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 skillful upload speed for streaming is trickier.

Before you start calling your Internet access provider to inquire about more than bandwidth, yous demand to know what a good upload speed for streaming is. Unfortunately, there's no straightforward answer to this question.

A good upload speed allows yous to stream the content you want to the platform of your pick without any major issues. It should as well be capable of delivering your content at a quality that will not disadvantage you or make your stream less appealing than others.

Basically, anything between 672 kbps and 61.5 Mbps is platonic.

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

Not a great answer, right? There are some generally accepted values for good upload speeds, which are worth knowing. But we'll also dig a bit deeper to find a skilful upload speed for your item live stream needs.

🤓 Understanding download/upload speeds

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

People consume content online. They seek it out, place it, then read, mind, or picket it. To be able to do that, their devices need to ingest data, which comes to them in the class of bits. Your internet connection's download rate shows you how many bits of data your computer or device can have in from the internet using that connection. Commonly, the rate (also referred to every bit bitrate) is expressed in millions of $.25 — or megabits — per 2d (Mbps).

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

When you create content and want to share it online, it's your connection's upload charge per unit that matters the most. Information technology'southward the same as the download rate; it just works the other way around, showing how many bits of information 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 good 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 then does the type of content y'all want to stream. Platforms play a part, equally practice the resolution (expressed in pixels, or p) and the frame charge per unit (frames per second, 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, we'll use the bitrate recommendations from each platform:

  • Facebook Live recommends a max bitrate of four,000 kbps, plus a max sound bitrate of 128 kbps.
  • YouTube Live recommends a range between 1,500 and iv,000 kbps for video, plus 128 kbps for audio.
  • Twitch recommends a range betwixt 2,500 and 4,000 kbps for video, plus upward to 160 kbps for sound.

If you're streaming alive video at a resolution of 720p, at 30 frames per second, y'all will upload upward to 4,160 kilobits, or 4.sixteen Mbps, of data per 2nd. Then having an upload bandwidth of around 4 Mbps should encompass you, right?

Not quite. You volition need to upload upward to 4,160 kilobits of information per second constantly. Because these speeds fluctuate, it'southward a proficient idea to have a 35% to 40% buffer. That puts the states at an upload rate of around 5,700 kilobits per second, or 5.7 Mbps. Nonetheless, if you lot are certain your internet connection is stable, such a buffer might non be 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'due south alleged upload bandwidth and the actual upload speed y'all can achieve with your connection can be very dissimilar. That's why you should always examination your upload speed using online speed tests. The number you get from these tests should be up to v.7 Mbps if you want to stream 720p video at 30 frames per second.

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

💁‍♂️ 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 tin yet live stream 720p video with a lower upload speed. If the whole video is a single shot of you talking, 4,000 kbps might exist too loftier of a bitrate. You would probably be fine if yous reduced information technology by one-half.

If, on the other hand, you want to stream video games or events with tons of visual information, iv,000 kbps is necessary. The faster the stride of the visuals, the higher your bitrate should exist. The blazon of content y'all stream affects what a good upload speed is for you.

Allow's stay with video games. If y'all're streaming games with fast-paced activity, you should ensure that your viewers encounter what's going on as clearly every bit possible. You might want to stream at more than xxx frames per 2d.

Yet, more frames per 2d requires a higher bitrate. For Twitch, it pushes the range for 720p video to between 3,500 and v,000 kbps. YouTube Live recommends 2,250 to vi,000 Kbps. When you gene in these requirements, that's a 6.two Mbps upload speed for Twitch and 7.four Mbps for YouTube Live if you want to stream 720p video at 60 frames per second. Also, keep in mind that these are just the highest optimal values.

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

On Facebook, kickoff streamers can but stream up to 720p video, so there'southward no demand to have more than 5 Mbps. In club to alive stream Full HD videos, you need to apply for their Level Up chapter program.

Twitch allows up to 1080p video at sixty frames per second. Y'all'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. Yous'd need an upload speed of 68.8 Mbps to pull that off. That's only to a higher place the boilerplate upload speed in the Commune of Columbia, the expanse 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 y'all're streaming besides, you cannot afford to fall behind on video quality. Meliorate quality requires higher upload speeds, so the competition will eventually push y'all to increase your upload rate.

🤩 What upload speeds should I be aiming for?

With all these variables in listen, 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 use? We'll segment by platform, resolution, and frames per second, where applicable.

