alive:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended sound bitrate is up to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with 60 frames reproduced per 2d. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits almost accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or 60 frames per second, aim for an upload speed of roughly three to four Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd, bitrate should be between 2,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.2 Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at lx frames per 2nd, the bitrate should be between 3,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between four.4 Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at thirty frames per 2d, the bitrate should be 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same equally for 720p video at 60 fps. The required upload speeds are the aforementioned likewise, between four.iv Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the recommended bitrate is betwixt 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are betwixt v.6 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per 2d, the range is 1,500 to 4,000 kbps. That'southward an upload speed betwixt roughly two Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the range is 2,250 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 2.9 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is 3,000 to half-dozen,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt 3.viii Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at lx frames per 2d, the bitrate range is four,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that ways between 5.6 Mbps and eleven Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to 13,000 kbps. That's between vii.4 Mbps and xv.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at sixty frames per second, the range is ix,000 to eighteen,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's between 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If y'all really want to live stream 4k video, doing information technology at 30 frames per second will require a bitrate between xiii,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's 15.8 Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at sixty frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is twenty,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'll need an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.v Mbps.

As you tin come across, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the most attainable, while Twitch is still the gamer's haven.

What is a good upload speed for streaming on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch?

๐Ÿ‘‰ How to become a good upload speed for streaming

Computing your desired upload speed is one affair, but getting access to that speed is something completely different.

The upload speed you tin can achieve depends on the service packages your Isp offers. For residential users, the download speed will e'er exist higher than the upload speed. The best mode to get symmetry between the 2 is to sign upward for a business-level service if possible. It volition guarantee you the ISP'southward declared upload speed at whatever fourth dimension. This, in plough, provides stability and reliability to ensure shine live streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the practiced news is that net connections are condign faster across the board. Technologies such equally fiber-optic internet are bringing higher speeds to your workplace or home — if fiber is offered in your expanse, that is.

So, the first step in obtaining a skillful upload speed for streaming is to switch to an Internet access provider that offers the speed you demand. Be prepared to pay more for more than speed, though. Also, brand sure you lot ask around near the quality of their service.

If you're stuck with a provider that offers suboptimal speeds, yous can still exercise a couple of things to amend your state of affairs:

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might be swell when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when alive streaming, a wired connectedness with an ethernet cable is better. It gives you less interference and more than stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't desire your internet connection to be crowded when you outset streaming. Don't let whatever other device squealer your upload speed, and disconnect them from your network or turn off their WiFi capabilities during your stream.
  • Close excess programs and apps on your computer. The but thing that should be uploading when yous stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its off-white share of live streams, so wait until you lot're off the air.
  • Use cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming live to several platforms at the same time, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps accomplish new audiences, saves time, and offers bang-up tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it tin likewise be demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, employ a deject-based multistreaming service to bear some of that load.
  • Remove malware; employ ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can use up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, cease, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Utilize up-to-date software and hardware. Erstwhile drivers tin can slow your figurer downward, and old modems tin can bottleneck your upload speed. Brand certain your hardware and software are upwardly to the task of streaming live video.

๐Ÿ”ฅ How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, you tin can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our characteristic allows you lot to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to go live later equally if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't thing. After you upload your video, Restream will broadcast information technology at the scheduled time automatically, so you don't even have to be online.

Acquire more ๐Ÿ‘‰ Restream Events: Everything you need to know

Bonus tip: Thanks to our multistreaming technology, yous tin can schedule and live stream your pre-recorded content to elevation platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and more than, all at the same time.

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Reach a wider audience past streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously.

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Conclusion

As a live video streamer, the quality of your content volition depend on the quality of your broadcast. That's a fact. You tin have the best skills in the most popular games, or the best barrack, or the greatest sense of sense of humor. But if people tin't see and hear yous well, they're not going to stick around to watch your stream.

Upload speeds can significantly affect the quality of your broadcasts. Use a connection with enough upload speed for the type of content you broadcast.

Remember, you lot shouldn't go for the highest possible upload speed by default. You lot only need it if you're planning to stream at a very loftier bitrate. A practiced upload speed is the ane that's appropriate for your goals.