What Upload Speed Is Good for Streaming

How Much Speed Do You Need for Live Video Game Streaming?

Jan 24, 2022 Share
FAQ, Gaming, Cyberspace Speed Guides, Streaming Guides

Watching other people play video games is almost as popular as playing them yourself. And people aren't just watching big-name net celebrities either. Twitch, the most popular game streaming platform, has over four one thousand thousand unique creators streaming every calendar month.¹ If yous similar sharing your gaming experiences with the globe, y'all could be i of them.

Ane of the keys to a successful stream is an cyberspace connection that can handle the video (similar cobweb). No one wants to spend time and money getting your lights and camera just right merely for your internet connection to reduce your stream to a choppy, pixelated mess.

Only not to worry! We're here to walk yous through everything you need to know about cyberspace speeds and live video game streaming so you can get your stream just right.

Use your nix code to meet if fiber internet is available in your expanse.

Livestreaming is all virtually upload speed

Livestreaming is ane of the few situations when download speed (the speed your internet programme typically advertises) doesn't really matter. All you lot have to worry virtually is your upload speed. You lot tin can larn more about the difference between download and upload speed hither.

Need a connection with more than upload speed? See what'south available in your expanse.

When you lot're livestreaming, video captured from your device is sent, or uploaded, from your home to video servers somewhere on the internet. This is the opposite direction that video data usually flows since most people consume more online video content than they create.

One more time: download speed doesn't matter for livestreaming.

Upload speed is ofttimes a bit more hard to guess because most internet service providers (ISPs) don't annunciate it equally prominently equally they do download speeds (your "advertised" speed refers to your download speed). For nearly kinds of internet connection, your upload speed volition be much lower than your download speed. Upload speed can too fluctuate, so the easiest way to discover your actual upload speed is to take a speed test. If you desire an upload speed that tin friction match your download speed, your best bet is fiber.

Get your upload speed: Desire to observe out what upload and download speed you're currently getting? Take our speed test.

That said, there are all the same plenty of online activities that require a proficient download speed. If y'all're playing a game online or streaming royalty-free music while you're on stream, you need to make sure yous have enough download speed to ensure a smooth experience. Nevertheless, the merely number you need to worry about for getting your stream online is your upload speed.

Upload speed requirements for livestreaming across video platforms

We recommend having a minimum upload speed of 10 Mbps for livestreaming. On about platforms, this will requite you a slight buffer to business relationship for fluctuations in upload speed.

Different streaming platforms take different requirements when information technology comes to video quality. Some are optimized so that you can broadcast low-resolution video from your prison cell phone whenever you want, while others effort to brand it possible for viewers to tune in to TV-quality streams. While you can technically stream every bit long as you lot encounter the minimum requirements, you should e'er plan to have at least an actress 5 Mbps to business relationship for fluctuations in speed.

Here's the breakdown of how much upload speed you'll demand to livestream on dissimilar platforms.

Twitch

Twitch is the biggest site for video game streaming, and then if you lot want to be a streamer, you should exist able to stream on Twitch. Fortunately, it gives streamers a few dissimilar recommendations for resolution and frame rate.

For context, thirty frames per second (fps) is the standard frame rate for television, while 60 fps is a common framerate in video games. But like resolution, frame rate affects the amount of speed you lot need to stream, so if y'all don't have the fastest connection, you lot might take to brand a trade-off.

Facebook Live

Facebook keeps information technology uncomplicated, listing only the absolute minimum requirements for streaming on the platform. But that'due south not to say you lot can't attain a decent video quality with Facebook.

Although you can get-go a livestream on Facebook with goose egg more than your phone and the Facebook app, Facebook Live is also compatible with standard streaming software like OBS Studio, Streamlabs OBS, and vMix.

YouTube

YouTube has a staggering amount of recommendations, ranging from a 240p stream (which is the resolution of an former Nokia cell phone or a Game Boy Accelerate) to streaming in total 4K UHD.^{2, 3} We'd recommend shooting for somewhere in the eye. Plenty of professional streamers stream at 1080p, and that's a high enough resolution to look good on everything from cell phones to TV screens.

Yous need actress internet speed for a stable video stream

We advise that you try to accept x–15 Mbps more upload speed than the minimum requirement for the quality of video y'all're trying to stream and even more if you know that your connectedness has regular problems with slowdown.

Some other good rule of thumb is to take twice as much upload speed as whatever you prepare your bitrate to be, just to exist safe. Not all your viewers will notice the subtle divergence between 30 and threescore fps, only everyone will notice if your stream starts freezing and stuttering.

