Intro

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

Y'all can find hardware that handles encoding for live video (and playing video games simultaneously) in a smartphone or a decent computer. Getting a good upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Before you starting time calling your Internet service provider to inquire about more bandwidth, you need to know what a skillful upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, in that location'south no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows you to stream the content you desire to the platform of your choice without any major issues. It should too be capable of delivering your content at a quality that volition non disadvantage yous or brand your stream less appealing than others.

Basically, anything between 672 kbps and 61.5 Mbps is platonic.

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

Non a groovy answer, right? In that location are some generally accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll likewise dig a scrap deeper to notice a good upload speed for your particular live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What do you call up people do the most online? We know that the about popular website in the world is Google. It'southward followed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that'southward ane search engine, an encyclopedia, two social networks, and a video platform/social network.

People eat content online. They seek it out, identify information technology, and and so read, listen, or scout it. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the course of bits. Your internet connection's download charge per unit shows yous how many bits of data your computer or device tin can accept in from the internet using that connection. Usually, the rate (too referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

It'due south your connectedness's upload charge per unit that matters the most.

When you create content and want to share it online, information technology'southward your connectedness's upload rate that matters the most. Information technology'south the same as the download rate; it just works the other way around, showing how many bits of data you can share per second. Information technology'southward also expressed in Mbps. Data shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

👀 What is a good upload speed for streaming?

Streaming live video can accept up a lot of bandwidth. Just how much will depend on several factors. Encoding matters, simply then does the type of content you lot desire to stream. Platforms play a office, as practice the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame rate (frames per second, or fps) of your stream.

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

  • Facebook Live recommends a max bitrate of four,000 kbps, plus a max audio bitrate of 128 kbps.
  • YouTube Live recommends a range betwixt i,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for audio.
  • Twitch recommends a range between 2,500 and iv,000 kbps for video, plus upwardly to 160 kbps for sound.

If yous're streaming alive video at a resolution of 720p, at xxx frames per second, you will upload up to four,160 kilobits, or 4.sixteen Mbps, of data per 2nd. Then having an upload bandwidth of effectually 4 Mbps should cover you, right?

Not quite. Y'all volition need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of data per 2d constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it's a good idea to have a 35% to twoscore% buffer. That puts united states at an upload charge per unit of effectually 5,700 kilobits per 2nd, or 5.7 Mbps. However, if you are sure your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might not be needed. Remember, a stable connection is as important as upload speed!

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

For various reasons, your ISP's declared upload bandwidth and the actual upload speed you can accomplish with your connection can exist very different. That'southward why you lot should always exam your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you get from these tests should be up to 5.7 Mbps if yous want to stream 720p video at thirty frames per 2d.

Read later: The only multistreaming guide you lot'll always need 📍

💁‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The 5.7 Mbps upload speed for 720p video at 30 frames per second is the upper limit. You tin can still live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a unmarried shot of you talking, 4,000 kbps might exist too high of a bitrate. You lot would probably be fine if y'all reduced it by half.

If, on the other hand, yous desire to stream video games or events with tons of visual data, four,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the pace of the visuals, the higher your bitrate should exist. The type of content you lot stream affects what a adept upload speed is for you.

Let'southward stay with video games. If you lot're streaming games with fast-paced action, you should ensure that your viewers meet what's going on as clearly as possible. Y'all might want to stream at more than xxx frames per 2d.

However, more than frames per 2d requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to between 3,500 and five,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to 6,000 Kbps. When you factor in these requirements, that'due south a half-dozen.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and seven.four Mbps for YouTube Live if you want to stream 720p video at 60 frames per 2d. Also, proceed in mind that these are just the highest optimal values.

A good upload speed for your live streaming volition vary from ane platform to another.

On Facebook, start streamers can only stream upwards to 720p video, and so there's no need to have more than 5 Mbps. In order to alive stream Full Hd videos, you demand to apply for their Level Up chapter program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at 60 frames per second. You'll need an upload speed of up to 7.4 Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at 60 frames per 2nd. It recommends a bitrate in the range of xx,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd need an upload speed of 68.8 Mbps to pull that off. That's just higher up the average upload speed in the District of Columbia, the expanse with the highest median upload speed in the United States.

