Intro

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

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

Before you get-go calling your ISP to ask about more bandwidth, you need to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there'southward no straightforward reply to this question.

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

Basically, annihilation 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 great reply, right? At that place are some more often than not accepted values for proficient upload speeds, which are worth knowing. Simply we'll likewise dig a bit deeper to find a proficient upload speed for your detail live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

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

People eat content online. They seek information technology out, identify it, and and then read, mind, or sentry information technology. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the grade of bits. Your internet connectedness'southward download rate shows you lot how many bits of data your computer or device tin can take in from the net using that connection. Usually, the charge per unit (also referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

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

When you create content and want to share it online, information technology'south your connection'due south upload rate that matters the most. It's the same equally the download rate; information technology just works the other way around, showing how many bits of data you tin share per 2d. It's also expressed in Mbps. Data shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

👀 What is a skilful upload speed for streaming?

Streaming live video can take upwards a lot of bandwidth. Just how much will depend on several factors. Encoding matters, but and then does the type of content you lot desire to stream. Platforms play a office, equally do the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame charge per unit (frames per 2nd, 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 use the bitrate recommendations from each platform:

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

If you're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at 30 frames per second, you volition upload upward to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per second. So having an upload bandwidth of effectually 4 Mbps should cover you, correct?

Not quite. You volition need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of information per 2d constantly. Considering these speeds fluctuate, it's a good idea to take a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts usa at an upload rate of effectually 5,700 kilobits per second, or 5.seven Mbps. Nonetheless, if you are sure your net connection is stable, such a buffer might not exist needed. Remember, 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 you tin achieve with your connexion can be very different. That'due south why y'all should always examination your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you become from these tests should be up to 5.7 Mbps if you want to stream 720p video at thirty frames per second.

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

💁‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The v.7 Mbps upload speed for 720p video at 30 frames per second is the upper limit. You can still alive stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of y'all talking, 4,000 kbps might be as well loftier of a bitrate. You would probably be fine if you reduced it by half.

If, on the other hand, you want to stream video games or events with tons of visual information, 4,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the pace of the visuals, the higher your bitrate should be. The blazon of content you stream affects what a skilful upload speed is for you.

Let's stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced action, yous should ensure that your viewers meet what'south going on as conspicuously every bit possible. You might desire to stream at more than than thirty frames per second.

Still, more frames per second requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to between iii,500 and 5,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to 6,000 Kbps. When you factor in these requirements, that's a 6.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and vii.4 Mbps for YouTube Alive if you desire to stream 720p video at threescore frames per second. Also, keep in mind that these are simply the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, beginning streamers can simply stream upward to 720p video, so there's no need to accept more than five Mbps. In lodge to live stream Total Hard disk videos, y'all demand to apply for their Level Upwardly affiliate program.

Twitch allows upwardly to 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d. You'll need an upload speed of upwardly to seven.4 Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at sixty frames per second. It recommends a bitrate in the range of twenty,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd demand an upload speed of 68.8 Mbps to pull that off. That's simply above the average upload speed in the District of Columbia, the area with the highest median upload speed in the United states.

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 yous're streaming likewise, you cannot afford to fall behind on video quality. Better quality requires college upload speeds, and then the contest will eventually push you to increment your upload charge per unit.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

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

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

Facebook Live:

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

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at xxx frames per second, bitrate should be between 2,500 and iv,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between iii.2 Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate should exist between three,500 and five,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt 4.4 Mbps and 6.two Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at thirty frames per second, the bitrate should exist 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at lx fps. The required upload speeds are the same too, betwixt 4.4 Mbps and half dozen.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at threescore frames per second, the recommended bitrate is between 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are betwixt 5.vi Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, the range is 1,500 to iv,000 kbps. That'southward an upload speed between roughly 2 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.ix Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate range is iii,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 3.8 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.vi Mbps and 11 Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at thirty frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to 13,000 kbps. That's between 7.4 Mbps and 15.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at 60 frames per 2d, the range is 9,000 to 18,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's betwixt eleven Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If you lot really desire to alive stream 4k video, doing it at thirty frames per 2d will require a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that'southward 15.8 Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at lx frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is xx,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'll need an upload speed between 24.two Mbps and 61.five Mbps.

Every bit y'all tin can encounter, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the nearly attainable, while Twitch is still the gamer's haven.

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

👉 How to go a proficient 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 y'all tin attain depends on the service packages your ISP offers. For residential users, the download speed will always be higher than the upload speed. The best mode to get symmetry between the two is to sign upwardly for a concern-level service if possible. Information technology will guarantee you the ISP's declared upload speed at any time. This, in plough, provides stability and reliability to ensure smooth alive streams.

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

So, the beginning step in obtaining a good upload speed for streaming is to switch to an ISP that offers the speed y'all need. Be prepared to pay more for more speed, though. As well, make sure you lot ask around about the quality of their service.

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

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might exist bang-up when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. Simply when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cable is improve. Information technology gives you less interference and more than stability, which leads to ameliorate stream quality.
  • Remove backlog devices from your network. You don't want your internet connection to be crowded when you commencement streaming. Don't allow whatsoever other device squealer your upload speed, and disconnect them from your network or plow off their WiFi capabilities during your stream.
  • Close excess programs and apps on your figurer. The merely matter that should be uploading when y'all stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, and so look until you lot're off the air.
  • Utilize deject-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming alive to several platforms at the same time, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves fourth dimension, and offers great tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it can also exist enervating on your CPU and bandwidth. To bargain with it, utilize a cloud-based multistreaming service to bear some of that load.
  • Remove malware; use advertisement blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking tin can use up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, cease, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Apply up-to-appointment software and hardware. Old drivers can tedious your reckoner down, and one-time modems can bottleneck your upload speed. Make sure your hardware and software are upwardly to the task of streaming live video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, you tin can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our feature allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to go live afterwards every bit if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't thing. Later on y'all upload your video, Restream volition circulate information technology at the scheduled time automatically, then yous don't even have to exist online.

Learn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything you demand to know

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

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Conclusion

Equally a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your circulate. That'south a fact. You can accept the best skills in the most popular games, or the all-time barrack, or the greatest sense of sense of humor. Simply if people can't see and hear you well, they're not going to stick around to picket your stream.

Upload speeds can significantly affect the quality of your broadcasts. Use a connectedness with plenty upload speed for the type of content yous circulate.

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