If you simply barely run across the speed requirements for the video you're trying to stream, the slightest fluctuation in your connexion can interfere with or even crash your stream. That'due south because livestreaming is a lot trickier than streaming video from Netflix. Since your stream isn't prerecorded, the server tin't buffer to smooth out the normal ups and downs in net speed.

Likewise, call up that if you're streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously, you need enough total bandwidth that each stream has plenty of upload speed. For instance, if you're streaming 1080p video to both Twitch (6 Mbps minimum) and YouTube (3 Mbps minimum), you'd need an upload speed of at to the lowest degree 9 Mbps, though realistically, you'd need fifteen–20 Mbps to keep both streams stable.

Why is a stable video stream then important?

Livestreaming is much more technologically demanding than just playing games. Nearly online games can get by on a pretty modest internet connection, as long as there'southward low latency. Livestreaming turns your home into your ain personal Telly station, broadcasting high-resolution video to your fans.

To grow an avid fan base of operations on a platform like Twitch, you need to deliver a quality experience. A reliable photographic camera, skillful audio equipment, and a fancy gaming computer are all important investments for any dedicated streamer, but none of that makes much of a difference to those watching if your stream freezes and staggers throughout the broadcast.

A reliable cyberspace connectedness is 1 of the first investments an aspiring streamer should make.

What blazon of internet is best for livestreaming?

The all-time internet connexion for livestreaming is fiber. To livestream, you demand a reliable connection with good upload speeds and low latency. In all 3 of those categories, cobweb-optic connections are past far the best option. If fiber isn't bachelor in your area, y'all probably desire to get with a wired connectedness, as wireless connections tend to exist more susceptible to interference and generally feel college latency.

DSL and satellite connections generally aren't fast or stable enough for streamers, so you're probably going to need either cablevision or fiber internet.

Cable connections can reach upload speeds betwixt 5 Mbps and 50 Mbps, so the best cable plans can handle Hd streaming, just slower connections will be lucky to evangelize anything above Game Boy quality. Cablevision is also decumbent to slowing downwardly at superlative hours, so unless you stream in the middle of the night, you might accept to plan effectually the inevitable drop in speed.

Fiber, on the other paw, has symmetrical upload and download speeds, which means if you accept gigabit download speeds, you lot get the exact same speeds for your uploads. Fiber is likewise a much more stable connection and doesn't endure from the same kind of slowing problems that cable has to deal with. All these factors brand fiber the ideal connexion for streamers.

For more information, check out our page on fiber providers.

How does latency affect livestreaming?

Latency is the time it takes for a signal to travel from your calculator to a server on the internet. It substantially determines the reaction time of your internet connexion. Having high latency volition cause lag in games or calls, delaying your reactions and causing bug.

Because streaming is primarily ane-mode advice, latency is handled a bit differently than information technology is in a video call. Streaming software usually performs more encoding and compression on your video (though you lot can adjust this in your settings) in guild to improve the concluding quality at the expense of a few seconds of delay. This isn't usually noticeable to your audition unless you're streaming a Q&A session or a live event.

1 important precaution for streamers to take is to use a wired connection to your router instead of Wi-Fi when possible. Even fast, reliable Wi-Fi introduces a scrap of extra latency into your connectedness, so a wired connection is definitely preferable. If you don't already take one, get yourself an Ethernet cable.

Why am I yet getting dropped frames?

Practice you have a solid internet connexion merely your video still looks choppy? Video game streams oft endure from dropped frames, where instead of the video playing smoothly from ane frame to the next, the same frame will play twice in a row and then skip forward. If enough frames are dropped, it can lead to jittery, uneven video.

Although a dull or unstable internet connexion tin cause a stream to drop frames, dropped frames are often a problem with your capture card. If your capture card can't record and encode your video data fast enough to keep up with your framerate, the issue is dropped frames in your stream.

Earlier yous fork out the money to upgrade to a improve capture bill of fare, at that place are a few things you tin can endeavour. First, bank check your internet speed to make certain you're getting the upload speed you remember you are. Also, make sure that y'all're plugged into your router and not relying on Wi-Fi.

If you try those things and are sure that it's not your connection, endeavor adjusting the settings in your streaming software, lowering your bitrate. You can also try updating your computer'southward network drivers.

1. Twitch, "Press Heart," Accessed October v, 2020.
2. Nokia Museum, "Nokia Asha 301," Accessed October five, 2020.
3. CNET, "Nintendo Game Male child Accelerate Specs," Accessed October 5, 2020

Writer - Peter Christiansen

Peter Christiansen writes virtually satellite net, rural connectivity, livestreaming, and parental controls for HighSpeedInternet.com. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years every bit a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and author. His writing has been praised by outlets like Wired, Digital Humanities At present, and the New Statesman.

Editor - Cara Haynes

Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for v years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young Academy. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no i should feel lost in internet state and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.

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