Intro

Live streaming requires two things: powerful hardware and a good internet upload speed.

You lot tin can detect hardware that handles encoding for alive video (and playing video games simultaneously) in a smartphone or a decent computer. Getting a adept upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Earlier you commencement calling your Isp to enquire well-nigh more bandwidth, you need to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there's no straightforward answer to this question.

A proficient upload speed allows y'all to stream the content you want to the platform of your pick without any major issues. It should as well be capable of delivering your content at a quality that will not disadvantage you or brand your stream less highly-seasoned than others.

Basically, anything between 672 kbps and 61.five Mbps is ideal.

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

Non a great answer, right? There are some generally accepted values for skilful upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But nosotros'll also dig a scrap deeper to find a practiced upload speed for your particular alive stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What do you think people do the most online? We know that the most pop website in the world is Google. It'due south followed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that'due south one search engine, an encyclopedia, 2 social networks, and a video platform/social network.

People eat content online. They seek it out, identify it, and so read, listen, or watch it. To be able to do that, their devices demand to ingest data, which comes to them in the form of $.25. Your internet connection'south download rate shows you how many bits of information your computer or device tin take in from the net using that connection. Usually, the rate (besides referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per 2nd (Mbps).

It'south your connexion's upload rate that matters the near.

When you create content and want to share information technology online, it's your connection's upload rate that matters the most. It'southward the aforementioned as the download rate; information technology merely works the other mode around, showing how many bits of data you can share per 2d. It'due south besides expressed in Mbps. Information shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

👀 What is a skillful upload speed for streaming?

Streaming alive video can take upward a lot of bandwidth. Just how much will depend on several factors. Encoding matters, but so does the type of content y'all want to stream. Platforms play a part, equally exercise the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame charge per unit (frames per 2nd, or fps) of your stream.

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

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

If you're streaming alive video at a resolution of 720p, at 30 frames per 2d, yous will upload upwardly to four,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per second. And then having an upload bandwidth of effectually 4 Mbps should cover you lot, right?

Not quite. You will need to upload upwards to 4,160 kilobits of data per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it'south a expert idea to have a 35% to xl% buffer. That puts the states at an upload rate of around 5,700 kilobits per 2d, or 5.7 Mbps. Still, if you are certain your net connectedness 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 diverse reasons, your Internet service provider's declared upload bandwidth and the actual upload speed yous can achieve with your connection tin be very unlike. That'south why you should always examination your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you lot get from these tests should be upward to v.seven Mbps if you desire to stream 720p video at 30 frames per 2d.

Read later: The but multistreaming guide yous'll ever demand 📍

💁‍♂️ 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 can still live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of you talking, 4,000 kbps might be likewise high of a bitrate. You lot would probably be fine if you reduced it by half.

If, on the other paw, you want to stream video games or events with tons of visual information, iv,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the pace of the visuals, the college your bitrate should be. The type of content you stream affects what a good upload speed is for you.

Allow'due south stay with video games. If you lot're streaming games with fast-paced action, yous should ensure that your viewers encounter what's going on as conspicuously every bit possible. You lot might want to stream at more than than 30 frames per 2d.

However, more frames per second 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's a six.two Mbps upload speed for Twitch and seven.4 Mbps for YouTube Alive if you want to stream 720p video at threescore frames per second. Also, keep in heed that these are just the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, first streamers can only stream up to 720p video, and then at that place'south no need to accept more than v Mbps. In gild to live stream Total Hd videos, yous need to apply for their Level Upwardly affiliate program.

Twitch allows upwards to 1080p video at 60 frames per 2nd. You'll demand an upload speed of up to 7.4 Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at threescore frames per second. It recommends a bitrate in the range of xx,000 to 51,000 kbps. Yous'd need an upload speed of 68.8 Mbps to pull that off. That's but above the boilerplate upload speed in the District of Columbia, the area with the highest median upload speed in the The states.

Finally, your competitors might bear on your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to employ the platforms to generate income. If you're streaming too, you cannot afford to autumn behind on video quality. Better quality requires higher upload speeds, and so the competition will eventually button yous to increment your upload charge per unit.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

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

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

Facebook Live:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended audio bitrate is upwards to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with 60 frames reproduced per second. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits most accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or threescore frames per second, aim for an upload speed of roughly 3 to 4 Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, bitrate should be between two,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.2 Mbps and v Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the bitrate should exist between iii,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between four.4 Mbps and 6.ii Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at thirty frames per second, the bitrate should exist three,500 to five,000 kbps – aforementioned as for 720p video at 60 fps. The required upload speeds are the same likewise, between 4.4 Mbps and half dozen.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate is between 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 4,000 kbps. That's an upload speed betwixt roughly two Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the range is 2,250 to half-dozen,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 2.9 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate range is three,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt iii.8 Mbps and seven.four Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is iv,500 to ix,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between v.vi Mbps and 11 Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is half dozen,000 to 13,000 kbps. That's betwixt 7.four Mbps and xv.viii 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'due south between xi Mbps and 21.viii Mbps.
  • If you lot really want to live stream 4k video, doing it at thirty frames per second volition require a bitrate between xiii,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's 15.eight Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at 60 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 61.5 Mbps.

As you lot can come across, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the most accessible, while Twitch is still the gamer'south haven.

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

👉 How to get a good upload speed for streaming

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

The upload speed you tin achieve depends on the service packages your ISP offers. For residential users, the download speed volition always be college than the upload speed. The best way to get symmetry between the two is to sign upwardly for a business-level service if possible. It will guarantee you the ISP's alleged upload speed at whatsoever time. This, in plow, provides stability and reliability to ensure smooth live streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the good news is that internet connections are becoming faster across the lath. Technologies such as cobweb-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 expert upload speed for streaming is to switch to an Internet access provider that offers the speed yous demand. Be prepared to pay more for more speed, though. As well, make sure you ask around about the quality of their service.

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

  • Go a wired connectedness. Your WiFi might exist great when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cable is improve. It gives you less interference and more stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't want your net connection to be crowded when you start streaming. Don't let whatever 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 computer. The only thing that should be uploading when you stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, so wait until you're off the air.
  • Employ cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming live to several platforms at the same fourth dimension, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers slap-up tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it tin too exist demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To bargain with it, utilize a cloud-based multistreaming service to carry some of that load.
  • Remove malware; apply ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can utilise upwards some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or cake whatsoever of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Utilise up-to-appointment software and hardware. Old drivers can slow your calculator downwardly, and onetime modems can bottleneck your upload speed. Make sure your hardware and software are up to the task of streaming alive video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, you tin featherbed the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our feature allows y'all to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to go alive afterward every bit if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't thing. Subsequently you upload your video, Restream will broadcast it at the scheduled time automatically, so you lot don't even have to be online.

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

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Conclusion

As a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your broadcast. That'southward a fact. You tin have the best skills in the well-nigh popular games, or the best banter, or the greatest sense of humor. Only if people tin can't see and hear you well, they're non going to stick effectually to lookout your stream.

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

Remember, y'all shouldn't go for the highest possible upload speed past default. You just demand it if you're planning to stream at a very high bitrate. A good upload speed is the one that'due south advisable for your goals.