Intro

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

You 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.

Earlier you kickoff calling your Internet service provider to inquire about more bandwidth, you need to know what a adept upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, in that location'southward no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows yous to stream the content you lot desire to the platform of your choice without whatever major bug. It should also exist capable of delivering your content at a quality that will not disadvantage you 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

Non a great answer, correct? There are some generally accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll also dig a scrap deeper to find a expert upload speed for your particular alive stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

What do you think people do the most online? We know that the most pop website in the world is Google. Information technology'southward 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 swallow content online. They seek it out, place it, and so read, mind, or sentinel information technology. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the form of $.25. Your internet connectedness's download rate shows yous how many bits of data your reckoner or device can take in from the cyberspace using that connection. Unremarkably, the rate (also referred to equally bitrate) is expressed in millions of bits — or megabits — per second (Mbps).

It's your connectedness'due south upload charge per unit that matters the most.

When yous create content and want to share it online, it'southward your connection's upload charge per unit that matters the near. It's the same every bit the download rate; it merely works the other way around, showing how many bits of data yous can share per second. It'south too expressed in Mbps. Information shows that, globally, upload rates are slower than download rates.

👀 What is a good upload speed for streaming?

Streaming live video can take up a lot of bandwidth. Simply how much volition depend on several factors. Encoding matters, but then does the type of content you want to stream. Platforms play a function, every bit practise the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame rate (frames per 2d, or fps) of your stream.

Say you want to live stream a video of yourself interviewing someone. Y'all're choosing between Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and Twitch. Since all these platforms support live streaming video resolution of 720p, nosotros'll use 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 ane,500 and four,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for audio.
  • Twitch recommends a range between 2,500 and iv,000 kbps for video, plus up to 160 kbps for audio.

If you lot're streaming live video at a resolution of 720p, at thirty frames per 2nd, y'all will upload up to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.16 Mbps, of information per 2nd. So having an upload bandwidth of around iv Mbps should encompass you, right?

Non quite. Yous will need to upload up to 4,160 kilobits of information per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it's a proficient thought to have a 35% to xl% buffer. That puts us at an upload charge per unit of around 5,700 kilobits per second, or 5.7 Mbps. Yet, if you lot are sure your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might non be needed. Remember, a stable connection 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 achieve with your connectedness can be very dissimilar. That'due south why you lot should always test your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you lot become from these tests should be up to 5.7 Mbps if you desire to stream 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd.

Read later: The just multistreaming guide you'll ever demand 📍

💁‍♂️ 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 live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a unmarried shot of you talking, 4,000 kbps might be too high of a bitrate. You would probably be fine if you reduced it by one-half.

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

Let'southward stay with video games. If y'all're streaming games with fast-paced activeness, you should ensure that your viewers run into what's going on as clearly as possible. Y'all might want to stream at more than than thirty frames per 2nd.

Yet, more frames per second requires a college bitrate. For Twitch, information technology pushes the range for 720p video to betwixt 3,500 and 5,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends ii,250 to half-dozen,000 Kbps. When you factor in these requirements, that's a vi.two Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.4 Mbps for YouTube Live if you want to stream 720p video at 60 frames per 2d. Likewise, continue in heed that these are just the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, beginning streamers tin only stream upwards to 720p video, so there'south no need to take more than 5 Mbps. In order to live stream Full HD videos, you need to use for their Level Upwards affiliate program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d. Yous'll need an upload speed of up to 7.four Mbps to back up that.

YouTube Live supports 4k live streaming at 60 frames per 2nd. It recommends a bitrate in the range of 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You'd need an upload speed of 68.8 Mbps to pull that off. That'south just above the average upload speed in the District of Columbia, the expanse with the highest median upload speed in the Us.

