Intro

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

You 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.

Earlier yous beginning calling your ISP to inquire about more than bandwidth, you need to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, in that location's no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows you to stream the content y'all want to the platform of your choice without whatsoever major problems. It should also exist capable of delivering your content at a quality that will non disadvantage you or make your stream less appealing than others.

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

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

Non a groovy reply, right? There are some generally accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. Only nosotros'll as well dig a bit deeper to find a skilful upload speed for your item live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

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

People consume content online. They seek it out, place information technology, and and then read, mind, or watch information technology. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the course of bits. Your internet connectedness'south download rate shows you how many bits of data your computer or device tin can take in from the internet using that connection. Ordinarily, the rate (also 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 about.

When you create content and desire to share it online, information technology'due south your connection's upload rate that matters the most. It's the same as the download charge per unit; information technology just works the other way around, showing how many $.25 of data you can share per 2nd. It's likewise 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 take upwards a lot of bandwidth. Just how much will depend on several factors. Encoding matters, merely so does the blazon of content you want to stream. Platforms play a part, as do the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame rate (frames per second, or fps) of your stream.

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

  • Facebook Alive recommends a max bitrate of iv,000 kbps, plus a max audio bitrate of 128 kbps.
  • YouTube Alive recommends a range betwixt 1,500 and four,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for sound.
  • Twitch recommends a range between 2,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus upwardly to 160 kbps for audio.

If yous're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at xxx frames per 2d, you volition upload upwards to four,160 kilobits, or iv.16 Mbps, of data per 2nd. So having an upload bandwidth of around 4 Mbps should cover you, right?

Not quite. Y'all will need to upload upwards to four,160 kilobits of information per 2d constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it'south a skillful idea to accept a 35% to forty% buffer. That puts us at an upload rate of around 5,700 kilobits per 2d, or 5.7 Mbps. Even so, if yous are certain your cyberspace connection is stable, such a buffer might non be needed. Remember, a stable connection is as important every bit upload speed!

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

For diverse reasons, your ISP'southward declared upload bandwidth and the bodily upload speed you lot can reach with your connection can exist very different. That's why you lot should always test your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you lot get from these tests should be upwardly to 5.7 Mbps if you desire to stream 720p video at 30 frames per 2d.

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

💁‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The 5.7 Mbps upload speed for 720p video at thirty frames per second is the upper limit. You can notwithstanding live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of you talking, 4,000 kbps might exist as well loftier of a bitrate. You lot would probably exist fine if yous reduced it by half.

If, on the other hand, you desire to stream video games or events with tons of visual data, 4,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the pace 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'due south stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced action, y'all should ensure that your viewers meet what's going on as clearly as possible. You might want to stream at more than 30 frames per 2nd.

All the same, more frames per second requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to between 3,500 and v,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to six,000 Kbps. When y'all gene in these requirements, that'southward a 6.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.iv Mbps for YouTube Live if you desire to stream 720p video at threescore frames per second. Besides, keep in mind that these are but the highest optimal values.

A adept upload speed for your live streaming will vary from one platform to another.

On Facebook, beginning streamers tin can only stream up to 720p video, and so there'due south no need to have more 5 Mbps. In gild to live stream Total HD videos, yous need to apply for their Level Upwards affiliate program.

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

YouTube Alive supports 4k alive streaming at lx 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 just 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 touch your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to use the platforms to generate income. If you're streaming too, you lot cannot afford to autumn backside on video quality. Better quality requires higher upload speeds, so the competition will eventually push yous to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

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

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

Facebook Alive:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended audio bitrate is up to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with lx frames reproduced per second. Aim for an upload speed of six to vii Mbps (although Facebook limits most accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or lx 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 betwixt ii,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 exist between 3,500 and five,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.four Mbps and half dozen.ii Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate should be 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at lx fps. The required upload speeds are the same too, between 4.iv 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 five.six Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the range is i,500 to 4,000 kbps. That'south an upload speed between roughly ii Mbps and v Mbps.
  • For 720p video at lx frames per second, the range is 2,250 to six,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 2.nine Mbps and 7.four Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is iii,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 3.8 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at sixty frames per second, the bitrate range is iv,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between 5.6 Mbps and xi Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to 13,000 kbps. That's between 7.4 Mbps and xv.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at sixty frames per second, the range is 9,000 to 18,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that'due south betwixt 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If yous actually desire to live stream 4k video, doing it at 30 frames per 2nd volition require a bitrate between thirteen,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that'southward 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. Y'all'll need an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.5 Mbps.

Every bit you can see, YouTube offers the highest-quality alive streaming. Facebook is the well-nigh accessible, while Twitch is yet the gamer's oasis.

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

👉 How to go a good upload speed for streaming

Calculating your desired upload speed is one thing, but getting admission to that speed is something completely different.

The upload speed you can accomplish depends on the service packages your Internet service provider offers. For residential users, the download speed will always be higher than the upload speed. The all-time way to get symmetry between the two is to sign upwardly for a business-level service if possible. Information technology will guarantee you lot the ISP'south declared upload speed at whatever time. This, in turn, provides stability and reliability to ensure smooth live streams.

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

So, the kickoff step in obtaining a proficient 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, make sure you ask around almost the quality of their service.

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

  • Get a wired connexion. Your WiFi might be great when information technology comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. Only when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cable is ameliorate. Information technology gives you less interference and more stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't want your internet connectedness to be crowded when you start streaming. Don't let any other device hog your upload speed, and disconnect them from your network or turn off their WiFi capabilities during your stream.
  • Close 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 await until you'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 attain new audiences, saves time, and offers neat tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it tin can besides be demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with information technology, apply a deject-based multistreaming service to bear some of that load.
  • Remove malware; use ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can utilise upward some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-date software and hardware. One-time drivers can slow your computer downward, and old modems can clogging your upload speed. Make certain 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 characteristic allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to go live afterward equally if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't matter. Afterward you upload your video, Restream volition circulate it at the scheduled time automatically, and then y'all don't even take to exist online.

Acquire more 👉 Restream Events: Everything y'all need to know

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

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Decision

As a alive video streamer, the quality of your content volition depend on the quality of your circulate. That'south a fact. You can take the best skills in the nigh popular games, or the all-time barrack, or the greatest sense of humour. But if people can't run across and hear you well, they're not going to stick around to sentinel your stream.

Upload speeds tin can significantly touch the quality of your broadcasts. Use a connexion with enough upload speed for the blazon of content you broadcast.

Call up, you shouldn't get for the highest possible upload speed past default. You simply need it if you're planning to stream at a very loftier bitrate. A good upload speed is the i that's appropriate for your goals.