Intro

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

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

Before yous start calling your Internet service provider to ask most more than bandwidth, you need to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, at that place'due south no straightforward respond to this question.

A skilful upload speed allows you to stream the content you lot want to the platform of your pick without any major bug. Information technology should also be capable of delivering your content at a quality that volition not disadvantage you or make your stream less appealing than others.

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

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

Not a bully answer, right? There are some by and large accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll also dig a bit deeper to find a practiced upload speed for your particular alive stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What practise you think people do the near online? We know that the most popular website in the globe is Google. It's followed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. So that's one search engine, an encyclopedia, 2 social networks, and a video platform/social network.

People eat content online. They seek it out, identify it, and then read, listen, or spotter it. To exist able to do that, their devices need to ingest information, which comes to them in the form of bits. Your net connection'due south download rate shows yous how many bits of data your computer or device tin have in from the internet using that connection. Usually, the charge per unit (also referred to as bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

Information technology's your connectedness's upload rate that matters the virtually.

When you lot create content and desire to share information technology online, information technology'due south your connection'south upload rate that matters the most. It'due south the same as the download rate; it just works the other manner around, showing how many bits of data you 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 alive video can take up a lot of bandwidth. Merely how much volition depend on several factors. Encoding matters, merely so does the blazon of content you want to stream. Platforms play a part, every bit do the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame rate (frames per 2nd, or fps) of your stream.

Say yous desire to alive stream a video of yourself interviewing someone. You're choosing between Facebook Live, YouTube Alive, and Twitch. Since all these platforms back up live streaming video resolution of 720p, nosotros'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 between one,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for sound.
  • Twitch recommends a range between ii,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 xxx frames per 2nd, you will upload up to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of data per 2d. So having an upload bandwidth of effectually four Mbps should encompass you, right?

Not quite. You lot will need to upload upward to 4,160 kilobits of data per second constantly. Considering these speeds fluctuate, it'due south a good idea to take a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts u.s.a. at an upload rate of around 5,700 kilobits per 2d, or 5.seven Mbps. However, if you lot are certain your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might not exist needed. Remember, a stable connexion is equally of import 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 bodily upload speed you can reach with your connection tin can be very dissimilar. That'due south why yous should e'er test your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you get from these tests should exist upward to 5.7 Mbps if you want to stream 720p video at xxx frames per 2nd.

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

💁‍♂️ The many variables affecting upload speed requirements

The 5.vii Mbps upload speed for 720p video at 30 frames per second is the upper limit. You lot can yet live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of you talking, iv,000 kbps might be too high of a bitrate. You would probably be fine if you reduced information technology by one-half.

If, on the other hand, y'all want to stream video games or events with tons of visual information, four,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the stride of the visuals, the higher your bitrate should be. The type of content y'all 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 see what'southward going on as clearly as possible. You might want to stream at more than than thirty frames per 2nd.

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 two,250 to half dozen,000 Kbps. When y'all cistron in these requirements, that'southward a half-dozen.2 Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.iv Mbps for YouTube Live if you want to stream 720p video at sixty frames per second. As well, keep in mind that these are simply the highest optimal values.

A expert upload speed for your live streaming volition vary from i platform to another.

On Facebook, beginning streamers tin only stream up to 720p video, and so there'due south no need to accept more than than 5 Mbps. In lodge to alive stream Full HD videos, yous demand to use for their Level Upwardly affiliate program.

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

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at threescore frames per second. It recommends a bitrate in the range of 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You lot'd demand an upload speed of 68.eight Mbps to pull that off. That's but higher up 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 too, y'all cannot afford to autumn behind on video quality. Ameliorate quality requires college upload speeds, and so the competition will eventually push you to increase 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 meliorate to enquire which speed you should aim for in your circumstances.

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

Facebook Live:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended audio bitrate is upward to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with sixty frames reproduced per second. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits most accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or 60 frames per 2d, aim for an upload speed of roughly three to iv Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at thirty frames per 2nd, bitrate should exist between ii,500 and iv,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.2 Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at lx frames per second, the bitrate should be betwixt iii,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.four Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at xxx frames per second, the bitrate should exist 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at 60 fps. The required upload speeds are the aforementioned besides, betwixt iv.4 Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate is betwixt 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are between five.6 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at thirty frames per 2nd, the range is ane,500 to four,000 kbps. That'due south an upload speed between roughly two Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at sixty frames per second, the range is ii,250 to vi,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 2.9 Mbps and seven.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per 2d, the bitrate range is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are betwixt iii.eight Mbps and 7.iv Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at lx frames per second, the bitrate range is 4,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between v.six Mbps and 11 Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per 2nd, the bitrate range is 6,000 to xiii,000 kbps. That's between 7.4 Mbps and 15.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the range is 9,000 to xviii,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's between 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If y'all really want to live stream 4k video, doing it at 30 frames per second will crave a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that'due south xv.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. You'll need an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.v Mbps.

As you tin run into, YouTube offers the highest-quality alive streaming. Facebook is the almost accessible, while Twitch is notwithstanding 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, but getting admission to that speed is something completely different.

The upload speed you can achieve 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 best way to get symmetry betwixt the two is to sign upwardly for a business-level service if possible. It will guarantee you the ISP'southward alleged upload speed at any 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 becoming faster across the lath. Technologies such as fiber-optic internet are bringing college speeds to your workplace or home — if fiber is offered in your area, that is.

So, the first step in obtaining a skillful upload speed for streaming is to switch to an Internet access provider that offers the speed yous need. Be prepared to pay more for more than speed, though. Besides, make sure yous ask around about the quality of their service.

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

  • Become a wired connection. Your WiFi might be great when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. But when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cable is improve. Information technology gives you less interference and more stability, which leads to improve stream quality.
  • Remove backlog devices from your network. You don't want your internet connection to be crowded when you beginning streaming. Don't allow any other device hog your upload speed, and disconnect them from your network or plow off their WiFi capabilities during your stream.
  • Shut excess programs and apps on your computer. The merely thing that should be uploading when you stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, and then wait until you're off the air.
  • Apply cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming alive to several platforms at the same fourth dimension, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers dandy tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it can also exist demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, use a cloud-based multistreaming service to deport some of that load.
  • Remove malware; utilize ad blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can use upward some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or block whatever of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-date software and hardware. Old drivers can deadening your calculator down, and old modems can bottleneck your upload speed. Make sure 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 bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our feature allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to get alive later as 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 lot don't even take to be online.

Larn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything yous demand to know

Bonus tip: Cheers to our multistreaming engineering science, yous tin schedule and live stream your pre-recorded content to meridian platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and more, all at the aforementioned time.

restream

Multiply your views and engagement

Reach a wider audition by streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously.

Get Started

Conclusion

As a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your circulate. That'south a fact. You can take the all-time skills in the well-nigh pop games, or the best barrack, or the greatest sense of sense of humor. But if people can't see and hear you well, they're non going to stick around to scout 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 broadcast.

Remember, you shouldn't get for the highest possible upload speed by default. You just need information technology if you lot're planning to stream at a very loftier bitrate. A good upload speed is the i that's advisable for your goals.