Intro

Live streaming requires two things: powerful hardware and a good cyberspace 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 skilful upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Before you offset calling your ISP to inquire about more bandwidth, you need to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there'due south no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows you to stream the content you want to the platform of your choice without whatever major bug. It should likewise be capable of delivering your content at a quality that will not disadvantage you or make your stream less highly-seasoned than others.

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

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

Not a great answer, correct? There are some generally accustomed values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll also dig a chip deeper to find a good upload speed for your particular live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

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

People consume content online. They seek it out, identify information technology, and then read, listen, or watch it. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest information, which comes to them in the form of bits. Your net connection's download rate shows you how many $.25 of information your computer or device can take in from the net using that connectedness. Usually, the rate (too referred to every bit bitrate) is expressed in millions of $.25 — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

It's your connection's upload rate that matters the virtually.

When yous create content and want to share information technology online, information technology's your connexion's upload rate that matters the most. Information technology's the same as the download rate; it only works the other manner around, showing how many bits of data yous tin can share per second. It's 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 tin accept up a lot of bandwidth. Just how much volition depend on several factors. Encoding matters, just and so does the type of content you want to stream. Platforms play a function, as practice 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 Live, and Twitch. Since all these platforms support live streaming video resolution of 720p, we'll utilize 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 between 1,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for audio.
  • Twitch recommends a range between ii,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus up to 160 kbps for audio.

If yous're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at thirty frames per 2nd, y'all volition upload up to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per 2nd. So having an upload bandwidth of around 4 Mbps should embrace yous, right?

Not quite. Yous volition demand to upload upwardly to 4,160 kilobits of data per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it'south a good idea to have a 35% to twoscore% buffer. That puts usa at an upload rate of effectually five,700 kilobits per second, or 5.7 Mbps. However, if you are sure your internet connectedness is stable, such a buffer might not be needed. Remember, a stable connectedness 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 you can reach with your connection can be very different. That'due south why you should always exam your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you get from these tests should exist upwardly to 5.7 Mbps if you want to stream 720p video at 30 frames per second.

Read later: The only multistreaming guide y'all'll e'er demand 📍

💁‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The five.seven Mbps upload speed for 720p video at 30 frames per second is the upper limit. You lot can nonetheless live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of yous talking, four,000 kbps might exist too high of a bitrate. You would probably be fine if you lot reduced information technology past half.

If, on the other paw, you lot 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.

Let's stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced action, you should ensure that your viewers encounter what'south going on as conspicuously every bit possible. You lot might want to stream at more 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 5,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to 6,000 Kbps. When you factor in these requirements, that'southward a vi.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.4 Mbps for YouTube Live if you want to stream 720p video at lx frames per second. Also, keep in listen that these are just the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, beginning streamers can only stream upward to 720p video, and then in that location's no need to accept more than than 5 Mbps. In guild to live stream Full Hard disk drive videos, yous demand to apply for their Level Up affiliate programme.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at lx frames per second. You'll need an upload speed of up to 7.four Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at 60 frames per 2d. It recommends a bitrate in the range of xx,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd need an upload speed of 68.eight Mbps to pull that off. That's merely above the average upload speed in the District of Columbia, the area with the highest median upload speed in the U.s.a..

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 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 mind, yous shouldn't ask what a "skillful" upload speed is. Instead, it'due south meliorate to ask which speed you should aim for in your circumstances.

Which bitrates and corresponding upload rates do the three 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 audio bitrate is up to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with lx frames reproduced per 2nd. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to vii Mbps (although Facebook limits most accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or 60 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 2,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.ii Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate should be between three,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between iv.4 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 60 fps. The required upload speeds are the same also, between 4.4 Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate is between 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are betwixt five.6 Mbps and vii.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at xxx frames per second, the range is one,500 to 4,000 kbps. That'due south an upload speed between roughly ii Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at threescore frames per second, the range is 2,250 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt 2.9 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is three,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 3.8 Mbps and 7.four Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d, the bitrate range is 4,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between 5.6 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 vii.4 Mbps and 15.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at lx frames per second, the range is 9,000 to xviii,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's between 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If y'all actually desire to live stream 4k video, doing information technology at 30 frames per 2nd volition require a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that'south 15.viii Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at lx frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'll need an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.5 Mbps.

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

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

👉 How to get a practiced 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 attain depends on the service packages your ISP offers. For residential users, the download speed will e'er be higher than the upload speed. The best manner to get symmetry between the ii is to sign up for a business-level service if possible. It will guarantee you lot the ISP's alleged upload speed at any time. This, in turn, provides stability and reliability to ensure shine live streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the adept news is that cyberspace connections are condign faster beyond the board. Technologies such as cobweb-optic internet are bringing higher speeds to your workplace or habitation — if fiber is offered in your area, that is.

And so, the commencement pace in obtaining a adept upload speed for streaming is to switch to an ISP that offers the speed you demand. Be prepared to pay more than for more speed, though. Also, make sure yous ask around about the quality of their service.

If you're stuck with a provider that offers suboptimal speeds, yous can notwithstanding practice a couple of things to ameliorate your state of affairs:

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might be great when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. Just when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cable is amend. It gives you less interference and more stability, which leads to amend stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't want your internet connection to be crowded when you kickoff streaming. Don't let whatsoever other device squealer 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 estimator. The only matter that should be uploading when you lot stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, so look until you lot're off the air.
  • Utilize cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming live to several platforms at the same time, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers peachy tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, information technology tin can also exist demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, use a deject-based multistreaming service to comport some of that load.
  • Remove malware; employ ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can use upwardly some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, cease, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-appointment software and hardware. Sometime drivers tin irksome your computer downwardly, and old modems tin bottleneck your upload speed. Make sure your hardware and software are up to the job of streaming live video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, y'all can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our feature allows yous to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to become alive after equally if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't matter. After you upload your video, Restream will broadcast it at the scheduled time automatically, so you don't even have to be online.

Acquire more 👉 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's a fact. You can have the best skills in the almost popular games, or the best banter, or the greatest sense of sense of humor. Just if people can't see and hear you well, they're not going to stick effectually to watch your stream.

Upload speeds can significantly bear on the quality of your broadcasts. Employ a connection with enough upload speed for the type of content you lot broadcast.

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