Intro

Alive streaming requires two things: powerful hardware and a proficient cyberspace upload speed.

You can find hardware that handles encoding for live video (and playing video games simultaneously) in a smartphone or a decent figurer. Getting a expert upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Earlier you beginning calling your ISP to inquire nearly more bandwidth, you demand to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there'south no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows you to stream the content you want to the platform of your option without any major problems. It should also be capable of delivering your content at a quality that will not disadvantage y'all or make your stream less appealing than others.

Basically, anything 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 bang-up reply, right? There are some generally accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll as well dig a bit deeper to notice a good upload speed for your particular live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What do you think people do the most online? Nosotros know that the most popular website in the world is Google. It's followed past YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that's one search engine, an encyclopedia, two social networks, and a video platform/social network.

People swallow content online. They seek information technology out, identify it, and and so read, listen, or watch it. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the form of bits. Your cyberspace connection's download rate shows y'all how many bits of data your computer or device can take in from the internet using that connection. Usually, the charge per unit (likewise referred to equally bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

Information technology's your connection'south upload rate that matters the well-nigh.

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

👀 What is a practiced upload speed for streaming?

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

Say yous want to live stream a video of yourself interviewing someone. You're choosing between Facebook Alive, YouTube Live, and Twitch. Since all these platforms support alive 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 1,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for audio.
  • Twitch recommends a range betwixt 2,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus upwards to 160 kbps for audio.

If you're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at xxx frames per second, you volition upload upwardly to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per 2d. So having an upload bandwidth of around 4 Mbps should comprehend you, right?

Non quite. You will need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of information per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it'south a good idea to have a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts united states of america at an upload rate of around v,700 kilobits per second, or 5.seven Mbps. Even so, if you are sure your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might not exist needed. Recollect, a stable connection is equally 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 y'all can reach with your connectedness can be very different. That'south why you should always exam your upload speed using online speed tests. The number y'all become from these tests should be upward to five.7 Mbps if you lot desire to stream 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd.

Read afterward: The just multistreaming guide yous'll e'er 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 lot 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 too loftier of a bitrate. You would probably exist fine if you reduced it by half.

If, on the other mitt, you lot desire to stream video games or events with tons of visual information, 4,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the pace of the visuals, the college your bitrate should exist. The type of content you stream affects what a good upload speed is for you.

Allow's stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced activeness, yous should ensure that your viewers come across what's going on as clearly as possible. Yous might desire to stream at more than than 30 frames per second.

Yet, more frames per second requires a college bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to between three,500 and v,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to half-dozen,000 Kbps. When you cistron in these requirements, that's a six.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and seven.4 Mbps for YouTube Live if yous want to stream 720p video at threescore frames per 2d. Also, keep in listen that these are only the highest optimal values.

A good upload speed for your alive streaming volition vary from one platform to another.

On Facebook, beginning streamers tin only stream up to 720p video, so there's no demand to have more 5 Mbps. In order to live stream Full HD videos, you demand to apply for their Level Upwardly affiliate program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d. You'll need an upload speed of upwardly to 7.iv Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k alive streaming at threescore frames per second. Information technology recommends a bitrate in the range of xx,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd need an upload speed of 68.viii Mbps to pull that off. That'due south just above the average upload speed in the Commune of Columbia, the area with the highest median upload speed in the The states.

Finally, your competitors might bear upon 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 fall behind on video quality. Ameliorate quality requires higher upload speeds, so the competition will eventually push you to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

With all these variables in heed, you lot shouldn't ask what a "practiced" upload speed is. Instead, information technology'southward improve to ask which speed y'all should aim for in your circumstances.

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

Facebook Live:

  • Recommended max bitrate of four,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended audio bitrate is up to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with 60 frames reproduced per second. Aim for an upload speed of vi to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits about 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 thirty frames per second, bitrate should be betwixt 2,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between three.ii Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per 2d, the bitrate should be between three,500 and five,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.4 Mbps and 6.two Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate should exist 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – aforementioned every bit for 720p video at lx fps. The required upload speeds are the same too, betwixt iv.4 Mbps and half-dozen.ii Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at threescore frames per second, the recommended bitrate is between 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are betwixt five.6 Mbps and 7.four Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, the range is i,500 to 4,000 kbps. That'southward an upload speed betwixt roughly two Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at sixty 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 second, the bitrate range is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between iii.8 Mbps and seven.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate range is 4,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between 5.six Mbps and eleven Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is 6,000 to thirteen,000 kbps. That's between 7.iv Mbps and 15.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at 60 frames per second, the range is 9,000 to 18,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's between eleven Mbps and 21.eight Mbps.
  • If you really want to alive stream 4k video, doing it at 30 frames per second volition require a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's xv.8 Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at threescore frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. Yous'll need an upload speed betwixt 24.2 Mbps and 61.five Mbps.

As you tin can see, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the most accessible, while Twitch is nonetheless the gamer's oasis.

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

👉 How to get a good upload speed for streaming

Calculating your desired upload speed is i thing, just getting access to that speed is something completely dissimilar.

The upload speed you can accomplish depends on the service packages your Isp offers. For residential users, the download speed will e'er be college than the upload speed. The all-time mode to get symmetry between the two is to sign up for a business organisation-level service if possible. It volition guarantee you the ISP's declared upload speed at any time. This, in plough, provides stability and reliability to ensure polish live streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the good news is that cyberspace connections are becoming 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 area, that is.

So, the offset step in obtaining a good upload speed for streaming is to switch to an ISP that offers the speed you need. Exist prepared to pay more for more than speed, though. Also, brand sure you ask around about the quality of their service.

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

  • Become a wired connexion. Your WiFi might exist slap-up when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when live streaming, a wired connexion with an ethernet cable is meliorate. It gives you lot less interference and more stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't want your internet connection to be crowded when yous start streaming. Don't let whatever other device grunter 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 only affair that should be uploading when you stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, then wait until y'all'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. Information technology helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers great tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it can also be enervating on your CPU and bandwidth. To bargain with it, 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 utilize up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-appointment software and hardware. Former drivers tin can slow your calculator down, and old modems tin can bottleneck your upload speed. Make sure your hardware and software are up to the task of streaming live video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, yous tin can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our feature allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and ready them to go live later as if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't matter. After you upload your video, Restream will circulate information technology at the scheduled fourth dimension automatically, so you don't fifty-fifty accept to be online.

Learn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything you lot demand to know

Bonus tip: Cheers to our multistreaming engineering, you can schedule and live stream your pre-recorded content to top platforms, similar YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and more than, all at the same time.

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Decision

As a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your broadcast. That's a fact. You can have the best skills in the most pop games, or the all-time banter, or the greatest sense of humor. But if people can't see and hear you well, they're not going to stick effectually to lookout man your stream.

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

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