Intro

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

Y'all tin can find hardware that handles encoding for alive video (and playing video games simultaneously) in a smartphone or a decent computer. Getting a good upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Before you commencement calling your ISP to inquire nigh more bandwidth, you demand to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there'south no straightforward respond to this question.

A good upload speed allows y'all to stream the content you want to the platform of your option without any major problems. Information technology should also be capable of delivering your content at a quality that volition non disadvantage you or brand 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 great answer, right? There are some more often than not accepted values for practiced upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll also dig a flake deeper to find a good upload speed for your particular live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What exercise you think people practise the well-nigh online? Nosotros know that the almost pop website in the earth is Google. It'south followed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that's 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, so read, mind, or lookout information technology. To exist able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the form of $.25. Your internet connection'due south download rate shows you lot how many bits of data your computer or device can take in from the internet using that connection. Usually, the rate (also referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

Information technology's your connection's upload rate that matters the almost.

When you create content and want to share it online, information technology'southward your connection's upload rate that matters the almost. It's the aforementioned equally the download charge per unit; information technology just works the other manner around, showing how many bits of data you can share per 2d. It's also expressed in Mbps. Data shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

👀 What is a skillful 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 and so does the type of content you lot 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 y'all desire to live stream a video of yourself interviewing someone. Y'all're choosing betwixt Facebook Live, YouTube Alive, and Twitch. Since all these platforms support alive streaming video resolution of 720p, nosotros'll utilize the bitrate recommendations from each platform:

  • Facebook Live recommends a max bitrate of iv,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 2,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus up to 160 kbps for audio.

If you're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at 30 frames per second, you will upload up to iv,160 kilobits, or 4.xvi Mbps, of data per 2d. So having an upload bandwidth of around 4 Mbps should cover you, right?

Not quite. You lot will need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of information per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, information technology's a skilful idea to have a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts us at an upload charge per unit of effectually 5,700 kilobits per second, or 5.7 Mbps. Still, if you are sure your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might not exist needed. Remember, a stable connection is as of import 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 tin can achieve with your connection can be very different. That's why you lot should always exam your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you lot get from these tests should be up to five.7 Mbps if you desire to stream 720p video at xxx frames per 2nd.

Read later: The only multistreaming guide you lot'll ever 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 can still alive stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of yous talking, 4,000 kbps might be also high of a bitrate. You would probably exist 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 college your bitrate should be. The type of content you stream affects what a expert upload speed is for you lot.

Let's stay with video games. If you're streaming games with fast-paced activity, yous should ensure that your viewers see what'due south going on as conspicuously as possible. You lot might want to stream at more than than 30 frames per second.

Notwithstanding, more frames per second requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, information technology pushes the range for 720p video to between 3,500 and 5,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to vi,000 Kbps. When you gene in these requirements, that'due south a 6.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.4 Mbps for YouTube Alive if you desire to stream 720p video at 60 frames per second. Also, proceed in heed that these are but the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, kickoff streamers can only stream up to 720p video, so at that place'south no need to have more v Mbps. In gild to live stream Full Hard disk videos, you need to use for their Level Upward chapter program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at 60 frames per second. You'll need an upload speed of upward to 7.4 Mbps to support that.

YouTube Live supports 4k alive streaming at sixty frames per second. Information technology 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 merely in a higher place 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 affect your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to employ the platforms to generate income. If you're streaming too, yous cannot afford to autumn behind on video quality. Ameliorate quality requires higher upload speeds, so the competition will eventually push you lot to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

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

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

Facebook Alive:

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

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, bitrate should be between 2,500 and iv,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.2 Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at threescore frames per second, the bitrate should be betwixt 3,500 and five,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.four Mbps and vi.ii Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at thirty frames per second, the bitrate should be 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – aforementioned as for 720p video at threescore fps. The required upload speeds are the same besides, between iv.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 between five.half dozen Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, the range is 1,500 to 4,000 kbps. That's an upload speed between roughly ii Mbps and v Mbps.
  • For 720p video at lx frames per second, the range is 2,250 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between two.nine Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between iii.8 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is 4,500 to nine,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means betwixt five.half-dozen Mbps and xi Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is half-dozen,000 to 13,000 kbps. That'southward between seven.iv Mbps and fifteen.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at 60 frames per second, the range is 9,000 to xviii,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that'due south between xi Mbps and 21.eight Mbps.
  • If you actually want to live stream 4k video, doing it at 30 frames per second will crave a bitrate betwixt 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's fifteen.viii Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at 60 frames per 2d, the recommended bitrate range is 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'll need an upload speed betwixt 24.2 Mbps and 61.5 Mbps.

Equally y'all can see, 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

Calculating your desired upload speed is one affair, but 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 always be higher than the upload speed. The best way to get symmetry between the two is to sign upwards for a business-level service if possible. Information technology volition guarantee you lot the ISP's declared upload speed at whatsoever time. This, in turn, provides stability and reliability to ensure smooth alive streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the good news is that net connections are becoming faster across the board. Technologies such as fiber-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 good upload speed for streaming is to switch to an Isp that offers the speed you lot demand. Be prepared to pay more for more than speed, though. Also, make sure yous enquire around almost the quality of their service.

If you're stuck with a provider that offers suboptimal speeds, you tin can even so practice a couple of things to improve your state of affairs:

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might be keen when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when live streaming, a wired connectedness with an ethernet cable is better. Information technology gives you less interference and more than stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove backlog devices from your network. You don't want your cyberspace connection to be crowded when you lot start streaming. Don't permit any other device hog 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 matter that should be uploading when you stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its off-white share of live streams, so expect until you're off the air.
  • Apply 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 time, and offers great tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it tin as well be demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, apply 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 use up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-date software and hardware. Old drivers can slow your computer downward, and old modems 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 depression upload speed

With Restream Events, yous can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our characteristic allows you lot to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to become live afterwards equally if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't matter. Afterwards you upload your video, Restream volition circulate it at the scheduled time automatically, so you don't fifty-fifty take to be online.

Learn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything you need to know

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

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Conclusion

As a alive 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 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 not going to stick around to watch your stream.

Upload speeds tin can significantly affect the quality of your broadcasts. Apply a connection with enough upload speed for the blazon of content you broadcast.

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