Finally, your competitors might bear on your upload speed requirements. Twitch and YouTube are crowded with streamers trying to use the platforms to generate income. If you're streaming too, you cannot afford to autumn behind on video quality. Better quality requires higher upload speeds, so the competition will somewhen push you lot to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

With all these variables in mind, you lot shouldn't ask what a "skilful" upload speed is. Instead, information technology's better to ask which speed y'all should aim for in your circumstances.

Which bitrates and corresponding upload rates practise the 3 major streaming platforms advise streamers to utilize? We'll segment by platform, resolution, and frames per second, 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 60 frames reproduced per 2d. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to 7 Mbps (although Facebook limits most accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at 30 or lx frames per second, aim for an upload speed of roughly iii to 4 Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per 2nd, bitrate should be betwixt ii,500 and 4,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds betwixt iii.ii Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate should be between three,500 and v,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.iv Mbps and vi.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at thirty frames per second, the bitrate should be 3,500 to 5,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at lx fps. The required upload speeds are the same too, between four.4 Mbps and 6.2 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at sixty frames per 2d, the recommended bitrate is between 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are between 5.6 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at 30 frames per second, the range is one,500 to 4,000 kbps. That's an upload speed between roughly 2 Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the range is 2,250 to half dozen,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 3,000 to vi,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between three.eight Mbps and 7.four 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 5.6 Mbps and 11 Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is vi,000 to thirteen,000 kbps. That'southward between 7.4 Mbps and xv.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at 60 frames per 2nd, the range is 9,000 to eighteen,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's between 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If you really want to live stream 4k video, doing it at xxx frames per second will crave a bitrate betwixt 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that'due south 15.viii 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.two Mbps and 61.5 Mbps.

Equally you can run across, YouTube offers the highest-quality alive streaming. Facebook is the most accessible, while Twitch is even so the gamer'due south haven.

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

👉 How to go a adept upload speed for streaming

Calculating your desired upload speed is one thing, but getting access to that speed is something completely unlike.

The upload speed yous tin achieve depends on the service packages your Internet access provider offers. For residential users, the download speed volition always exist higher than the upload speed. The best way to get symmetry between the two is to sign up for a concern-level service if possible. It will guarantee you the ISP's alleged upload speed at any time. This, in turn, provides stability and reliability to ensure smooth alive streams.

In terms of sheer speed, the good news is that internet connections are becoming faster across the lath. Technologies such as cobweb-optic internet are bringing college speeds to your workplace or dwelling — if fiber is offered in your expanse, 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 need. Be prepared to pay more for more speed, though. Also, make sure yous enquire effectually nigh the quality of their service.

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

  • Get a wired connection. Your WiFi might exist corking 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 y'all less interference and more than stability, which leads to ameliorate stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You don't want your cyberspace connection to be crowded when you start streaming. Don't let any other device sus scrofa 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 yous stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its off-white share of live streams, then wait until you lot're off the air.
  • Use cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming alive to several platforms at the aforementioned fourth dimension, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers great tools from various platforms. Unfortunately, it can too be enervating on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, use a cloud-based multistreaming service to comport some of that load.
  • Remove malware; utilise advertisement blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can use up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, cease, or block any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Use up-to-appointment software and hardware. Old drivers tin slow your computer down, and sometime modems can bottleneck your upload speed. Brand sure your hardware and software are upward to the chore of streaming live video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, y'all 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 later every bit if they were regular streams. With this method, your upload speed doesn't thing. After you upload your video, Restream will broadcast it at the scheduled fourth dimension automatically, and then you don't even have to be online.

Learn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything you demand to know

Bonus tip: Thanks to our multistreaming technology, you can schedule and live stream your pre-recorded content to superlative platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and more than, all at the same 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'south a fact. You tin take the best skills in the nearly pop games, or the best banter, or the greatest sense of humor. Just if people can't encounter and hear you well, they're not going to stick around to lookout your stream.

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

Retrieve, you lot shouldn't get for the highest possible upload speed past default. Y'all only need information technology if you're planning to stream at a very high bitrate. A good upload speed is the one that'south appropriate for your goals.