Facebook Alive:

  • Recommended max bitrate of 4,000 kbps for video.
  • Recommended audio bitrate is upward to 128 kbps.
  • Maximum resolution is 1080p, with 60 frames reproduced per second. Aim for an upload speed of 6 to vii Mbps (although Facebook limits nearly accounts to 720p resolution).
  • For 720p video at xxx or 60 frames per 2d, aim for an upload speed of roughly 3 to 4 Mbps.

Twitch:

  • For 720p video at thirty frames per second, bitrate should be between 2,500 and four,000 kbps. That requires upload speeds between 3.2 Mbps and five Mbps.
  • For 720p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate should be between iii,500 and 5,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 4.4 Mbps and 6.two Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate should be iii,500 to v,000 kbps – same as for 720p video at 60 fps. The required upload speeds are the same besides, betwixt 4.4 Mbps and six.two Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at threescore frames per second, the recommended bitrate is between 4500 and 6000 kbps. The required upload speeds are betwixt v.6 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.

YouTube:

  • For 720p video at thirty frames per second, the range is one,500 to 4,000 kbps. That'south an upload speed between roughly 2 Mbps and 5 Mbps.
  • For 720p video at lx frames per second, the range is two,250 to half-dozen,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between ii.9 Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is 3,000 to 6,000 kbps. Required upload speeds are between 3.eight Mbps and 7.4 Mbps.
  • For 1080p video at 60 frames per 2d, the bitrate range is 4,500 to ix,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between 5.6 Mbps and xi Mbps.
  • For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to xiii,000 kbps. That's between 7.iv Mbps and 15.eight Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
  • For 1440p video at lx frames per second, the range is nine,000 to 18,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that's betwixt 11 Mbps and 21.8 Mbps.
  • If you really want to live stream 4k video, doing information technology at 30 frames per second will require a bitrate between 13,000 and 34,000 kbps. In terms of upload speed, that's fifteen.8 Mbps and 41 Mbps.
  • To stream 4k video at 60 frames per second, the recommended bitrate range is 20,000 to 51,000 kbps. You lot'll need an upload speed between 24.2 Mbps and 61.five Mbps.

Equally you can run into, YouTube offers the highest-quality live streaming. Facebook is the about attainable, 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 thing, but getting access to that speed is something completely different.

The upload speed you can accomplish depends on the service packages your ISP 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 business-level service if possible. It will guarantee you lot the Isp's declared 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 cyberspace connections are becoming faster across the board. Technologies such as fiber-optic net 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 need. Be prepared to pay more for more speed, though. Besides, make sure you ask around about the quality of their service.

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

  • Go a wired connectedness. Your WiFi might be great when it comes to watching YouTube videos on your smartphone or checking social media. Simply when live streaming, a wired connection with an ethernet cablevision is amend. Information technology gives you less interference and more than stability, which leads to better stream quality.
  • Remove excess devices from your network. You lot don't want your internet connectedness to exist crowded when you starting time streaming. Don't allow whatsoever other device hog 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 reckoner. The only thing that should exist uploading when yous stream is your encoder. Peer-to-peer networking has probably ruined its fair share of live streams, so wait until you're off the air.
  • Use cloud-based multistreaming. Multistreaming, or streaming live to several platforms at the aforementioned time, is incredibly useful for content creators. It helps reach new audiences, saves time, and offers great tools from diverse platforms. Unfortunately, information technology tin besides be demanding on your CPU and bandwidth. To deal with it, use a cloud-based multistreaming service to conduct some of that load.
  • Remove malware; use advertisement blockers and privacy tools. Malware, ads, and online tracking can employ up some of your upload bandwidth. Remove, stop, or cake any of these speed-leeching undesired programs.
  • Apply upward-to-engagement software and hardware. Onetime drivers tin can dull your computer down, and old modems tin can clogging your upload speed. Brand sure your hardware and software are upwards to the task of streaming alive video.

🔥 How to stream with a low upload speed

With Restream Events, you can bypass the upload speed inconveniences. How? Our characteristic allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos, schedule them, and set them to go live 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 fourth dimension automatically, so y'all don't fifty-fifty have to be online.

Learn more 👉 Restream Events: Everything you need to know

Bonus tip: Thanks to our multistreaming engineering science, you can schedule and live stream your pre-recorded content to top 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

Every bit a live video streamer, the quality of your content will depend on the quality of your broadcast. That'due south a fact. Y'all can have the best skills in the most popular games, or the best banter, or the greatest sense of sense of humor. But if people can't see and hear y'all well, they're non going to stick around to watch your stream.

Upload speeds can significantly affect the quality of your broadcasts. Utilize a connection 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 only demand it if you're planning to stream at a very high bitrate. A skilful upload speed is the one that's advisable for your goals.