Finally, your competitors might bear upon your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to use the platforms to generate income. If you lot're streaming as well, you cannot afford to autumn behind on video quality. Amend quality requires higher upload speeds, then the competition will somewhen push you to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

With all these variables in listen, you shouldn't enquire what a "good" upload speed is. Instead, information technology's better to ask which speed you should aim for in your circumstances.

Which bitrates and corresponding upload rates do the iii major streaming platforms advise streamers to use? We'll segment by platform, resolution, and frames per 2nd, where applicable.

Facebook Live:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended sound bitrate is upwards to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with sixty frames reproduced per 2d. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits well-nigh accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at thirty or 60 frames per second, aim for an upload speed of roughly iii to 4 Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at thirty frames per second, bitrate should be between two,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds betwixt iii.2 Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at sixty frames per 2d, the bitrate should exist between 3,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt 4.iv Mbps and half-dozen.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate should be 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at threescore fps. The required upload speeds are the same too, between 4.4 Mbps and six.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate is betwixt 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are between 5.6 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the range is 1,500 to four,000 kbps. That's an upload speed between roughly two Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the range is 2,250 to six,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 2.9 Mbps and seven.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate range is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 3.viii Mbps and vii.iv Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate range is 4,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means betwixt 5.vi Mbps and 11 Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to 13,000 kbps. That's betwixt 7.4 Mbps and xv.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at lx frames per 2d, the range is 9,000 to 18,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's betwixt 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If you lot really desire to live stream 4k video, doing it at 30 frames per second volition crave a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's xv.eight Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'll demand an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.v Mbps.

Equally you tin can see, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the near accessible, while Twitch is nevertheless the gamer'southward haven.

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

👉 How to become a skilful upload speed for streaming

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

The upload speed you 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 way to get symmetry between the ii is to sign upward for a business organisation-level service if possible. It will guarantee yous the ISP'due south declared upload speed at whatsoever time. This, in plow, provides stability and reliability to ensure polish alive streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the adept news is that internet connections are becoming faster across the lath. Technologies such as fiber-optic internet are bringing higher speeds to your workplace or home — if fiber is offered in your area, that is.

So, the first step in obtaining a good upload speed for streaming is to switch to an ISP that offers the speed yous need. Be prepared to pay more for more speed, though. Also, brand certain you inquire around about the quality of their service.

If you're stuck with a provider that offers suboptimal speeds, you can still do a couple of things to improve your situation:

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might be dandy when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when live streaming, a wired connectedness with an ethernet cable is meliorate. Information technology gives y'all less interference and more stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. Yous don't want your net connection to be crowded when you start streaming. Don't let any other device grunter your upload speed, and disconnect them from your network or plow off their WiFi capabilities during your stream.
  • Shut backlog programs and apps on your calculator. The simply affair that should be uploading when you stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, and then look until you're off the air.
  • Utilise cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming live to several platforms at the same time, is incredibly useful for content creators. Information technology helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers great tools from diverse platforms. Unfortunately, information technology can besides exist demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with information technology, use a cloud-based multistreaming service to bear some of that load.
  • Remove malware; use ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can use upward some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or block whatever of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Utilise up-to-appointment software and hardware. Old drivers can tedious your estimator down, and sometime modems can clogging your upload speed. Brand certain your hardware and software are up to the task of streaming live video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, you can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our characteristic allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and ready them to go alive later equally if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't matter. Afterwards you upload your video, Restream will broadcast it at the scheduled fourth dimension automatically, so you don't even take to be online.

Learn more than 👉 Restream Events: Everything you lot need to know

Bonus tip: Thanks to our multistreaming technology, you can schedule and alive stream your pre-recorded content to acme platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and more, all at the same fourth dimension.

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Multiply your views and appointment

Reach a wider audience by streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously.

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Determination

As a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your circulate. That's a fact. Yous tin have the best skills in the most popular games, or the all-time banter, or the greatest sense of humour. Simply if people can't see and hear you well, they're not going to stick effectually to watch your stream.

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

Remember, you shouldn't go for the highest possible upload speed by default. You merely demand it if you're planning to stream at a very high bitrate. A good upload speed is the 1 that'southward appropriate for your goals.